Days before the largest-ever layoffs at Portland State, faculty & students rallied to demand an alternative: “President Cudd: the worst of this can be avoided. There’s still time to stand with the PSU community & save this university.” @psuaaup.bsky.social

The campaign to impose narrow political loyalty on universities continues… “These are hugely sweeping changes that are just going to completely undermine the accountability system as we know it in higher education.”

UW AAUP delivered a petition to the president & provost demanding faculty input in addressing UW’s financial crisis. “They're not giving us an honest picture of what the needs are & problems are...The trajectory we see UW on is getting worse for the students who we're dedicated to." #AcademicSKy

We are transforming higher education for the common good and fighting for a just, democratic society. Join us. www.aaup.org/join

Some thoughts about virtual conferencing - focused on the Pacific APA (which I chaired), but some of the points may extend to other professional organizations.

At our department's APA Watch Party now - a few undergrads, grad students, and faculty all eating cookies and watching Duncan Pritchard talk about AI and education. Done right, an online conference can build community.

Register to host a watch party for your philosophy department, club, or other group during the Pacific Division meeting! Watch party registration is just $100 until March 30. Learn more: bit.ly/4rbpD12 #APAPacific26

The book cover is out! This project consumed much of my brain for several years, and I learned a ton working on it.

An eye-opening article from a friend of mine about the left / right divide. I found it really illuminating, especially in explaining some of the contempt between the two.

The final post in our series on why various philosophers support virtual conferences. This one is by the amazing Kino Zhao, and get to the heart one of the key questions I've wrestled with...

A really powerful story about persuasion, with great reflections about identity, kindness, compassion, and confrontation. Definitely worth ~20 minutes of your day.

Fellow academics: Ever considered doing a Watch Party for a virtual conference? Last February, Mark Brennan organized an extremely successful watch party for undergrads at Northern Virginia Community College. I asked him how he pulled it off - here's his answer. blog.apaonline.org/2025/12/04/o...

A really nice post by Jenna Donohue on virtual conferences. She focuses on the American Philosophical Association's 2026 Pacific meeting, though her points generalize.

Are virtual conferences a good idea? A short, co-authored dialogue laying out some of the ethical issues:

How Jane Goodall’s Explanation for Persuading People Who Disagree With You Is Backed by Science Beyond her many scientific contributions, she was also a model for how to communicate across differences. www.inc.com/jessica-stil...

Philosophers: the 2026 Pacific APA has some new submission options. If you've got some early-stage projects, please consider submitting something for 'Workshop' or 'Lightning' sessions. We're trying out new ways of making the online APA meeting useful to as many people as possible.

American academics: is your university or department doing anything to improve its public image? We have a PR problem, but it seems like a fixable one: it's just a myth that we're brainwashing the youth with CRT or Marxism.

A provocative and thoughtful post by @joshdmay.bsky.social

A short, co-authored piece with Emad Atiq, giving a metaethical response to recent criticisms of empathy from Musk and others.

"human stupidity, perversity, and depravity appear in every country in a different form... Disgusted with one, we praise another, until we become disgusted with that one too. - Every nation mocks the other, and all are right." -Schopenhauer

Academics: My university (UW) recently hatched a plan for widespread layoffs of department-level staff. The plan is both immoral and imprudent. But it's bringing faculty, staff, and students together in ways I've never seen before...

Philosophers: At least one thing in America doesn't suck. The Central APA (starting tomorrow) is looking really good. Lots of innovative sessions, a smooth online platform, and a bunch of great people involved. Please consider tuning in - several sessions are free and open to the public.

Philosophers: Please get your department to host a Watch Party for the Central APA! A great way to build community and watch live philosophy in chaotic times.