Kevin R. McClure
@drkevinrmcclure.com
2.6K followers 390 following 2.8K posts
Professor of Higher Ed & Dept Chair | Author of The Caring University (JHUP, 2025) | Co-Director of the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges | Columnist at The Chronicle of Higher Education
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drkevinrmcclure.com
My wellness hack is that I bought a bag of wether's original on sale.
drkevinrmcclure.com
My institution apparently got an early jump on replacing computers as part of our lifecycle program because...they're expecting prices to go up with tariffs.
drkevinrmcclure.com
OH how is it so far? I love Kuang so it's just a matter of time.
drkevinrmcclure.com
Oh that's a great idea, thanks!
drkevinrmcclure.com
That, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the "heyday" of academic Twitter was a game changer. I mean, I know from personal experience that Twitter threads could become articles, then become book proposals. Some academics started successful writing careers from Twitter.
drkevinrmcclure.com
Oh yeah? Maybe I'll reach out. It's for the chapter I'm writing for TVP's book, so...😀
drkevinrmcclure.com
I'm shooting from the hip here a bit, but kind of curious if my entry into public scholarship circa 2012 coincided with a time when there was a lot more opportunity. Yes, it was a period when social media was different. But maybe also with places like Slate, etc.?
drkevinrmcclure.com
Working on a piece and could use some help.

Do you all think (or has anyone written about) how the shift to online media websites created more opportunities for academics to write public-facing pieces? Maybe as a way to increase "content" at a lower cost versus hiring full-time journalists?
drkevinrmcclure.com
lol they're for sure taxing me
drkevinrmcclure.com
I thought I'd seen the worst of paperwork in public higher ed.

And then I agreed to do something with a public institution in California. Holy moly y'all are on a different level.
drkevinrmcclure.com
Oh fun. Clap back by buying 100 copies of my book and leaving glowing reviews 😄
drkevinrmcclure.com
For my friends attending ASHE, I hope you'll consider attending or sharing with a friend this workshop on publishing a book with an academic press. We're hoping to demystify some things and offer advice based on our experiences with three different presses.
The Hidden Curriculum of Publishing an Academic Book
drkevinrmcclure.com
Yeah, it's interesting because mixed in with the neutrality are some legit good leadership practices. There is real value in someone who had a clear course and sticks to it predictably. But there are moments where you want more and you know it ain't happening.
drkevinrmcclure.com
"What frustrates some Mizzou student activists isn’t that they feel that Choi is opposed to what they stand for, but that they aren’t sure he stands for anything at all. He strikes them as a chameleon, ready to adapt to whatever position is politically convenient to him at the time."
drkevinrmcclure.com
It's kind of the embodiment of institutional neutrality.

Neutral people. They have no position except institutional advancement.
drkevinrmcclure.com
I have a not-so-creative theory that this is a defining feature of what many see as "good leadership" in higher ed right now:

"Mizzou is faring very well so far during the second Trump administration... That’s because Choi is good at staying out of trouble."

www.chronicle.com/article/mun-...
Mizzou’s President Has Succeeded by Staying Out of Trouble
The University of Missouri leader turned around its reputation, bolstered state funding and enrollment, and restored the faculty trust. But his tight-lipped management style has its critics.
www.chronicle.com
drkevinrmcclure.com
(There's a whole other interesting analysis about HE leadership, race, and immigrants.

Both Choi and my chancellor were born outside the US and lots of discussion about how they embody the "American Dream.")
drkevinrmcclure.com
I wouldn't at all be surprised is this is what boards, donors, alumni, and even some students want.

A person who will smile at the events. Stop for photos. Always affable. Very friendly to people with money. Never doing anything even a bit controversial.
drkevinrmcclure.com
Our chancellor is well liked. Our institution is doing well and has (more or less) stayed out of the spotlight.

But our chancellor is also a bit of a brick wall. He's not going to take big swings. He's not going to make a fuss. He's definitely not going to pick a fight.
drkevinrmcclure.com
I have a not-so-creative theory that this is a defining feature of what many see as "good leadership" in higher ed right now:

"Mizzou is faring very well so far during the second Trump administration... That’s because Choi is good at staying out of trouble."

www.chronicle.com/article/mun-...
Mizzou’s President Has Succeeded by Staying Out of Trouble
The University of Missouri leader turned around its reputation, bolstered state funding and enrollment, and restored the faculty trust. But his tight-lipped management style has its critics.
www.chronicle.com
drkevinrmcclure.com
So, despite getting to do a lot of cool things recently, and acknowledging that even having the option to do those things is a privilege, I am in that mid-October abyss and tired. I would like to escape to a lovely little remote cottage and let all the work just *poof*
drkevinrmcclure.com
Because I dislike the idea of disconnect between my real life and online selves, I said yes to too many things and am overwhelmed. All good things, but too many all the same. I shall survive but am also annoyed at myself.
drkevinrmcclure.com
It is a distinct possibility that I have too many plates spinning. Gonna be some plate crashing around here.
drkevinrmcclure.com
It is a distinct possibility that I have too many plates spinning. Gonna be some plate crashing around here.
drkevinrmcclure.com
People here are understandably salty about the fact that they can only put 10% for service each semester so that it adds up to 100% because they know they're doing way more than that.
drkevinrmcclure.com
Not to mention the fact that the percentages we put in the workload reports are fuzzy at best because it must add up to 100% and each course must equal 10%.