The URI Student Senate’s Post

I've been writing to the UCD Chancellor's and President's office on an almost daily basis. Why? Because antisemitism is not to be tolerated. Because empty PR speak is not to be tolerated. Because Jewish students are afraid for their safety on campus. Because antisemitic faculty are employed on this campus. Because staying silent is not an option. Because history. Here is the inane answer I received after I kept writing because of inane answers I received... Note that we now refer to antisemites as "student activists" and that the chancellor's office is not sure yet whether antisemitic behavior "may violate the Faculty Code of Conduct..." Have I expressed how disgusted I am with UCD? Antisemitic behavior is NOT protected by the first amendment. Stop hiding behind it you cowards. Note that they had the arrogance to refer a Jewish individual whose family was slaughtered in concentration camps and whose countrymen were slaughtered by Hamas to their "resources on UC Davis’ Addressing Antisemitism web page." "This is to confirm that the Office of the Chancellor has received your twelve emails regarding Professor Decristo. As the responses you have already received from Provost Croughan stated: “When we receive a complaint that a faculty member has engaged in conduct that may violate the Faculty Code of Conduct, we review the matter in accordance with our established policies and procedures for handling faculty discipline. These processes are confidential personnel matters that we are not permitted to share with the public. I can share that this has been referred to the appropriate campus departments that investigate harassment, discrimination, and faculty conduct, in consultation with legal counsel regarding First Amendment rights.” "With regard to student activists, concerns have been referred to Student Affairs for review and consideration under the policies applying to registered student organizations. Student Affairs will determine whether the alleged behavior, if true, violates university policy, and if so, they will review the conduct in accordance with Appendix B of the UC Davis Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline. Student conduct matters are confidential and the university is not able to provide additional updates to the public. We encourage you to review Chancellor May’s numerous public messages and local newspaper columns addressing these and related concerns. You can also find updates, information and resources on UC Davis’ Addressing Antisemitism web page. Regards, Office of the Chancellor" So I sent them a thirteenth email.

Consider using personal stories when writing about your research. A great example is this article by Mordechai Gordon. The article highlights his research on the educational detriments from cancelling activities due to pressure from different groups. To "set the stage" he shares the powerful story of a colleague whose presentation was almost cancelled. Next time you have an opportunity to write about your research - whether it is for a top media outlet, school blog or a personal social media post - think about ways to tie in personal examples / stories (if applicable). Feel free to share links to other articles that incorporate personal examples in communicating research. #ResearchCommunications https://lnkd.in/eCsAdnRz

Really interesting article here on the role of parents during the university application process

I recently responded to Joe Wilferth in the following manner. We share similar perspectives. Your article presents a compelling argument, one that I've been advocating for years. In essence, higher education, particularly the Liberal Arts, should be thriving in our current knowledge-based and conceptual economy. However, we struggle to communicate our message because we are a triple-bottom-line business. I wrote about it recently here: https://lnkd.in/dXPF4kKz Curious about your thoughts.

Anyone in my feed applying to research-focused MA or PhD programs in the humanities or social sciences? Here are my thoughts on how to write a good statement of purpose after serving on admissions committees and seeing how faculty make decisions about admissions to our program. Faculty and other folks working in higher education—this might be a good resource for your students! #academia #graduateschool #research #MA #PhD #phdlife #statementofpurpose

Academic Freedom Under Fire. Politicians despise it. Administrators aren’t defending it. But it made our universities great—and we’ll miss it when it’s gone. The congressional appearance last month by Nemat Shafik, the president of Columbia University, was a breathtaking “What was she thinking?” episode in the history of academic freedom. It was shocking to hear her negotiating with a member of Congress over disciplining two members of her own faculty, by name, for things they had written or said. The next day, in what appeared to be a signal to Congress, Shafik had more than a hundred students, many from Barnard, arrested by New York City police and booked for trespassing—on their own campus. But Columbia made their presence illegal by summarily suspending the protesters first. If you are a university official, you never want law-enforcement officers on your campus. Faculty particularly don’t like it. They regard the campus as their jurisdiction, and they have complained that the Columbia administration did not consult with them before ordering the arrests. Calling in law enforcement did not work at Berkeley in 1964, at Columbia in 1968, at Harvard in 1969, or at Kent State in 1970. What’s more alarming than the arrests—after all, the students wanted to be arrested—is the matter of their suspensions. They had their I.D.s invalidated, and they have not been permitted to attend class, an astonishing disregard of the fact that although the students may have violated university policy, they are still students, whom Columbia and Barnard are committed to educating. You can’t educate people who cannot attend classes. The right at stake in these events is that of academic freedom, a right that derives from the role the university plays in American life. Professors don’t work for politicians, they don’t work for trustees, and they don’t work for themselves. They work for the public. Their job is to produce scholarship and instruction that add to society’s store of knowledge. They commit themselves to doing this disinterestedly: that is, without regard to financial, partisan, or personal advantage. In exchange, society allows them to insulate themselves—and to some extent their students—against external interference in their affairs. It builds them a tower. The concept originated in Germany—the German term is Lehrfreiheit, freedom to teach—and it was imported here in the late nineteenth century, along with the model, also German, of the research university, an educational institution in which the faculty produce scholarship and research. Since that time, it has been understood that academic freedom is the defining feature of the modern research university. All professions aspire to be self-governing, because their members believe that only fellow-professionals have the expertise needed to make judgments in their fields …failures of self-regulation invite outside meddling. https://lnkd.in/gJXU3a5K

This summer, I was informed that 7 of my 8 academic books are now published by BLOOMSBURY Publishing - an international publisher with offices in New York, London, New Delhi, Oxford, and Sydney. I am super-excited and ecstatic that the books that I worked so hard for over 25 years in writing, researching, and using as textbooks in my undergraduate and graduate classes today, now have an INTERNATIONAL and GLOBAL publisher! My seven books are as follows: (1) Race and Ethnic Relations on Campus: Discovering New Solutions (2018), (2) The New Face of America: How the Emerging, Multiracial, Multiethnic Majority is Changing the United States (2013), (3) The Cultural Rights Movement: Fulfilling the Promise of Civil Rights for African Americans (2010), (4) Black America, Body Beautiful: How the African American Image is Changing Fashion, Fitness, and Other Industries (2008), (5) Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: Creating a New Cultural Diet (2006), (6) African American Alternative Medicine: Using Alternative Medicine to Prevent and Control Chronic Diseases (2002), and (7) Medical Anthropology and African American Health (2000). Therefore throughout this entire year and beginning August 1st, I will be recognizing my new book publisher - BLOOMSBURY Publishing - and encourage everyone to check out ONE or ALL of my books because they maybe of interest to you or your network of colleagues! Here is the link to my most recent book, "Race and Ethnic Relations on Campus: Discovering New Solutions." https://lnkd.in/ehjVaJR5 #bloomsburypublishing #raceandethnicrelationsoncampus #newfaceofamerica #culturalrightsmovement #blackamericabodybeautiful #foodchoiceandobesity #africanamericanalternativemedicine #medicalanthropologyandafricanamericanhealth

Provokes contemplation about the inherent value of the entire education system. #Linkedin #EduValueReflection #EducationSystemInsights #ContemplateEduImpact #RethinkLearningValue #CriticalEdPerspective #ValueInEducation #ReflectOnEduSystem #ThoughtsOnLearning #EducationReimagined #QuestioningEdWorth

On the most offensive thing you can say to a single academic parent. I've twice been deeply offended by an academic discussing my experience as a single parent. I've fielded lots of inappropriate comments, like I should spend more time with my daughter & less time working, by people who don't get that single academic parents only have time for two things: work & raising kids. But. That's different than being deeply offended. Deeply offended means that I can't forget, & it forever colors my interaction with the person. What is the comment? It always comes from a straight, rich, white, academic, who is still married, who says, "I know what it is like to be a single parent too..." Typically, they explain that their partner works or travels a lot & as a result they can't work as much as they would like. While I feel bad about their situation, it does not compare with being a single parent. Why? 1. Single parents have no backstop. Be it from doctor visits, school events, doing homework, or simply making sure the school lunch account is topped up, it falls on the single parent. Emotionally, financially, & more the responsibility is entirely on our shoulders. A married parent raising a child has a backstop. Maybe, not a great one, but they do. 2. Single parents are stigmatized. Every married person that I know claims they don't stigmatize single parents. Yet. They eventually emote that we made bad choices in our life and, therefore, we should accept that our lives are more difficult. No married academic deals with that stigma. 3. Single parents face glass ceilings. Because we have to raise a child on our own, some think we should not hold more responsible positions. In an interview for dept chair; the industry advisors asked me, "How can you do this job & raise a child?" I recall thinking, "Very well, thank you". I turned down the offer. No married academic deals with that question. 4. People assume single parents made bad decisions with partners. Not-so-subtle academics will ask "how did you not know she had issues?" I usually respond, "No, actually, her mom came from a great family. I had no idea." No married academic consistently deals with that comment. 5. For single fathers, my other favored shot, "Your ex-wife really screwed up for you to get your daughter." My defensive response, "Actually, I'm the better parent." (note: I added defensive; custody is not always about who is the better parent). No married academic consistently deals with that comment. So please, if you meet a single academic parent, feel free to empathize about raising children, but do not tell us you have walked in our shoes. You haven't. You have no idea how hard it is to do this job AND deal with the stigma of parenting alone. However. We will be happy to celebrate your success in parenting! BC we do know how hard it is to raise a child! P.S. many thanks to Clemson University. YOU made raising my daughter special. We miss the Tigers!