Samuel Avery-Quinn
@samaveryquinn.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer at Appalachian State University. Historical geography and American religious history. Posts are apolitical, but may be politics adjacent at times.
Four baselines for academic conference attendance: 1) keep to your allocated speaking time. 2) everyone is clever; stand out by being warm & kind. 3) be interested in everyone equally - from postgrad to Prof to conference administrator to catering & hotel staff. 4) in Q&A, ask an actual question.
Americans have more confidence in higher education than in big tech companies, and the gap is growing rather than shrinking. The higher ed-doomsday pundits need to get on board with the real vibe shift in public trust that is happening right now.
Mark Copelovitch@mcopelov.bsky.social · 2w agoI look forward to all the reports & coverage about all of the internal problems & mistakes of all of these other institutions, in the same way that universities are constantly blamed (& blaming themselves) for “declining trust.” “Compared to what?” news.gallup.com/poll/712436/...
1/ Information literacy has a confidence problem. We often teach novices to “evaluate the evidence” as though a checklist can turn them into temporary experts.
Texas created an outcomes-based funding model for community colleges. Students and colleges outperformed expectations, so now the state wants to change the rules so they don't have to pay what they promised. www.texastribune.org/2026/07/22/t...
Texas may limit community college's incentive funding
A formula designed to reward colleges for student success generated larger payouts than budgeted. Now, Texas’ higher education agency may limit how schools receive such funding.
texastribune.org
They’re really hoping they can eliminate teachers because they either don’t fundamentally understand teaching or they do and see an educated society as counter to their ideological project.
NEW: In response to Texas SB37, the University of Houston might cut 40% of the classes in its core curriculum. Classes like "Intro to LGBT Studies" would be removed. Professors say the process has been secretive and that the cuts would be a loss for students: www.chron.com/culture/arti...
LGBTQ+, women's studies may be cut from UH core classes
Some courses would no longer be a required part of UH's curriculum under the proposal.
chron.com
We're hiring! Open area search for assistant professor of sociology at UC Berkeley. Come be our colleague! aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05416
Assistant Professor - Open Field - Sociology
University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu
“To accountants, some courses or departments may be viewed as cost centres. But to lecturers and students, and the places in which they are based, they are cultural resources – repositories of knowledge built up over decades, some of which will have a specific, local character and relevance”
The Guardian view on humanities cuts in universities: academic departments are more than cost centres | Editorial
Editorial: Literature, the arts and social sciences must not be sacrificed as higher education funding is squeezed
theguardian.com
Everyone here at Appalachian State knows the answer is “Down in the River to Pray.”
Becky Tyler@beckytylerart.bsky.social · 2w agoWhat song did the Sirens sing in The Odyssey? Wrong answers only.
Job Opportunity! Williams College - Open Rank Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies of the Global South in the Womens, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Williams College networks.h-net.org/jobs/70139/w...
networks.h-net.org
They only think they can replace teachers with robots because they don’t value teachers in the first place.
Mashable@mashable.com · 3w agoAI company Realbotix is piloting STEM robots for rural schools.
A new bill introduced in Ohio would give civic centers at public universities more power in curriculum development and faculty matters, raising concerns about shared governance.
Ohio bill would broaden power of university civics center directors
The politically created academic centers have drawn fierce criticism from faculty, who say they expand state intrusion into higher education.
buff.ly
How I racked up college credits in just a few days for less than $100 - The Washington Post share.google/a6h8EBcBZTQb...
For less than $100, I clicked my way toward a college degree in days
You can’t get a diploma from these unaccredited online platforms, but many colleges’ generous transfer policies allow the credits to count toward a degree.
share.google
I'm thrilled to say that we are hiring a tenure track Assistant Professor of Religion in the Islam subfield at Denison University! Please share widely among your networks. apply.interfolio.com/188984
::sigh:: "UNCW Donor Family Pulls Scholarships Over UNC System Equality Policy" thegrio.com/2026/07/10/b...
Black family ends UNC Wilmington scholarship rather than remove support for Black students
A longtime Black donor family is ending new UNCW scholarships after refusing to remove language supporting African American students.
thegrio.com
A great opportunity for contingent and independent scholars of religion: $3000 stipend, one-week residency at The Ohio State University (travel and lodging covered), deliver a public lecture and interact OSU community. Deadline: August 15, 2026.
CSR Visiting Scholar Program – Call for Applications
Visiting Scholar – Call for Applications The Center for the Study of Religion at The Ohio State University is pleased to announce the continuation of our short-term visiting scholar program.
religion.osu.edu
There’s also the issue that if a university is requiring students to enroll for credit hours, what Gen Ed req does U of Iowa cut and what instructors could lose their jobs?
If you know you know@privatechand.bsky.social · last mo.I cannot think of a more effective way to turn college students off an ideology than making that class mandatory lol.
I've not quite fit in with academic culture (if ever you encountered me glowering at a conference, you know this is true). I’m reminded of this every time I login to Bluesky and see my feed full of academic folks posting about the World Cup. 🙄😳⚽
Women’s use of AI is perceived as a sign of incompetence, while men’s use of AI is seen as an indication of initiative. 🤦🏻♂️
Women Who Use AI Seen As Incompetent; Men Who Use AI Seen As Pragmatic
A 2026 study found that when women and men use AI tools to create identical resumes, evaluators view the women as less competent, while crediting the men with initiative.
forbes.com
“SB 461 requires Ohio’s universities to fund the five new civic centers before anything else — even if they aren’t offering courses that help students graduate or don’t have students enrolled in their programs or courses." —Jennifer Price, Ohio Conference of the AAUP Executive Director
Bill would give more independence to Ohio's civic centers one year after Senate Bill 1 took effect • Ohio Capital Journal
An Ohio state senator recently introduced a bill that would give the five Ohio "civics centers" created last year by Republican lawmakers more autonomy at their various universities.
ohiocapitaljournal.com
If I had a nickel for every job interview where the word "fit" was mentioned... www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/hiri...
Hiring academics for departmental ‘fit’ is a disservice to disciplines
Recruiting whoever costs least, unsettles least and matches current operational needs most closely is self-defeating on many levels, says Peter Sutoris
timeshighereducation.com
So much economic ‘planning’ reminds me of a proposal I once saw to reduce the university’s deficit by cutting 10% of the academic staff. I pointed out that they also generate 10% of the income and asked how the shortfall would be made up. (Much then was per capita funding.) The plan was dropped.
There’s a permanent modern British history post going at Manchester 🎉Come and join a great department and please share with anyone who might be interested. (Don’t let the short deadline put you off). #skystorians 🗃️
Lecturer in Modern British History (post-1800) at The University of Manchester
Apply now for the Lecturer in Modern British History (post-1800) role on jobs.ac.uk - the leading job board for higher education jobs. View details.
jobs.ac.uk
Pity the first-year composition instructors at your university.
404 Media@404media.co · last mo.NEW: Companies are deliberately making their AI tools speak like cavemen in an attempt to stop burning through AI tokens and curb their massive expenditure on AI, 404 Media has found. “Caveman save you token, save you money.”
