The times, they are a-changin’. We are in the middle of a phase shift. I think we’re at a moment when the norms and practices in higher education, research, teaching, university operations, staffing, publishing, and beyond are evolving much faster than the baseline rate. The media environment has changed. If I were to invoke a biology metaphor here, I the right one would be punctuated equilibrium, in which right now is a moment of punctuation. Why are things changing right now? Barrels of electrons have been spilled on this topic, and beyond the need to recognize the reality that the ascending oligarchy in the United States has big plans for dismantling universities, harming non-white people, and changing on what research gets funded. I’ll leave how and why this is happening, for the sociologists, historians, political scientists, and such. Because we are in a state of disequilibrium, if we do things the way that we always have done them, we won’t be served as well. We’ve got to read the landscape and adapt. Lately, I’ve been asking myself: how should I, as an academic working in a university, change what I’m doing to get by in this rapidly changing and more challenging environment? What’s the right thing to do? How can I get by knowing that I can’t possibly be allocating time and effort into every Right Thing in a world where a lot of things are so wrong? I don’t have all the answers, but I think I’ve developed some clarity during my holiday break, with the benefit of rest and perspective of a sabbatical. Here are some things. I’m stepping away from the daily news cycle. It does the world no good for me to be hyper-aware of every piece of misconduct, misappropriation, and malice. (This got a bit easier to do since I ended up cancelling my subscriptions to The Washington Post, New York Times, and The Atlantic, as they’ve clearly bent the knee to the new administration.) Now I’m staying apprised with The New Yorker and The Guardian, and some newsletters. And I’m also finding that Bluesky is a very good way to know stay in tune to things, and by choosing my follows carefully, I can do this without falling into a pit of doom. I’m making a point to listen to people who are focused on hope and possibility, focused on doing work to create positive change, and people who are an effective filter to keep me informed about what I feel I need to know about. I’m embracing my role as a public scholar, and am intentionally choosing my lane(s) for leadership and engagement. Universities are under attack by the ruling party because what we are doing matters, and that means we’ve got to keep up our public roles to reinforce the value of our work. We know that expertise matters, and that evidence-based decisions making matters. Let’s keep pushing beyond the borders of our classrooms and institutions. I’ll be doing this actively thinking about the scale at which these efforts are best invested. I’m pushing against the proliferation of AI into spaces where it’s harmful to progress. I’ve experienced how machine learning (as a form of AI) is an incredibly powerful research tool, but when it comes to creativity and idea development, it’s a step back. Insofar as it feasible, I’m going to create some distance between myself and the information economies of the oligarchs. Which means Amazon Prime and sourcing stuff from other places far more often, and steadily over the next couple years, ultimately weaning myself off of Gmail and over to a secure mail/calendar provider (probably Proton). I realize that going off grid isn’t anything possible or even anything I want to do, but I think I’m not the only one who didn’t think about the broad sweeping consequences of having google having full access to our emails, contacts, calendars, history of where and whenever our phone has been, etc. (I mean, I signed up for a gmail years before smartphones even existed.) I’m going to be more explicit in my teaching and in my lab about prioritizing the safety, well-being, and development of students, trainees, and peers. We’ve got to look out for one another, and let people around us that we’re intentional about this. I’m going to be working to tend to friendships. We have one another, and we all need people who we can trust and be vulnerable with. I’ve never been good at this, and am looking for ways to lower the activation energy to stay in touch with people who I care about. I think I’m going to be navigating academic spaces with an understanding that the duties of the professoriate have evolved to the point of unsustanability. We need to be clear that it’s absurd for our institutions expect us to simultaneously be rockstars, produce a ton of papers, mentor a ton of students, teach with all the high-effort best practices, serve on every committee, and also do all of the paperwork associated with running all of the huge grants they expect us to land. What are we supposed to be doing? I’m not sure any of us knows anymore. We are in this moment of disequilibrium in higher education in which we can play a role in redefining what it means to be a professor. I’m going to be a part of that conversation, and I hope all y’all will too. With the push for white supremacy making ground nationwide, I’ll be more explicit about my support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and I’m going to be using those words. I think for a long time I've leaned away from the term “DEI” only because I think “diversity” and “inclusion” are lightweight goals compared to access, opportunity, and justice, but diversity, equity, and inclusion matter, and it’s something we need to keep acting on and being clear about. I also know that I’m working from a position of tenure in a public university in California, and recognize that other positions might involve other approaches to be most effective. I’m also going to be thinking more about how and the where I can do my best work and best be of service to others. Not only is the landscape changing quickly, but I’m a very different person than I was when I started out on this career path. What turns might I take? I’ve been able to think about new directions not only because I’ve had sabbatical, but I’ve also been on vacation from sabbatical for a couple weeks! Now I’m back to my sabbatical projects. The next few weeks are going to be rough especially for those of us based in the United States. They want us weary and exhausted, so keeping ourselves healthy and charged is foundational. So I think I might end up coming off here as more positive and excited about the world, because I’m working to genuinely feel that way, even as our governance fails and more people experience harm. I’m working to keep this newsletter as a bright spot in your inbox. I’d love to hear more about what you think about the best way to approach this moment of disequilibrium. You’re currently a free subscriber to Science For Everyone. Thanks for your support! If you wish to support this work more, then you could pay for a subscription.
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Monday, 6 January 2025
When I'm doing differently for 2025 and beyond
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