Alex Usher
@alexusherhesa.bsky.social
Higher Education. All of it. All around the world. Also: snark, sumo, Winnipeg Jets triumphalism and bitching about Toronto FC.
I blog here: https://higheredstrategy.com/blog/
I podcast here: https://worlded.transistor.fm/
I blog here: https://higheredstrategy.com/blog/
I podcast here: https://worlded.transistor.fm/
Every 19th/20th century industry you can think of is getting subsidies.
November 26, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Every 19th/20th century industry you can think of is getting subsidies.
OK, I have now read the Terms of Reference in more detail. My more considered opinion of the review is that the Government has lost its damn mind.
The BC Govt has announced a review of the public post-secondary system. Review will be led by Don Avison, recently Chair of the board at Emily Carr. He's a past Deputy Minister of Education, Skills and Training, and President of the Research Universities Council of BC
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
Province reviews public post-secondary system to ensure long-term sustainability
The Province is launching an independent review to strengthen the public post-secondary education system and ensure it is sustainable and well-positioned to support people in British Columbia and B.C.’s economic growth.
news.gov.bc.ca
November 26, 2025 at 5:57 AM
OK, I have now read the Terms of Reference in more detail. My more considered opinion of the review is that the Government has lost its damn mind.
My first (probably too quick) read of this is that a) most of the report's conclusions have already been decided and b) a lot of the solution is going to be "re-distribute UBC's money to other institutions".
The BC Govt has announced a review of the public post-secondary system. Review will be led by Don Avison, recently Chair of the board at Emily Carr. He's a past Deputy Minister of Education, Skills and Training, and President of the Research Universities Council of BC
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
Province reviews public post-secondary system to ensure long-term sustainability
The Province is launching an independent review to strengthen the public post-secondary education system and ensure it is sustainable and well-positioned to support people in British Columbia and B.C.’s economic growth.
news.gov.bc.ca
November 25, 2025 at 11:08 PM
My first (probably too quick) read of this is that a) most of the report's conclusions have already been decided and b) a lot of the solution is going to be "re-distribute UBC's money to other institutions".
Super-excited about the bits of the Review's Terms of Reference that have been censored..
November 25, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Super-excited about the bits of the Review's Terms of Reference that have been censored..
Reposted by Alex Usher
The BC Govt has announced a review of the public post-secondary system. Review will be led by Don Avison, recently Chair of the board at Emily Carr. He's a past Deputy Minister of Education, Skills and Training, and President of the Research Universities Council of BC
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
Province reviews public post-secondary system to ensure long-term sustainability
The Province is launching an independent review to strengthen the public post-secondary education system and ensure it is sustainable and well-positioned to support people in British Columbia and B.C.’s economic growth.
news.gov.bc.ca
November 25, 2025 at 10:53 PM
The BC Govt has announced a review of the public post-secondary system. Review will be led by Don Avison, recently Chair of the board at Emily Carr. He's a past Deputy Minister of Education, Skills and Training, and President of the Research Universities Council of BC
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
More to the point, I think, is that he has a JD Vance-shaped problem
JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir-shaped problem? | Arwa Mahdawi
JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir-shaped problem? | Arwa Mahdawi
The VP wouldn’t be where he is today without the patronage of the Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. But with voters becoming more and more concerned about the firm’s surveillance tech, could that relationship affect his chances, asks Arwa Mahdawi
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:21 PM
More to the point, I think, is that he has a JD Vance-shaped problem
I (gratefully) stand corrected.
UBC is even higher - average for all ranks is $201,450 and media is $193,425 vs 198,625 and 192,200 for Queen's, and 195,625 and 190,775 for UofT.
November 25, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I (gratefully) stand corrected.
Reposted by Alex Usher
Postliberal governance.
www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
Ind. May Reject Degrees That Don’t Commit to American “Values”
Indiana may reject proposed degree programs at public institutions that don’t “cultivate civic responsibility and commitment to the core values of American society.” Earlier this month, the Indiana Co...
www.insidehighered.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Postliberal governance.
www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
Sorry, I labelled this poorly, the Y-axis is percentage of total
November 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Sorry, I labelled this poorly, the Y-axis is percentage of total
Canadian professors by selected age ranges, 1971-2021
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Canadian professors by selected age ranges, 1971-2021
Canadian University salary data is out: Queen's has now passed Toronto in having the highest average professorial salary - $198,875.
November 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Canadian University salary data is out: Queen's has now passed Toronto in having the highest average professorial salary - $198,875.
Hm. Not the standard diagnosis.
AI could replace 3m low-skilled jobs by 2035, research finds
AI could replace 3m low-skilled jobs by 2035, research finds
Trades, machine operations and administrative roles are most at-risk, says leading educational research charity
Up to 3m low-skilled jobs could disappear in the UK by 2035 because of automation and AI, according to a report by a leading educational research charity.
The jobs most at risk are those in occupations such as trades, machine operations and administrative roles, the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) said. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Hm. Not the standard diagnosis.
Reposted by Alex Usher
Injunction sought over Ontario’s international medical graduate residency rule — called ‘unlawful, unreasonable, unintelligible’
Injunction sought over Ontario’s international medical graduate residency rule — called ‘unlawful, unreasonable, unintelligible’
The rule requires candidates to have at least two years of high school in Ontario to be in the first round of matching for medical placements.
www.thestar.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Injunction sought over Ontario’s international medical graduate residency rule — called ‘unlawful, unreasonable, unintelligible’
Imagine if, for the last ten years, Abacus had subsumed all economic issues into a different phrase like "the rat race" or "I can't get ahead". I am pretty sure our political environment would be quite different. Specifically, it wouldn't prioritise pocketbooks over institutions.
Regular reminder that other pollsters who don't make this a closed-ended question dont find inflation to be anywhere near this important. Coletto made a bet 10 yrs ago that reducing all economics issues to "affordability" would be good for business, and I guess it's worked out for him.
In my new piece, I dig into a striking finding from our latest tracking: climate change has hit its lowest level of salience in years.
Only 13% of Canadians put it in their top three issues.
Cost-of-living pressures are eclipsing everything.
🔗 davidcoletto.substack.com/p/climate-h...
Only 13% of Canadians put it in their top three issues.
Cost-of-living pressures are eclipsing everything.
🔗 davidcoletto.substack.com/p/climate-h...
November 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Imagine if, for the last ten years, Abacus had subsumed all economic issues into a different phrase like "the rat race" or "I can't get ahead". I am pretty sure our political environment would be quite different. Specifically, it wouldn't prioritise pocketbooks over institutions.
Apropos of nothing, has anyone seen @ursusarctos59.bsky.social lately?
Japan deploys military amid increase in fatal bear encounters this year | CBC News
Japan deployed troops on Wednesday to help contain a surge of bear attacks that have terrorized residents in a mountainous region in the northern prefecture of Akita.
www.cbc.ca
November 24, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Apropos of nothing, has anyone seen @ursusarctos59.bsky.social lately?
Reposted by Alex Usher
It's almost like when Peter Thiel named his company Palantir, to tout the all-seeing ability of AI, he forgot that in LOTR, Sauron himself was on the other side of the stone spinning lies and deception, corrupting its viewer.
November 24, 2025 at 11:31 AM
It's almost like when Peter Thiel named his company Palantir, to tout the all-seeing ability of AI, he forgot that in LOTR, Sauron himself was on the other side of the stone spinning lies and deception, corrupting its viewer.
Reposted by Alex Usher
RFK Jr. was doing felching the right way.
by Ezra Klein
by Ezra Klein
November 24, 2025 at 3:52 AM
RFK Jr. was doing felching the right way.
by Ezra Klein
by Ezra Klein
Regular reminder that other pollsters who don't make this a closed-ended question dont find inflation to be anywhere near this important. Coletto made a bet 10 yrs ago that reducing all economics issues to "affordability" would be good for business, and I guess it's worked out for him.
In my new piece, I dig into a striking finding from our latest tracking: climate change has hit its lowest level of salience in years.
Only 13% of Canadians put it in their top three issues.
Cost-of-living pressures are eclipsing everything.
🔗 davidcoletto.substack.com/p/climate-h...
Only 13% of Canadians put it in their top three issues.
Cost-of-living pressures are eclipsing everything.
🔗 davidcoletto.substack.com/p/climate-h...
November 24, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Regular reminder that other pollsters who don't make this a closed-ended question dont find inflation to be anywhere near this important. Coletto made a bet 10 yrs ago that reducing all economics issues to "affordability" would be good for business, and I guess it's worked out for him.
Now THAT is a headline.
"Bureaucrates, sadomasochisme et vélos volés" : au cœur d’une saga politico-judiciaire au Danemark
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/ciV
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/ciV
November 23, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Now THAT is a headline.
Reposted by Alex Usher
Un. Be. Leivable
🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 !!!
🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 !!!
Day15 Playoff!
Yz Hōshōryū (L)
Sw Aonoshiki (R)
For all the marbles! Ao already soundly beat Hoss ystrdy, Hoss so far has just not been able to find a way to beat Ao in their few meetings. To top it off Hoss lost a playoff to Ōnosato last basho - all things that must really have stuck in his craw.
Yz Hōshōryū (L)
Sw Aonoshiki (R)
For all the marbles! Ao already soundly beat Hoss ystrdy, Hoss so far has just not been able to find a way to beat Ao in their few meetings. To top it off Hoss lost a playoff to Ōnosato last basho - all things that must really have stuck in his craw.
November 23, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Un. Be. Leivable
🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 !!!
🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 !!!
Happy to jump on this bandwagon.
We did the thing. Tonight we finally defeated LAFC the playoffs and advanced to the Western Conference Final.
#VWFC @whitecapsfc.com #MLSCupPlayoffs
#VWFC @whitecapsfc.com #MLSCupPlayoffs
Whitecaps Advance to Western Conference Final
Vancouver Whitecaps advanced to the MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final on November 29th after defeating LAFC.
miss604.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Happy to jump on this bandwagon.
About 2 hours before the finale I had a great discussion with my son:
Him: You want to know how bad this finale is going to be? They're going to make Brann king.
Me: No, come on, they're not that stupid.
Him: No, that's *EXACTLY* how stupid they are.
Him: You want to know how bad this finale is going to be? They're going to make Brann king.
Me: No, come on, they're not that stupid.
Him: No, that's *EXACTLY* how stupid they are.
Divisive? I thought it brought most of the globe together, a moment of unity when the whole world cried out "Dear God, what kind of trash is this?"
George R.R. Martin teases the 'Game of Thrones' universe will finally get to the world after the OG show's divisive finale.
November 23, 2025 at 1:02 AM
About 2 hours before the finale I had a great discussion with my son:
Him: You want to know how bad this finale is going to be? They're going to make Brann king.
Me: No, come on, they're not that stupid.
Him: No, that's *EXACTLY* how stupid they are.
Him: You want to know how bad this finale is going to be? They're going to make Brann king.
Me: No, come on, they're not that stupid.
Him: No, that's *EXACTLY* how stupid they are.