In case anyone else needs to wither into dust, a bookstore near campus has painted "welcome class of 2030" on their windows. Just because that math checks out, doesn't make it right.
Miranda Andrews
@femchemist.bsky.social
Clinical Asst. Professor. User of specs grading in OChem. Proud mother of Myrcella, Cricket, and Echo. Opinions expressed are my own.
Today at #bcce2026, I learned about wicked cool gen ed courses other folks teach, ways to think about what students value in OChem, talked to folks who have perfected their flipped courses, and talked about alt grading labs. A very full and rewarding day
Waiting patiently for my first @bcce2026.bsky.social event since 2018! Excited to talk about outreach!
Doing my best to make sure none of the algorithms know much about me, but I do let the entirety of @dropout.tv and @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social and @hankgreen.bsky.social's good. store ads play in their entirety. I'm doing my part dot gif
Being socialized to make myself small makes it incredibly difficult to stand up for myself. But I kinda did today. If nothing else, I hope it makes it easier for other NTT folks to do that, too.
May you have someone keeping you as safe as Cricket keeps me
I (obvoiously) don't teach at Harvard, but if this propagates, I ain't doing that. Competitive grading (grading on a curve) went out of fashion for a reason, y'all.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 3mo agoBreaking News: Harvard University voted to cap the number of A’s they are permitted to award to undergraduate students, in an attempt to reduce grade inflation. nyti.ms/3Rcgclc
TODAY! Inviting students at Texas Tech University to learn about the escalating campus censorship policies and share any of their experiences under them with Antonio Ingram and other NAACP Legal Defense Fund Attorneys.
I had a meeting today where we discussed student use of A.I./LLMs and it really crystalized that probably my biggest dislike of these tools stems from the fact that using them increases isolation.
prof: here comes the knowledge in the airplane heeeeeerrrrreeee it comes student: (mouth closed)
Andre the Chemist@andrechemist.bsky.social · 6mo agoThem: "If you want students to engage, you have to meet them where they are!" Me: "No argument there." Them: "For this generation, that means making short videos to address concepts." [spends a lot of time making videos going over content in bite-size chunks] Students: [do not watch the videos]
One week left to apply! #chemsky #chemistryjobs #academicjobs
Miranda Andrews@femchemist.bsky.social · 9mo agoCome be my colleague! We are hiring someone at the Asst. or Assoc. Prof. level to teach undergrad Physical Chemistry. The successful candidate is also encouraged to contribute their expertise to other new or existing courses at UIS. @chemjobber.bsky.social #chemsky uis.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Come be my colleague! We are hiring someone at the Asst. or Assoc. Prof. level to teach undergrad Physical Chemistry. The successful candidate is also encouraged to contribute their expertise to other new or existing courses at UIS. @chemjobber.bsky.social #chemsky uis.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Assistant or Associate Professor, Physical Chemistry
Summary:The School of Integrated Sciences, Sustainability and Public Health (ISP) in the College of Health, Science and Technology (CHST) at the Un...
uis.csod.com
My accidental bird feeder sunflowers are attracting pollinators. All the more reason to try to have a pollinator garden in the future!
Please consider helping my colleagues nearby: actionnetwork.org/letters/supp...
Support ISU Faculty - A Strong Faculty for A Strong Community
United Faculty of ISU (UFISU) members are fighting for a fair contract – one that ensures competitive wages, reasonable workloads, and supportive learning conditions. But ISU’s administration won’t...
actionnetwork.org
UISIU gained a lot of momentum at our last bargaining session. If anyone is willing to help and share a link to our new letter-writing campaign, we'd be so grateful: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...
Tell UIS to Settle a Fair Contract with its Non-Tenure Track Faculty!
Nontenure track faculty have been in negotiations for over a year seeking job security, workload protections, and fair wages consistent with the contracts already in place at the other U of I campuses...
actionnetwork.org
We need the cerulean sweater scene from The Devil Wears Prada, but for science funding.
Tonight we feast on the products of a Maillard reaction. Tomorrow we fight.
Early look at my first go at #specsgrading in #orgo looks like there is some slight grade inflation with a direct comparison to points earned on the high stakes assessments. Drop rate is kinda high, but most of those students were not doing well enough to continue. Identified a lot of improvements
No one ever warns you about the weird, hyperspecific ways that grief can nuke you from orbit. Second time decorating for the holidays since losing my dad, and the ornament made from a crab shell leaves me sobbing in my twinkling living room. It was the last ornament he gave me.
If you're willing to help me and other NTT faculty at UIS get a fair and respectful contract bargained, please consider emailing my chancellor: urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
Tell UIS to Settle a Fair Contract!
Since the beginning of 2024, nontenure-track faculty members of UIS Instructors United (UISIU/UPI Local 4100) have been working toward a contract that recognizes their value to the students they teach...
urldefense.com
Hello, chemsky! I've moved to specs grading where students can retake failed assessments (different versions). My students are not really reflecting on any failures, though. They're just sort of shotgunning their retakes over and over. Any advice to incentivize reflection?