Joshua Barsczewski
@joshuabarsczewski.bsky.social
Writing professor and WPA @ Muhlenberg College.
Nothing matches the high of getting a cart full of groceries from Aldi and thinking about how much money you’ve saved
November 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Nothing matches the high of getting a cart full of groceries from Aldi and thinking about how much money you’ve saved
Apparently this was Weber State, which fun fact was my first ever invited/paid lecture in 2021. They didn’t send me this list then and everyone seemed nice about my talk on queer and trans students’ identities
Sad how quickly they changed…
Sad how quickly they changed…
This week, I withdrew from a speaking engagement at a public university because they sent me a list of prohibited “words & concepts.” I will not humor this censorship. It does a disservice to the stories I’m discussing & the audience, who deserve unfettered access to information & conversation.
November 22, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Apparently this was Weber State, which fun fact was my first ever invited/paid lecture in 2021. They didn’t send me this list then and everyone seemed nice about my talk on queer and trans students’ identities
Sad how quickly they changed…
Sad how quickly they changed…
Oh she’s running
Marjorie Taylor Greene just posted a statement announcing she will resign from Congress in 6 weeks
November 22, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Oh she’s running
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
Thinking a lot lately about the simple fact that college allows people to spend about 15 weeks immersed in a disciplinary conversation with an expert in that field. And what a special thing that is.
November 21, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Thinking a lot lately about the simple fact that college allows people to spend about 15 weeks immersed in a disciplinary conversation with an expert in that field. And what a special thing that is.
Muhlenberg ❤️
November 21, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Muhlenberg ❤️
Every gay man going to be dressed like Glenn Close next halloween
November 20, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Every gay man going to be dressed like Glenn Close next halloween
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
the Harvard Crimson called Epstein a “child sex offender” while the Chronicle of Higher Ed called him a “disgraced financier” and that pretty much sums up where we are with higher ed journalism
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 AM
the Harvard Crimson called Epstein a “child sex offender” while the Chronicle of Higher Ed called him a “disgraced financier” and that pretty much sums up where we are with higher ed journalism
It warms my elder millenial heart that Young the Giant has such a prominent spot on Planet Fitness’s playlists.
But if you see me crying on the elliptical as Cough Syrup plays, no you didn’t
But if you see me crying on the elliptical as Cough Syrup plays, no you didn’t
November 20, 2025 at 3:56 PM
It warms my elder millenial heart that Young the Giant has such a prominent spot on Planet Fitness’s playlists.
But if you see me crying on the elliptical as Cough Syrup plays, no you didn’t
But if you see me crying on the elliptical as Cough Syrup plays, no you didn’t
I think it’s telling that my students say “looks like chatgpt” as an insult when they see sloppy work
What I've been noticing lately in convos with students is that they *despise* the AI-slopification of everything as much or even more than I do. And yet our universities & their admin seem to believe that students for some reason want it integrated into everything. THEY DON'T.
“To be sat there with this material in front of you that is just really not worth anyone’s time, when you could be spending that time actually engaging with something worthwhile, is really frustrating,” he said.
November 20, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I think it’s telling that my students say “looks like chatgpt” as an insult when they see sloppy work
Let’s just abolish AP. These are not good courses.
At least twice a year since becoming a
WPA I’ve been asked to consider giving students credit for a class because of AP exams. Idk what those exam claim to measure but it’s nothing even approximating the learning goals of our FYS program
At least twice a year since becoming a
WPA I’ve been asked to consider giving students credit for a class because of AP exams. Idk what those exam claim to measure but it’s nothing even approximating the learning goals of our FYS program
We should not mandate AP exams.
If high schools and elite colleges are holding students and teachers accountable for AP test results, you have a strong incentive to fix this problem.
November 19, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Let’s just abolish AP. These are not good courses.
At least twice a year since becoming a
WPA I’ve been asked to consider giving students credit for a class because of AP exams. Idk what those exam claim to measure but it’s nothing even approximating the learning goals of our FYS program
At least twice a year since becoming a
WPA I’ve been asked to consider giving students credit for a class because of AP exams. Idk what those exam claim to measure but it’s nothing even approximating the learning goals of our FYS program
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
Few things bug me more than higher ed leaders saying that we lost our mission and lost the trust of the public, when we have actually been the target of a decades-long smear campaign by the right wing that worked. The moment we’re losing our mission is right now, in capitulation.
November 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Few things bug me more than higher ed leaders saying that we lost our mission and lost the trust of the public, when we have actually been the target of a decades-long smear campaign by the right wing that worked. The moment we’re losing our mission is right now, in capitulation.
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
I haven’t been this excited for a bubble to burst since I was a toddler.
MIT’s NANDA initiative found that 95% of generative AI deployments fail after interviewing 150 execs, surveying 350 workers, and analyzing 300 projects. The real “productivity gains” seem to come from layoffs and squeezing more work from fewer people not AI.
MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing
There’s a stark difference in success rates between companies that purchase AI tools from vendors and those that build them internally.
fortune.com
August 20, 2025 at 6:17 AM
I haven’t been this excited for a bubble to burst since I was a toddler.
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
Curmudgeonly compaint to ignore: Even as I recognize its necessity, I don't like "we're going to win" rhetoric. I think it implies "norms" can be restored, that there'll come a day when this is "over"--vs. a long struggle in which there're victories but no final victory, because this isn't a movie.
November 19, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Curmudgeonly compaint to ignore: Even as I recognize its necessity, I don't like "we're going to win" rhetoric. I think it implies "norms" can be restored, that there'll come a day when this is "over"--vs. a long struggle in which there're victories but no final victory, because this isn't a movie.
Final Writing Center staff meeting of the semester!
There’s about 40 tutors here but we have 54 in total. That’s a huge staff for a college of our size but the demand for their work is high and seemingly growing 🥰❤️🥰❤️
There’s about 40 tutors here but we have 54 in total. That’s a huge staff for a college of our size but the demand for their work is high and seemingly growing 🥰❤️🥰❤️
November 18, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Final Writing Center staff meeting of the semester!
There’s about 40 tutors here but we have 54 in total. That’s a huge staff for a college of our size but the demand for their work is high and seemingly growing 🥰❤️🥰❤️
There’s about 40 tutors here but we have 54 in total. That’s a huge staff for a college of our size but the demand for their work is high and seemingly growing 🥰❤️🥰❤️
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
It is possible to deal with your daddy issues by simply developing an unhealthy work habit and obsession with external validation
November 18, 2025 at 11:29 AM
It is possible to deal with your daddy issues by simply developing an unhealthy work habit and obsession with external validation
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
can bad prose be sexually transmitted
November 18, 2025 at 2:02 AM
can bad prose be sexually transmitted
Really lovely defense of higher education—focused on local colleges but applicable more broadly. Higher Ed is so crucial to economies, to people, to imaginations
Opinion: How higher education now powers the Lehigh Valley
Opinion: Colleges and universities function as anchor institutions in the Lehigh Valley
www.mcall.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Really lovely defense of higher education—focused on local colleges but applicable more broadly. Higher Ed is so crucial to economies, to people, to imaginations
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
“You can hear a world-class string quartet at Lafayette, a choral masterwork at Moravian, a provocative play at DeSales, an edgy student film at Muhlenberg or a public lecture at Lehigh on artificial intelligence, election law... These are not cloistered perks for insiders; they are open doors”
Opinion: How higher education now powers the Lehigh Valley
Opinion: Colleges and universities function as anchor institutions in the Lehigh Valley
www.mcall.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:26 PM
“You can hear a world-class string quartet at Lafayette, a choral masterwork at Moravian, a provocative play at DeSales, an edgy student film at Muhlenberg or a public lecture at Lehigh on artificial intelligence, election law... These are not cloistered perks for insiders; they are open doors”
Adding Orville Peck to my Big List of Grievances for changing “lady peaceful, lady happy” to “Mr. peaceful, Mr. happy” in his cover of “maybe this time.” Like, dude, you are the gayest singer in the entire world. You are Elton John levels of gay. You can keep the lyrics how they are…
November 14, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Adding Orville Peck to my Big List of Grievances for changing “lady peaceful, lady happy” to “Mr. peaceful, Mr. happy” in his cover of “maybe this time.” Like, dude, you are the gayest singer in the entire world. You are Elton John levels of gay. You can keep the lyrics how they are…
On my headstone, I want it to read “WAVING PEOPLE ON WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT NICE.
IT’S MESSING UP A WELL-DESIGNED SYSTEM”
IT’S MESSING UP A WELL-DESIGNED SYSTEM”
November 14, 2025 at 4:44 PM
On my headstone, I want it to read “WAVING PEOPLE ON WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT NICE.
IT’S MESSING UP A WELL-DESIGNED SYSTEM”
IT’S MESSING UP A WELL-DESIGNED SYSTEM”
Evergreen
I don’t need advice. Thanks.
November 14, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Evergreen
Ivana died after falling down the stairs?!?!?!?! How did I miss this???!!
I’ve never recovered from learning that they buried her in a parking lot, so perhaps I just blocked the other details out
I’ve never recovered from learning that they buried her in a parking lot, so perhaps I just blocked the other details out
November 14, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Ivana died after falling down the stairs?!?!?!?! How did I miss this???!!
I’ve never recovered from learning that they buried her in a parking lot, so perhaps I just blocked the other details out
I’ve never recovered from learning that they buried her in a parking lot, so perhaps I just blocked the other details out
I donated to my employer's annual faculty/staff donation drive because they raffle off one year of a reserved parking space to 3 employees. Please pray for me to win. I am so tired of having to park far away when I don't get to campus before 10 am. 🤣
November 13, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I donated to my employer's annual faculty/staff donation drive because they raffle off one year of a reserved parking space to 3 employees. Please pray for me to win. I am so tired of having to park far away when I don't get to campus before 10 am. 🤣
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
I don’t know how bad the economic numbers are going to end up this quarter. But I do know the party that controls the presidency, House and Senate is going to blame the party that doesn’t.
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I don’t know how bad the economic numbers are going to end up this quarter. But I do know the party that controls the presidency, House and Senate is going to blame the party that doesn’t.
Reposted by Joshua Barsczewski
I know this sentiment has been expressed before, but there's nothing like reading the emails of the ultra rich to make you understand why they think they need a chatbot to do their writing.
November 12, 2025 at 5:31 PM
I know this sentiment has been expressed before, but there's nothing like reading the emails of the ultra rich to make you understand why they think they need a chatbot to do their writing.