The Conversation

Students in this course learn the art of the apology

Written by Nancy E. Berg, Professor of comparative literature, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

Sorry: The art and literature of the apology

What prompted the idea for the course?

A number of years ago our students and faculty read Eula Biss’ book “Notes from No Man’s Land” for our...

Old forests are critically important for slowing climate change and merit immediate protection from logging

Written by Beverly Law, Professor Emeritus of Global Change Biology and Terrestrial Systems Science, Oregon State University

An old-growth forest of noble fir trees at Marys Peak in Oregon's Coast Range.Beverly Law, CC BY-ND

Forests are an essential part of Earth’s operating system. They reduce the buildup of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and land degradation by 30% each year. This slows global temperature...

Beijing may have brokered a fragile truce in northern Myanmar – but it can't mask China's inability to influence warring parties

Written by Tharaphi Than, Associate Professor of World Cultures and Languages, Northern Illinois University

Members of the rebel Ta'ang National Liberation Army standing guard in Shan state, Myanmar.STR/AFP via Getty Images

A shaky agreement to end fighting in northern Myanmar has served to highlight concerns in Beijing over the ongoing unrest – and the limits of China’s power to influence the ongoing civil war.

On Jan. 12, 2024, China...

Beijing may have brokered a fragile truce in northern Myanmar – but it can’t mask China’s inability to influence warring parties

Written by Tharaphi Than, Associate Professor of World Cultures and Languages, Northern Illinois University

Members of the rebel Ta'ang National Liberation Army standing guard in Shan state, Myanmar.STR/AFP via Getty Images

A shaky agreement to end fighting in northern Myanmar has served to highlight concerns in Beijing over the ongoing unrest – and the limits of China’s power to influence the ongoing civil war.

On Jan. 12, 2024, China...

Trump defends himself to the Supreme Court, saying he called ‘for peace, patriotism, respect for law and order’ on Jan. 6 and is not an insurrectionist

Written by Wayne Unger, Assistant Professor of Law, Quinnipiac University

The U.S Supreme Court will decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kept off the 2024 presidential ballot. AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

Filing late in the day to meet the Jan. 18, 2024, deadline, former President Donald Trump submitted a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that asked the justices to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court’s...

Students do better and schools are more stable when teachers get mental health support

Written by Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, Clinical Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Services, University of North Dakota

Teachers report worse well-being than the general population. VectorFusionArt via Getty Images

When it comes to mental health at school, typically the focus is on helping students, especially as they emerge from the pandemic with heightened levels of anxiety, stress and emotional need. But as school officials seek to put resources toward student...

Why did Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 have a sealed-off emergency exit in the first place? The answer comes down to money

Written by Amy Fraher, Lecturer in Management, Yale University

The door plug area of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft awaits inspection on Jan. 10, 2024. Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo

The aviation industry is still in shock from a near disaster on Jan. 5, 2024, in which a 60-pound “door plug” blew out from a nearly new Boeing 737 MAX 9 in flight at 16,000 feet, leaving a gaping hole in the...

Conflict over William Penn statue removal in Philadelphia misses a point – Penn himself might have objected to it

Written by Andrew Murphy, Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan

A statue of William Penn stands at Welcome Park in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The National Park Service’s proposed removal of a statue of William Penn from Philadelphia’s Welcome Park turned out to be short-lived. Announced on Jan. 5, 2024, the proposal was quickly pulled from consideration due to a public firestorm.

The Repub...

US law permits charities to encourage voting and help voters register, making GOP concerns about this assistance unfounded

Written by Philip Hackney, Associate Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh

Volunteers register voters in Santa Fe, N.M. Robert Alexander/Getty Images

U.S. charities aren’t allowed to campaign for or against specific political candidates. But they can legally engage in nonpartisan voter education and candidate-neutral efforts to get out the vote, as well as voter registration drives.

I’m an expert on charitable...

Women presidential candidates like Nikki Haley are more likely to change their positions to reach voters − but this doesn't necessarily pay off

Written by Shawn J. Parry-Giles, Professor of Communication, University of Maryland

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley greets supporters on Jan. 3, 2024, at a bar in Londonderry, N.H. Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

While Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has said that she is “very pro-life,” she has also said that abortion is a “personal choice.” Her wording on different...