Lee Gardner

I wrote about why the long-awaited advent of workforce Pell hasn't resulted in a flood of approved programs, or even a flood of applications for approval!

Happy Friday! Dunno about you, but I’m sitting in the Salt Lake City airport listening to the new Water Damage.

Done reporting. Ready to teleport home now.

For my side hustle, I spoke to free-jazz titan Matthew Shipp about McCoy Tyner, Duke Ellington, and Albert Ayler, among other important matters.

Is it possible that what Democrats need to do in 2028 is stop listening to James Carville? #justaskingquestions

Happy 167th anniversary of John Brown’s raid on the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, everybody.

Really interesting and thought-provoking @newamerica.org in-depth report from Amanda Ballantyne about how to give working people standing in shaping the future of AI. www.newamerica.org/insights/wor...

If you work in higher ed -- but not as a faculty member -- and use AI in your work, I'd love to hear from you for an upcoming story. #AcademicSky #HigherEd

I wonder if fabled comedy genius Lorne Michaels knew this past weekend's SNL host was going to call women "wh0res" in his opening monologue?

The face of someone who’s been taking high-quality treats and using his snoot to try to bury them in his bedding until he wears a raw spot on his sniffer and bleeds all over those IKEA fleece things, leaving scenes on our couch that resemble a wolf loose among the flock or remains of a pagan ritual.

How many colleges in South Carolina have applied for workforce Pell eligibility for their programs? Zero, to date.

Lovely interview with one of Baltimore’s best new(ish) bands.

At a listening event I co-host, a youngish attendee whose birth year nonetheless started with a "19" told us that, while he was a huge fan of the evening's artist, he'd never sat down and listened to an entire album of said artist in one sitting before. THAT kinda blew my mind.

Leader of North Avenue redevelopment has a history of domestic violence, sexual misconduct allegations. Former employees say his mistreatment continues baltimorebeat.com/leader-of-no...

I understand and share the impulse to blame university administrators. I have written plenty about them. But right now I’d like us to turn the focus to Minnesota politicians and Minnesota voters and ask what functions of the university do you want to see cut? What don’t you care about Amy Klobuchar?

I wrote about why the Minnesota State system is shrinking itself, perhaps literally, perhaps considerably.

It seems like the schema behind most contempo tech-bro thinking is to maximize throwing the baby out with the bath water into a firehose of babies.

Email subject line du jour: “Lawn-Care Burnout Is Real”

In re: Johns Hopkins and its recent Homewood construction project 💯

Attention fellow olds

John Coltrane was born 100 years ago today. We should all get off work and schools should close.

Strongly recommend this deep cut if you need some sass in your day.

Brb bailing out from the tsunami of ranking emails.

The workforce Pell program is starting slowly (which I think is a feature, not a bug), as only about five programs have qualified since July 1 in spite of a lot of media attention. This tidbit from here in Tennessee made me chuckle. Implementation is tough. www.chronicle.com/article/work...

💸

Just so you know, flannel shirts should not have button-down collars. Follow me for more critical fashion rulings.

So many assumptions bound up in this term, and all reliably off base.

Once again feeling pretty good about my long-ago decision to reclaim the section of my brain I had previously allowed to be overgrown by half-hearted attention to sports.

I feel like having gambling on our phones is going to turn out to be a bad idea.

Only the Americans, and it wasn’t easy. Wish we could have gotten figures for everyone.

A cool new article by @jchoi.bsky.social finds that public research universities operating under RCM budget models increased faculty salaries relative to non-RCM universities and also increased the assistant professor share of faculty. This is great work!

My (very common) word-processing software has just started asking me if I’d like AI to help polish the graf I just finished writing NO THANK YOU DO NOT WANT

The rumors are true. @shenandoahkate.bsky.social and I are starting a newsletter! This is for decision makers -- department chair, associate director, or college president, etc. -- and we'll be break down how they manage the tough calls on campus. Sign up here: www.chronicle.com/newsletter/d...

I wrote about Neeli Bendapudi, president of Penn State, for our People to Watch issue. Running a big public university is challenging in the best of circumstances, but political frictions and structural issues make her job even tougher.

Make a novel smaller Their Eyes Were Watching Hulu

I have no pithy remarks to accompany this.

1000 x this

Well wouldja lookee there?

I really wish all the software I use would stop trying to talk to me or to get me to talk to it.

There are only 2 reasons to write a piece about this non-story right now. First is because you are a transphobe bigot and want to keep the hate train going. Second is because you think writing about this lady is good for business and don't care about trans people, which also counts as being a bigot.

Now available: John Thelin's magisterial History of American Higher Education, fully updated in its fourth edition. www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/... @hopkinspress.bsky.social @universityofky.bsky.social #HigherEd

So, basically, a small cadre of highly motivated individuals could send this country back to the 19th century (technologically speaking) without too much trouble. And they’ve already been practicing.

Always remember: Never punch down.

Hey Baltimore, the Charles is screening Frederick Wiseman’s Boxing Gym this Saturday at 11:30 am and Monday at 7 pm, and you should go. It’s my favorite of his many films, and I all but guarantee you won’t have another shot at seeing it projected down the street before the sun goes out.

It's a good book! What do you have to lose?

Where’s the readable musicological exegesis on the siren’s song from Nolan’s Odyssey, aka the tune that’s launched a thousand reels?

Post you from a different era in your life

Fells Point’s streets and sidewalks are public property, last I looked, meaning open to the public.

Landmark College was created for students with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities. As accommodation requests soar, other colleges are turning to the small Vermont college for advice. https://chroni.cl/45SeEka