Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
@katjathieme.bsky.social
Into words, sentences, genres.
#writingstudies #teamrhetoric #cdnwrds #genai+writing
https://katjat.medium.com/
#writingstudies #teamrhetoric #cdnwrds #genai+writing
https://katjat.medium.com/
Pinned
Teaching Scores, Storied Averages, and Small Classes
University administrations are very keen on student evaluations. Behind the scenes, they are a managerial lever in employment decisions and…
katjat.medium.com
If you've ever found yourself in a position of inventing some sort of story that might explain uneven student evaluation scores—your own or someone else's—then this blog post is for you.
#writingstudies #cdnwrds #rhetcomp #teamrhetoric
#writingstudies #cdnwrds #rhetcomp #teamrhetoric
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
What if I told you that the problem with #cdnpse budgeting isn't the range of academic programs, but the massive growth of senior admins who rely heavily on consultants. Together, they siphon millions out of university budgets for non-academic purposes. Our prov govts might try reining that in.
a person is holding a red pill and a blue pill in their hands and says what if i told you .
Alt: the famous scene from The Matrix offering the alternative between fiction or reality--the red pill or the blue pill--with the caption, "What if I told you..."
media.tenor.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:33 PM
What if I told you that the problem with #cdnpse budgeting isn't the range of academic programs, but the massive growth of senior admins who rely heavily on consultants. Together, they siphon millions out of university budgets for non-academic purposes. Our prov govts might try reining that in.
„On Sept. 3, 2024, Peterson, accompanied by his daughter and son-in-law, had an online meeting with then-advanced education minister Rajan Sawhney. . .By Oct. 8, 2024, ministry staff had already generated an evaluation of how it could accredit the Peterson Academy.“
#cdnpse #highered
#cdnpse #highered
“Smith, and her chief of staff, Rob Anderson, directly intervened with Alberta’s Advanced Education Ministry in an attempt to help Peterson’s higher-education business venture.”
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli
thetyee.ca/News/2025/12...
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli
thetyee.ca/News/2025/12...
Jordan Peterson’s School Isn’t Accredited. Smith Offered Alberta’s Help | The Tyee
The premier met with the controversial psychologist and tried to help his business, finds a Tyee investigation.
thetyee.ca
December 10, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
🇵🇸 The last Columbia University protester still in ICE detention, Leqaa Kordia, describes conditions inside the Texas facility where she has been held for the past 9 months.
KORDIA: “Right now, we’re 87 people and the capacity is 37. A lot of people are sleeping on the floor.”
“Another word for...
KORDIA: “Right now, we’re 87 people and the capacity is 37. A lot of people are sleeping on the floor.”
“Another word for...
December 8, 2025 at 5:05 PM
🇵🇸 The last Columbia University protester still in ICE detention, Leqaa Kordia, describes conditions inside the Texas facility where she has been held for the past 9 months.
KORDIA: “Right now, we’re 87 people and the capacity is 37. A lot of people are sleeping on the floor.”
“Another word for...
KORDIA: “Right now, we’re 87 people and the capacity is 37. A lot of people are sleeping on the floor.”
“Another word for...
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
"five-time college president who calls herself a turnaround expert" is not a positive job description
do not attend a college that's excited to hire a president whose typical tenure is five years
do not attend a college that's excited to hire a president whose typical tenure is five years
December 9, 2025 at 5:23 PM
"five-time college president who calls herself a turnaround expert" is not a positive job description
do not attend a college that's excited to hire a president whose typical tenure is five years
do not attend a college that's excited to hire a president whose typical tenure is five years
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
"Faculty grew too powerful" <-- Statements dreamed up by the utterly deranged
I mean, in what sense will you be able to say the college “survived”?
December 9, 2025 at 6:05 PM
"Faculty grew too powerful" <-- Statements dreamed up by the utterly deranged
Let’s chant it: a teacher calling a student by their preferred name and correct pronouns isn’t government-compelled speech.
December 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Let’s chant it: a teacher calling a student by their preferred name and correct pronouns isn’t government-compelled speech.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
"Open, affordable, meaning-seeking education once flourished in public unis. Now it is nearly extinct. It doesn’t 'scale.' It doesn’t fit into the strategic plan. It doesn’t compute–which is why the Chatversity wants to eliminate it. But it also shows things can be different. They once were."
December 4, 2025 at 5:20 AM
"Open, affordable, meaning-seeking education once flourished in public unis. Now it is nearly extinct. It doesn’t 'scale.' It doesn’t fit into the strategic plan. It doesn’t compute–which is why the Chatversity wants to eliminate it. But it also shows things can be different. They once were."
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
🌟
The dirty secret much of the software industry doesn't want you to know is that if you build a healthy team with a healthy culture, they learn, grow, train new members, and you don't need to buy ten new tools to "supercharge development".
But they can't sell you that, so…
But they can't sell you that, so…
December 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
🌟
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
“The Daily Nebraskan found in the leaked spreadsheet that every program eliminated appeared to be profitable…every program that the chancellor proposed eliminating generated more money from tuition dollars than the department costs to run”
December 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM
“The Daily Nebraskan found in the leaked spreadsheet that every program eliminated appeared to be profitable…every program that the chancellor proposed eliminating generated more money from tuition dollars than the department costs to run”
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Like, I can tell you that across Canadian universities the productivity expectations for writing studies instructors have increased—e.g., in the form of student numbers—and they are not reasonable.
#writingstudies #cdnpse #cdnwrds #teamrhetoric #rhetcomp
#writingstudies #cdnpse #cdnwrds #teamrhetoric #rhetcomp
December 6, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Like, I can tell you that across Canadian universities the productivity expectations for writing studies instructors have increased—e.g., in the form of student numbers—and they are not reasonable.
#writingstudies #cdnpse #cdnwrds #teamrhetoric #rhetcomp
#writingstudies #cdnpse #cdnwrds #teamrhetoric #rhetcomp
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
One big effect of AI hype and promotion of unreliable chatbots is that a significant amount of additional friction and labour is being injected into our knowledge-making and -maintaining systems. At a time when these systems are already contracting and being starved by growing austerity.
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
I wish a notice like this wasn't necessary.
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
December 8, 2025 at 5:09 PM
One big effect of AI hype and promotion of unreliable chatbots is that a significant amount of additional friction and labour is being injected into our knowledge-making and -maintaining systems. At a time when these systems are already contracting and being starved by growing austerity.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
My grandpa was born in the US to German parents. He had younger cousins who were in Hitler youth in Germany. Decades later I talked with some of them about it (with the ruthless candor of youth). Why did you do that? What were you thinking? What they described was a lot like this.
Happening now: Texas leaders announcing a rollout of a statewide program to put TPUSA chapters in high schools and colleges across the state. Gov. Abbott adds that schools that stand in the way should be reported to the Texas Education Agency.
December 9, 2025 at 2:26 AM
My grandpa was born in the US to German parents. He had younger cousins who were in Hitler youth in Germany. Decades later I talked with some of them about it (with the ruthless candor of youth). Why did you do that? What were you thinking? What they described was a lot like this.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Because I’m bored: Professional Athletes as Public Transit Vehicles
December 8, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Because I’m bored: Professional Athletes as Public Transit Vehicles
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
was at an event on AI for science yesterday, a panel discussion here at NeurIPS. The panelists discussed how they plan to replace humans at all levels in the scientific process. So I stood up and protested that what they are doing is evil.
Full post:
togelius.blogspot.com/2025/12/plea...
Full post:
togelius.blogspot.com/2025/12/plea...
Please, don't automate science!
I was at an event on AI for science yesterday, a panel discussion here at NeurIPS. The panelists discussed how they plan to replace humans a...
togelius.blogspot.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:51 AM
was at an event on AI for science yesterday, a panel discussion here at NeurIPS. The panelists discussed how they plan to replace humans at all levels in the scientific process. So I stood up and protested that what they are doing is evil.
Full post:
togelius.blogspot.com/2025/12/plea...
Full post:
togelius.blogspot.com/2025/12/plea...
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
„My students needed to have good faith when they approach a text’s language. But they also needed to assume that they themselves had rational beliefs & could make meaning—that they are capable, that they can do it. . .They have to care about themselves, enough to believe in their own significance.“
The Claims of Close Reading - Boston Review
Literary studies have been starved by austerity, but their core methodology remains radical.
www.bostonreview.net
December 8, 2025 at 5:44 AM
„My students needed to have good faith when they approach a text’s language. But they also needed to assume that they themselves had rational beliefs & could make meaning—that they are capable, that they can do it. . .They have to care about themselves, enough to believe in their own significance.“
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Jared Kushner's involvement was "not mentioned in Paramount's press release on Monday morning about its $108 billion bid, nor were participating sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar."
fancy that
fancy that
Jared Kushner is part of Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount is telling WBD shareholders that it has a smoother path to regulatory approval than does Netflix.
www.axios.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Jared Kushner's involvement was "not mentioned in Paramount's press release on Monday morning about its $108 billion bid, nor were participating sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar."
fancy that
fancy that
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
This piece is really beautiful, and speaks to close reading as a fundamental orientation of the soul towards the wider world
„My students needed to have good faith when they approach a text’s language. But they also needed to assume that they themselves had rational beliefs & could make meaning—that they are capable, that they can do it. . .They have to care about themselves, enough to believe in their own significance.“
The Claims of Close Reading - Boston Review
Literary studies have been starved by austerity, but their core methodology remains radical.
www.bostonreview.net
December 8, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This piece is really beautiful, and speaks to close reading as a fundamental orientation of the soul towards the wider world
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Reading Rooms at the British Library are closed *all week* because so many of its workers refuse to work for pitiful wages in a contemptuously authoritarian and obliviously managed environment.
We need leaders who get it and are big enough to sort it out!
It’s a mess and a disgrace.
Lift it up!!
We need leaders who get it and are big enough to sort it out!
It’s a mess and a disgrace.
Lift it up!!
December 8, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reading Rooms at the British Library are closed *all week* because so many of its workers refuse to work for pitiful wages in a contemptuously authoritarian and obliviously managed environment.
We need leaders who get it and are big enough to sort it out!
It’s a mess and a disgrace.
Lift it up!!
We need leaders who get it and are big enough to sort it out!
It’s a mess and a disgrace.
Lift it up!!
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
NEW: FIRE positions itself as an alternative voice for free expression, but an analysis by @billiejsweeney.bsky.social found deference to religious-based viewpoints in free speech debates — and in some cases, the elevation of those views over all others.
www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
Can a Group Allied With the Right Defend the 1st Amendment for All? — Assigned
FIRE, a product of the “academic freedom” campaign, wants to protect free speech for everyone. Yet its stances show deference to religious views and a persistent anti-queer strain.
www.assignedmedia.org
December 8, 2025 at 3:09 PM
NEW: FIRE positions itself as an alternative voice for free expression, but an analysis by @billiejsweeney.bsky.social found deference to religious-based viewpoints in free speech debates — and in some cases, the elevation of those views over all others.
www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
One big effect of AI hype and promotion of unreliable chatbots is that a significant amount of additional friction and labour is being injected into our knowledge-making and -maintaining systems. At a time when these systems are already contracting and being starved by growing austerity.
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
I wish a notice like this wasn't necessary.
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
December 8, 2025 at 5:09 PM
One big effect of AI hype and promotion of unreliable chatbots is that a significant amount of additional friction and labour is being injected into our knowledge-making and -maintaining systems. At a time when these systems are already contracting and being starved by growing austerity.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Water has 'totally lost it' over wetness allegations.
Fork rattled after being found in kitchen.
Fork rattled after being found in kitchen.
Farage Biographer Says Reform Leader Has 'Totally Lost It' Over Racism Allegations
"He's really, really rattled in a way we've not seen before," according to Michael Crick. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/farage...
"He's really, really rattled in a way we've not seen before," according to Michael Crick. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/farage...
Farage Biographer Says Reform Leader Has 'Totally Lost It' Over Racism Allegations
"He's really, really rattled in a way we've not seen before," according to Michael Crick.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Water has 'totally lost it' over wetness allegations.
Fork rattled after being found in kitchen.
Fork rattled after being found in kitchen.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
On AI cannibalism:
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
"the very programs best equipped to study the social and ethical implications of AI were being defunded, even as the university promoted the use of OpenAI’s products across campus. This isn’t innovation—it’s institutional auto-cannibalism."
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 8, 2025 at 6:36 AM
On AI cannibalism:
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
can't stop watching this clip of a tesla Optimus teleoperator taking his headset off before properly logging out the robot
December 8, 2025 at 9:29 AM
can't stop watching this clip of a tesla Optimus teleoperator taking his headset off before properly logging out the robot
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
That's us! Please keep signing: openletter.earth/open-letter-...
More here: olivia.science/ai#activism
More here: olivia.science/ai#activism
December 8, 2025 at 7:46 AM
That's us! Please keep signing: openletter.earth/open-letter-...
More here: olivia.science/ai#activism
More here: olivia.science/ai#activism
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Bluesky’s head of trust & safety responding with a sarcastic image macro to a woman upset her husband was kidnapped by ICE is embarrassingly unprofessional & cruel behavior.
that account was then banned by Bluesky Trust & Safety. horrendously poor community management. what purpose does this serve?
that account was then banned by Bluesky Trust & Safety. horrendously poor community management. what purpose does this serve?
December 8, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Bluesky’s head of trust & safety responding with a sarcastic image macro to a woman upset her husband was kidnapped by ICE is embarrassingly unprofessional & cruel behavior.
that account was then banned by Bluesky Trust & Safety. horrendously poor community management. what purpose does this serve?
that account was then banned by Bluesky Trust & Safety. horrendously poor community management. what purpose does this serve?