The #GatesEffect…@Chronicle special

…on How the World's Largest Foundation Is Remaking Higher Education. Wherever you stand on venture philanthropy (or philanthropiracy) and Gates Foundation's influence in higher ed, on community colleges in particular, and shaping U.S. education policy in general, information ~ all perspectives and positions ~ is the indispensable mind tool for our HE defense kits. We apologize in advance for any pay walls you might encounter along the way. 

See also:

• When Billionaires Become Educational Experts: "Venture philanthropists" push for the privatization of public education, Kevin K. Kumashiro in May-June 2012 issue of Academe
• Got Dough? Public School Reform in the Age of Venture Philanthropy, Joanne Barkan, Truth-Out via Dissent Magazine

Bastille Day!

…July 14 seems an auspicious date to plan, lay the groundwork and, if not start a revolution, then at the very least, initiate change (expressing the same in a more genteel and less threatening manner). Storm a Bastille today...personal, academic, professional, career or societal.

More than a national holiday, Bastille Day marks a deeply symbolic historical moment of solidarity and revolt against injustice, Bastille Day is commemorated world-wide, especially in Francophone countries (ironic considering French colonial history). Even in south Louisiana where conservative attitudes, social and political, are deeply ingrained, Bastille Day is a big deal. Had it fallen during the school year, it would have been a school holiday. Now I'm thinking it would make a dandy holiday for the academic precariat.

blogging through the doldrums

…The NFM blog is having a mid-life crisis. As remedy, I'm thinking swerve ~ a change of direction heading for territory less frequented by social media ~ but keep the furniture (tabbed pages, widgets, feeds), change carpets, curtains and put down a fresh coat of paint. Please share your thoughts…

Why now? Today is reflection day, not just here but across various networks. That is what I told myself this morning and look how far along I am not. Instead of the ubiquitous and easily ignored to-do list, consider a didn't-do list. I am. It seems more realistic. At the end of May, I bemoaned a four post month and promised to do better in June. Instead, I matched with another four. April was a five post month. Blogs do have mid-life crises. Some succumb to them. This one has been going since 2009, cultivated readers, added pages, news stream, video bar, feeds, widgets and such, but, like so many blogs, been eclipsed by social media...hence crisis and now reflection.

Oh my, pundits & profs. Oh Humanities!

…let the juxtapositions speak for themselves…with zeugma like these, who needs more words?

You can also view Oh, humanities! on Storify.

new pages… #adjunctstories & more

…We've opened two new Tumblr pages, New Faculty Majority News & Links and Adjunct Stories, for quick posts that aren't quite full fledged blog posts. News, as its name indicates, is just for news links, reasonably relevant stories - ACA, precariat, part time worker actions, organizing academic labor, higher ed news. The links will also be easier to find later. There is also a "submit" option to encourage visitors to contribute. They aren't the only new adjunct media nodes in the larger, ever expanding adjunctiverse