Enjoyed speaking with Gianna Jakubowski for this piece in the GW Hatchet! gwhatchet.com/2025/09/15/t...

When the Founding Fathers adopted the First Amendment, the censorship that kept them up at night was censorship or private citizens by the government. That's what they made unconstitutional. Not social pressure. Not social media pile-ons. Not hate speech. Censorship by the government.

I'm thrilled to welcome Tess Ulrey as @responsiblehs.bsky.social's newest Executive Director. As I said in the release, "Tess is an expert in helping nonprofits fulfill their potential…[her] proven record of accomplishment in youth development, advocacy, and fundraising makes her the ideal choice."

NEW: two recent polls show an uptick in popularity for higher ed. That says more about the "thermostatic effect" in politics than it does about colleges, I explain in @aacu.org's Liberal Education Online -- but it does give us an opening to make our case. www.aacu.org/liberaleduca...

Dreamed that Clint Hurdle added me to the Pittsburgh Pirates' roster even though I can't play baseball, because he valued my ideas and charisma. Team activities consisted of him calling the players together and imparting life lessons about equality and social justice, and he wanted my contributions

Scholars push back against Trump’s Smithsonian review. #HigherEd #AcademicSky www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

This is not an accurate description either of how science works or of how it is viewed by the administration. It's as if RFK Jr. doesn't exist. This every-man-for-himself panic just sets us further back. We must all hang together, or we will surely all hang separately.

In my first piece for @aacu.org's Liberal Education Online, I discuss an alarming feature of the DOJ's recent anti-DEI memo: targeting thought crimes like "proxies," "perceptions," and "intent," even when they don't involve actual differential treatment of students by identity group.

This is a spectacular piece by Ian Simmons on why business and industry should be all in for academic freedom. www.forbes.com/sites/iansim...

the US profoundly needs a children's rights movement. children are not property... they deserve opportunity and learning and autonomy and security.... and our country just does not acknowledge this

More of this, please. Protect Science and American Innovation Day of Action happening today. www.protectscienceandinnovation.org

Interesting-looking November conference on higher ed and democracy, organized by my friend @jpygold.bsky.social at @bulaw.bsky.social! www.bu.edu/law/engageme...

I enjoyed speaking with @masslive.bsky.social's Juliet Schulman-Hall about the impact of the BBB on higher ed. Spoiler alert, it's not good, but not as bad as it could have been. www.masslive.com/news/2025/07...

I'm on the board at @responsiblehs.bsky.social, and we're searching for our next Executive Director -- Someone w/skills in fundraising, strategic planning, policy, & management. Relevant lived experience a plus. Happy to answer qs (I'm not on the committee). responsiblehomeschooling.org/employment/

Rallying our community to stand up for our rights. Creating life-changing resources for survivors. Training professionals to support at-risk children. Your gift of any amount today directly supports our one-of-a-kind work. #HomeschoolChat

I'm on the board of directors at @responsiblehs.bsky.social, the only organization in the US advocating for responsible oversight of homeschooling to protect kids from abuse. This org is my passion, and I'd be grateful if you'd consider a one-time or recurring donation to their summer fundraiser.

We're suing the government to overturn the massive cuts to NSF funding, including to our own program building STEM education pipelines for students from minority and underserved populations. Proud to be part of @aacu.org and to have the support of @democracyforward.org in this fight.

I'm sure I'll take shit for saying this, but this passage from Glenn Loury's Chronicle interview perfectly captures for me the civilizational necessity of a relatively autonomous academic sphere. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

"A successful college education is measured not by what its graduates believe but by what they can conceive." Important piece by Lynn Pasquerella on @aacu.org's Call for Constructive Engagement statement and higher ed leaders' response to the present crisis. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Really enjoyed this conversation with Michelle Deutchman @ucfreespeech.bsky.social, which touched on the @aacu.org presidents' statement (approaching 600 signatories!) and other things. freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/speechmatter...

A worthy statement by PEN America's Champions of Higher Education, with over a hundred signatures from former college presidents. Worth reading in full.

Good for @historians.org for redoing this important survey, last completed a decade ago. If you're contingent faculty, please consider filling it out.

More than 150 leaders of America's colleges, universities, and scholarly societies issued "A Call for Constructive Engagement" in response to the ongoing government intrusion into #highered. Read the full statement: www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c...

Excited about this statement by current college presidents released by @aacu.org, which is now up to over 200 signers and counting. As the statement notes, higher ed institutions "speaking with one voice" is vitally needed right now. www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c...

“The termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for this administration” My NEH grant has been terminated Incredible when the funding for your book about the educational culture wars is cut as a result of the educational culture wars You can’t say history isn’t relevant

Thrilled to announce that I'm joining @aacu.org as Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, working with President Lynn Pasquerella and across the organization on a variety of projects regarding AAC&U's mission of liberal education. www.aacu.org/newsroom/aac...

Hello all: I am seeking a new professional opportunity. I’m a dynamic and experienced nonprofit professional with a unique ability to assemble coalitions and build and execute programs in the higher education, state advocacy, and democracy spaces. Here are a few of the things I’ve done: 🧵

"Efforts to build inclusive and diverse campus communities are neither discriminatory nor illegal." Bravo to @aceducation.bsky.social and 68 higher ed associations for this muscular, powerful, unified response to the Ed Dept "Dear Colleague" letter. www.acenet.edu/Documents/Le...

@jeremycyoung.bsky.social, director of state and higher education policy at the free expression group PEN America, said senator Ted Cruz's database of “questionable” university research projects creates “a hit list” for higher education research. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

NEW: “For higher education to survive the current onslaught, it must fight,” writes PEN America’s @jeremycyoung.bsky.social. “Nothing on a college campus is more worth fighting for than the freedom of ideas from government control.” Read more @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/hand...

For @chronicle.com, I take stock of the moment in which higher ed finds itself -- under attack from forces in the government and in civil society -- and what we should do about it. www.chronicle.com/article/hand...

I think @jeremycyoung.bsky.social makes an important point in this piece, this is a problem where a collective resistance is necessary and likely to be more effective. All schools are under the same threat. Banding together signals strength. www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

Thanks to @byjoshmoody.bsky.social @insidehighered.com for opportunity to clarify my thoughts. It's been a sector-level failure to defend higher ed against gov't censorship, not the fault of single associations/presidents. If that's changing, it's great news. www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

This is going to do irreparable damage to the strong ties that the NPS has forged with academic historians. 🗃️ kevinmlevin.substack.com/p/the-war-on...

A new story by @nathangreenfield1.bsky.social at @uniworldnews.bsky.social highlights @penamerica.bsky.social's concerns about a new North Dakota bill, which would create post-tenure review committees of administrators and potentially of private citizens. www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?sto...

An incredible piece by @garceslm.bsky.social @chronicle.com on the unconstitutionality of the Department of Ed's Dear Colleague letter on DEI. Worth a close read. www.chronicle.com/article/hitt...

From @penamerica.bsky.social Champion of Higher Education Marjorie Hass: "If we are to truly serve our students regardless of race...watch out. Campuses have much work to do, [much of it] not to the liking of those who believe [the problem] is DEI programs." www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

From @penamerica.bsky.social Champion of Higher Education Elaine Maimon: "We are dealing with a direct and blatant threat to the First Amendment. ... we must do something before it’s too late." thephiladelphiacitizen.org/were-under-a...

From @penamerica.bsky.social Champion of Higher Education @holdenthorp.bsky.social: "These cuts should be a rallying cry for higher education to come together to make the case for the American system of research and teaching." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

“This declaration has no basis in law.” I really wish more institutions would respond to all of these executive orders this way before complying in advance.

PEN America Condemns Education Department’s Threat to Defund Colleges and Universities Over DEI Programs pen.org/press-releas...

Here's @penamerica.bsky.social's statement condemning last night's "Dear Colleague" letter from the Department of Education, threatening to withhold federal funds from educational institutions that engage in DEI programming, training, or other activities. pen.org/press-releas...

A great piece by my @penamerica.bsky.social colleague Clare Carter on how the Manhattan Institute is using "return on investment" as a smokescreen to ban academic programs they don't like and limit student educational choice. pen.org/cuts-to-acad...

NEW: North Dakota HB 1437 "makes a mockery of the tenure system," says @penamerica.bsky.social's Amy Reid. The bill bans most faculty from serving on post-tenure review committees, while allowing the president to appoint any members they want, including Chris Rufo. pen.org/press-releas...

Some higher ed organizations who are loudly circling the wagons against federal funding cuts were oddly silent or circumspect about the earlier attacks on CRT and DEI. I wish there was a better understanding that these attacks are coming because we failed to repel those.

OHIOANS: Please complete this action alert to send your state lawmakers a letter about OH SB 1, a bill that would gut free expression at all public higher education institutions in your state. Initial vote is tomorrow, don't delay!

For those in Ohio, @penamerica.bsky.social @jeremycyoung.bsky.social have created helpful resources for fighting back against SB 1/HB 6--aka the full-frontal attack on higher education. Here's the tool kit pen.org/dont-censor-...

Straight 🔥🔥🔥from Wesleyan president Michael Roth on the need for college presidents to reject anticipatory obedience and speak out in defense of their sector. slate.com/life/2025/02...

I've lived democratic backsliding & authoritarianism across multiple countries. I've watched repression creep across staff planning sessions & editorial rooms, from both the left & right. The #1 way it happens? Self-censorship. Before your opponents ever censor you, self-professed allies do.