Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · 12h

Courage is contagious, y'all. Keep it up. @standhighered.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Universities Are Standing Up to Trump

www.nytimes.com

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James Sims @simsjames.bsky.social · 4d

“We must be steadfast in opposition to extortion under the guise of dealmaking, and we must create alliances rooted in a common devotion to freedom of inquiry…We have rejected tyranny before, and we can do it again.” — Wesleyan University President @msroth.bsky.social in @thebulwark.com #HigherEd

What’s a College President to Do in the Trump Era?

Not going on bended knee to Washington would be a good start.

open.substack.com

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · 8d

Thanks for your eloquence & clarity, @himself.bsky.social ! @standhighered.bsky.social is listening. Join us for a training to equip faculty/staff with practical tools to tell your stories and amplify the value of higher ed in public life. 10/29 @ 2p. Register: www.standtogetherhighered.org#reclaim

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Barbara J Risman @drbjrisman.bsky.social · 8d

#academicsky @academicsky.org . Do Feminist Scholars Still Have Academic Freedom? | Psychology Today The answer is NO, not in America today....
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/gend...

Do Feminist Scholars Still Have Academic Freedom?

Personal Perspective: Gender matters for teaching about families, workplaces, and even children's literature, but when social science is censored, where does that leave students?

www.psychologytoday.com

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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 13d

It appears that my employer, Dartmouth, one of the Trump 9, has said no to the compact. All the better given that our president is cited within it. But she’s saying no. Count the small victories when they come.

Office of the President
Dear Dartmouth community,

As many of you know, Dartmouth was one of nine universities asked by the White House to give feedback by Oct. 20 on a draft of its “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”

I am deeply committed to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values and will always defend our fierce independence.

You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better. At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves.

Best,
Sian Leah Beilock
President

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Brian Soucek @brsoucek.bsky.social · 14d

Strong statement today from UC's Academic Senate:

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · 15d

How about it, @massgovernor.bsky.social? Let’s stand with California on this for the future of higher ed. @standhighered.bsky.social

Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 15d

IF ANY CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY SIGNS THIS RADICAL AGREEMENT, THEY'LL LOSE BILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING — INCLUDING CAL GRANTS — INSTANTLY.

CALIFORNIA WILL NOT BANKROLL SCHOOLS THAT SELL OUT THEIR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, AND SURRENDER ACADEMIC FREEDOM.

New York Times: "Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference."

The White House asked nine top universities to pledge support for President Trump’s agenda to help ensure access to research funding.

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · 15d

@standhighered.bsky.social The administration's 'Compact' is one route to Mutually Assured Destruction in higher ed. But there's another route - which is for faculty and staff to stand together with one another to resist this egregious incursion on academic freedom.

Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · 15d

We are organizing to resist The Compact. Faculty and staff at all US higher ed institutions: stand with us. It's free. www.standtogetherhighered.org #academicsky #highered www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference

www.nytimes.com

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Jan Fuhse @fuhsejan.bsky.social · 25d

The #SocialNetworks special issue on duality, honoring the path-breaking concept by R. Breiger is now online.
It features an impressive ten contributions by world-class scholars, show-casing the power and wide applicability of the concept. 1/2

Social Networks | Duality in social networks: Current perspectives | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

For this special issue of Social Networks we aim to continue to expand the space of theoretical, methodological, and empirical possibilities afforded by duality principles

www.sciencedirect.com

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Sep 16

I thought this was a helpful read in the last couple days? The last sentence especially resonated for me: “Cancel culture ends when we decide that people can be horrifically wrong and still entitled to the grace that enables us all to grow from our worst moments.” www.thefire.org/news/we-are-...

We are in the cancel culture part of the tragedy cycle

Cancel culture ends when we decide that people can be horrifically wrong and still entitled to the grace that enables us all to grow from our worst moments.

www.thefire.org

markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Sep 15

Systems science is key to identifying/mitigating discrimination in food systems. Fantastic work led by the brilliant @trmoore.bsky.social w/D. Krobath, Y. Chang Chusan, U. Sanga, @patrickwebb.bsky.social, A. Cuevas, H. Roland, B. Grant, C. Economos, V. Nicholson, S. Kumanyika. rdcu.be/eGoGc

Systems science methods reveal and address links between discrimination and health disparities in US food systems

Nature Food - Discriminatory practices are well documented and deeply rooted in food systems. Systems science methods such as social network analysis, system dynamics modelling and agent-based...

rdcu.be

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Sep 13

I’m sorry our Berkeley colleagues are facing this. It *is* reprehensible, and, I too am at a public R1 where FOIA implications mean universities have to turn over docs. There may be something here to help: www.umass.edu/faculty-deve... also, check out standtogetherhighered.org for more.

Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit : Office of Faculty Development : UMass Amherst

Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit

www.umass.edu

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Sep 12

“Some faculty, student and alumni groups, however, have begun to stand up and make their voices heard.” Yes we have. Stand with us; we commit to educating for freedom. Thank you, Michael S. Roth. @standhighered.bsky.social

Inside Higher Ed @insidehighered.com · Sep 12

Opinion | Education as Freedom

As a new academic year begins, Michael S. Roth writes that colleges must redouble their commitment to educating for freedom—including freedom from governmental intrusion. https://bit.ly/4mfneiG

#EDUSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd

A drawing of a woman standing with a telescope on top of a stack of books in the mountainous outdoors, suggesting education as a path to freedom.

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Sep 9

@lastweektonight.com“if this administration’s actions have taught us one thing so far, it’s that no capitulation will be enough...I’d argue that to the extent they can, these institutions need to stop yielding, stand firm, and fight back.” Stand with [email protected] tinyurl.com/49vjwkde

Trump vs. Higher Education: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

www.youtube.com

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Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · Sep 8

@pennstateuniv.bsky.social Thanks to the Democracy Works team at Penn State's McCourtney Institute for Democracy for highlighting our movement at Stand Together for Higher Ed www.democracyworkspodcast.com/episodes/kat... Join us at standtogetherhighered.org

Democracy Works

www.democracyworkspodcast.com

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Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · Sep 4

Stand Together for Higher Ed is in the news! Mike Nietzel reports on our work in his Forbes higher ed column. Please repost, and if you are higher ed faculty and staff, please join Stand Together for Higher Ed! #academicsky www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

A Grass-Roots Faculty Effort To Advance Higher Education Takes Shape

As college faculty see their role in university decision-making eroded, a new grass-roots organization is taking shape, providing a platform for a stronger faculty voice.

www.forbes.com

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Daniel Laurison @daniellaurison.bsky.social · Aug 30

I have an op-ed at @inquirer.com today.

All of us who care about democracy need to decide how we'll respond as we see our institutions, our work, and our communities being attacked.

Many of us in academia are standing up for our values and our students.

www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...

Amid Trump’s attacks on higher ed, professors need to keep standing up for our democracy | Opinion

Across the nation, there has been a groundswell of academics who have decided to speak out for their institutions — and we all must keep doing so.

www.inquirer.com

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Aug 25

Great Q-yes, we have aligned our efforts w/AAUP, which has done pathbreaking work! But STHE is not a union, so doesn't negotiate compensation/working conditions; our core focus is non-partisan defense of higher ed as a democratic institution via building campus teams & cross-institution alliances.

markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Aug 13

Thanks
@arneduncan.bsky.social for your vision and this Chronicle article! What you write about every higher ed org coming together is exactly what @standhighered.bsky.social is doing RIGHT NOW. We welcome all faculty and staff nationwide to stand together for the next generation of learners.

Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · Aug 13

OK, #academicsky. It's time to act. Join Stand Together for Higher Ed, a movement of US #highered faculty and staff to defend our research, academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and our people. standtogether.org
www.chronicle.com/article/an-o...

The Only Hope Is Total and Unrelenting Resistance

Every university must join together to stop Trump, urges Arne Duncan.

www.chronicle.com

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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · Aug 11

The title is silly. The reformist vs resistance frame is oversimplified. But this piece brings to light higher-ed leadership's collective action problem. Institutions acting individually or in splinter groups can't address threats that require coordinated response www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

The Elite University Presidents Who Despise One Another

Inside the civil war between the Ivy League and the South

www.theatlantic.com

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Aug 11

The federal government’s $1B demand is an attack on @UCLA and its mission to serve the public good and higher education. #StandUpForUC here: bit.ly/standuc. But make no mistake - this goes beyond UC/publics - it affects ALL higher ed! We need to @standhighered.bsky.social. #AcademicSky

Stand Up for UC

We must stand together to protect our students, staff, faculty and our mission.

bit.ly

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Aug 6

Sociologists/fans of academic freedom @ #ASA2025, if you’re interested in talking about how to Stand Together for Higher Ed on your campus, reach out! Happy to try to connect. Our work is grounded in shared values–not partisanship. @standhighered.bsky.social
@asanews.bsky.social #AcademicSky

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Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · Aug 2

Columbia. Harvard. UPenn. George Mason. UVA. UCLA.

One by one, universities are being attacked—financially, politically, ideologically.

Faculty & staff: don’t wait for it to hit your campus. Join the national movement defending higher ed.

standtogetherhighered.org (sign up on homepage)

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Jun 23

Proud of my colleagues! "We must win in the court of public opinion and emphasize that working together can transcend partisanship. We can and must build the local and national infrastructure that allows us to act together in the common defense of academic freedom..." academeblog.org/2025/06/23/w...

What a Federal Court Brief Can Teach Us About How to Defend Higher Ed

BY KATHY ROBERTS FORDE AND THE MEMBERS OF THE STAND TOGETHER FOR HIGHER ED LEADERSHIP TEAM* In a rare act of institutional solidarity, twenty-four universities have filed a joint amicus brief suppo…

academeblog.org

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markpachucki @markpachucki.bsky.social · Jun 3

This is so important- join us! #AcademicSky

Linda Tropp @lindatropp.bsky.social · Jun 3

"Faculty may long for a break, but the government is actively operationalizing Project 2025... with higher education being the crown jewel of its antidemocratic agenda...We should be prepared for a potential wave of coordinated assaults on higher education"

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

This Is a Summer to Organize (opinion)

Faculty may want a break, but the architects of the assault on higher ed won’t be breaking and neither should we, Jennifer Lundquist and Kathy Roberts Forde write.

www.insidehighered.com

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