What if coherence isn't something a curriculum possesses, but something students experience? That's the question behind my latest piece on general education, common cores, and student choice.

Good discussion of the roles of habits in learning, how to intervene on those habits to promote better learning strategy use, and ideas for future research on the role of habits in self-regulated learning. doi.org/10.1007/s106...

Stick with me on this: Wills Law reminds me of student petitions. What do courts do when someone misses a formality but their intent is clear? What do universities do when circumstances collide with the rulebook?https://bradknight.substack.com/p/wills-law-and-student-petitions

Educators frequently confuse assessment, feedback, & grading, applying teaching philosophies inconsistently. This paper reveals a need to clearly define and separate these concepts in biology and beyond. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

A new HBO documentary by Questlove tells the story of the R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire. Morning Edition host A Martinez speaks with band members Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson.

"Colleges that have dialogue programs but aren’t focused on structural barriers or inducements to bring students together may well be focusing on the symptom rather than the cause." www.chronicle.com/article/bewa...

I went from reading a few books a year to around one a week. I wanted to write down how I got there, how it involved rethinking my relationship to attention, and why I believe reading books can heal your brain. I hope this gives you something useful! johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/how-i-lear...

Higher education has no shortage of smart leaders. Yet some seem able to connect with their communities in ways others struggle to. A few thoughts on presidents, provosts, politics, awkward videos, and communication as a leadership practice. bradknight.substack.com/p/what-kind-...

I’m trying to imagine what it’d look like, or if it’s even possible, for a Board of Trustees to take an ‘L’ — for instance, taking at least some responsibility when leadership they select turns over (and over and over).

Anybody else keep a list of professional ideas to try out "someday"? One that's been sitting on mine: student syllabus consultants. I've reviewed thousands of syllabi, & it's impressive how many ways faculty organize & structure them. Students have to learn a new organizational logic every time.

Hilarious and deeply insightful writing by @brianphillips.lol.

When I read about notetaking rituals like Austin Kleon's, I want to imagine myself the kind of person who could adopt such practices. It's certainly aspirational. jillianhess.substack.com/p/how-austin...

Promising research demonstrates that embedding targeted supports (advising, tutoring) into the classroom generated large increases in utilization. edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1485

Dual Enrollment in the States: Three Case Studies @ncslorg.bsky.social www.ncsl.org/education/du...

Enjoyed this listening trip down memory lane! www.npr.org/2026/05/26/n...

Alright, here's my contribution to the Is-Bluesky-Dying discourse: Bluesky is a record store davekarpf.beehiiv.com/p/bluesky-is...

Career Advice | On Leading People Who Don’t Want to Be Led Many faculty say this is not the job they signed up for. They need leaders who see this and who are looking out for them. https://bit.ly/4nm3qfM #EDUSky #HigherEd #AcademicSky

As the authors wrote in Part 1, "There can be a tension between authentic belonging & varied institutional definitions of belonging and fitting in." Part 2 shares questions to ask students when creating effective steps to enabling a sense of ‘belonging.’ www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/05/24/w...

I’m in the early stages of a new writing project, asking not how to fix higher education in the US but what we should do if it can't be fixed. This paper, presented at February's ACLA, represents the dipping of one toe in those waters. Comments *definitely* desired. kfitz.info/after-the-end/

"[T]he liberal-autocratic governance model that pervades American higher education is more historically contingent and normatively questionable than many assume; and, second, that the status quo is detrimental to the sector as a whole..." papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

The very different rhythm of summer can be disorienting for higher ed staff. I wrote about that shift, the challenge of self-directed work, & a practice I’ve found useful for helping teams move from reaction mode into reflection, planning, & renewal. open.substack.com/pub/bradknig...

“The need to have academic affairs, student affairs, institutional research & academic support all in the same room talking about it is certainly progress,” he said. “Each brings a different vantage point on the student experience, & we need them all together.” www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Reading Little Bets, I kept thinking: this is basically an argument for inquiry-based learning—just written in language business school faculty already value. I wrote about why it might work as a bridge text for curricular reform conversations. bradknight.substack.com/p/what-busin...

About 1 in 5 college students receives state financial aid, but do "free college" programs actually improve outcomes? Katharine Meyer and Isabel McMullen examine which design and support features make state promise programs work.

I wrote about the faculty/staff divide and the politics of institutional expertise, and how many universities struggle to recognize professional staff in shared governance structures. open.substack.com/pub/bradknig...

The power of place to spark learning and belonging www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/power... via @timeshighered.bsky.social

Company members from the Tony-nominated revival of Ragtime stopped by the #TinyDesk. www.npr.org/2026/05/06/g...

Perhaps we need to embrace a bit of Banana Ball thinking in higher ed. open.substack.com/pub/joshbrak...

I don’t know about this one. I think I’d rather try a Runza chili and cinnamon roll ice cream, like 402creamery made a few years ago.

For gratitude to shape culture, it has to be both personal and structured—genuine in the moment, but built into the rhythms of the organization. That’s what turns recognition from a nice gesture into stewardship. bradknight.substack.com/p/recognitio...

This is good advice for scholars looking to write pieces for a broader audience. I would also recommend The Conversation, which is designed for academics and can get pieces syndicated across many outlets.

By design, frustratingly. I recall an audit years back that concluded we couldn't put a stop on student accounts to require a conversation before withdrawal. "About 71 percent of respondents said they did not speak with a faculty or staff member before leaving" www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

From an 🌎 Day walk with my main gal.

Reading about Texas adding Bible teachings to public school curriculum brought back an old memory & a question: what’s the line between teaching about religion & teaching religion? SCOTUS is making that harder to answer. bradknight.substack.com/p/when-relig...

This week patter has been reading about knowledge production as place making patthomson.net/2026/04/20/p...

You Can’t Game Your Way to a Real Education www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/o...

In Defense of Dumb Dogs www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/s...

My latest on why I find reason to be optimistic about the next generation of college students. bradknight.substack.com/p/the-class-...

Q&A with Jared Lindzon and Joe O’Connor authors of the new book, Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek hbr.org/2026/04/what...

David Clark works through one critique I offer about in-class testing, "Timed proof-writing is also inauthentic: Mathematicians just plain don’t do math in that way. Math takes time and requires a lot of thought..." Worthwhile to read what he came up with: gradingforgrowth.com/p/mastery-ex...

Loved this quote from Richard Feynman in Jillian Hess's recent post: "You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong." jillianhess.substack.com/p/richard-fe...

Dorothy Lynch is a color not found in nature. It’s a salad dressing eaten on virtually every other food. Some Nebraskans love it. Other Nebraskans love to hate it. No one else has ever heard of it. The history and ongoing legacy of Dorothy Lynch, by J.J. Harder. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/oCNLJWk

In a recent federal budget proposal, Federal Work-Study funding is set at $123 million, down from $1.23 billion. I wrote a short piece on what that shift could mean in practice. bradknight.substack.com/p/cutting-wo...

We’re seeing record application numbers, but also missed targets, shifting student behavior, & increasing pressure on institutions just below the most selective tier. When admissions struggles, everyone feels it. bradknight.substack.com/p/admissions...

On showing up fully, not indiscriminately. What this moment is teaching me about work, identity, and leadership. open.substack.com/pub/bradknig...

Withdrawal policies are entangled with everything else. Pass fail deadlines. Add drop periods. Grade forgiveness. Financial aid rules. Visa requirements. Student-athlete eligibility. Change one piece and others shift with it. Read my latest: bradknight.substack.com/p/withdrawal...

There’s a Good Reason You Can’t Concentrate www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/o...

Not all jargon is bad. But when the language of leadership starts to sound like it belongs to a different institution than the one people actually work in…that’s a problem. open.substack.com/pub/bradknig...

"What this architecture produces, in aggregate, is a system that is reasonably effective at monitoring stable institutions and poorly designed for managing institutional distress." seanseepersad.substack.com/p/who-protec...

"[S]ervice should have a both-and emphasis, sharing one’s identity, capacity, and efficacy with both the institution and the broader field. I agree with my colleagues, and it’s a tall order." developments.myacpa.org/private7J9pR...