Leah DeVun

important discussion - one of largest, most public humanities associations, the AHA and democracy
www.historiansforpeace.org/wp-content/u...
@rooseveltinstitute.org
@higheredlabor.bsky.social
@scholarsforsj.bsky.social
@womenknowhistory.bsky.social
@democracynow.org
@demwomencaucus.bsky.social

Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only (no tools). Each completed thr...

"Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels."

arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872

Cajun jockeys! ❤️

This State University Has a Plan to Take on Trump Two professors from Rutgers University in New Jersey went out on a limb to write a “mutual defense compact” for Big Ten schools. Their effort is gaining steam.

Proud to be part of @ruaaup-aft.bsky.social @rutgersupress.bsky.social

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Academic Senate resoundingly approved (141 to 4, with 10 abstentions) its version of a Big 10 Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC), originally proposed by Rutgers a month ago! ✊ www.senate.illinois.edu/2024-2025/20...

ICE backs down, says it will restore status of thousands of foreign students Hundreds of foreign students in the U.S. on F-1 visas said they were informed their SEVIS records were suddenly terminated by DHS.

BREAKING: In a sudden about-face, a DOJ attorney saiys ICE will be RESTORING the status of thousands of foreign students whose SEVIS records were terminated w/o notice earlier this month.

The move comes amid mounting losses in courts around the country.
www.wusa9.com/article/news...

Pictured is a filing from the National Labor Relations Board website showing a petition for certification of a labor organization as the representative of a collective bargaining unit. The Employer is Johns Hopkins University located in Baltimore, Maryland. There are 1,600 employees in the proposed bargaining unit made up of all postdoctoral researchers who provide services to Johns Hopkins University including: Postdoctoral Fellows, Postdoctoral Research Fellows, Postdoctoral Research Associates, Assistant Research Scientists, and Associate Research Scientists.

BREAKING: 1,600 post docs at Johns Hopkins University are unionizing with @UAW.

Photographers! Join me and the stellar Elinor Carucci on May 17+18 for our photobook workshop via @photophlo.bsky.social. If you're developing a project that you think is ready for a book, we will guide you through the ins and outs of the publishing process. #photography #photobooks

Small colleges have taken the lead -- but they are now joined by 6 of 8 Ivies: Cornell, Penn, Princeton, Yale, Brown, and -- yes -- Harvard.

And, finally, by a handful of big publics: U. of Washington, Wisconsin, Rutgers, SUNY Buffalo and Stony Brook, UC Riverside, UVa, UMD.

I knew the U.S. higher education system was a massive draw for foreigners, but I did not know the U.S. sold more educational services to the rest of the world than it did natural gas and coal combined. Great piece by @crampell.bsky.social

Harvard University Announces It Won’t Surrender to Trump Despite billions in federal funding at risk, Harvard is rejecting Trump’s demands.

Harvard, which has long been criticized for its questionable endowment investments and lack of diversity, is refusing to crumble—hopefully a catalyst for other universities to grow a spine and do the same.

I found out about this website update via The Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper. Read the original story here, it’s good: www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

The Chronicle covers the growing MADC* movement!

Faculty senates at Indiana, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Nebraska state flagships have ALL passed resolutions for Mutual Academic Defense Compacts!!

Will your institution be next? Make it so!

*because we're mad, see? <groan lol>

"If universities are not willing to stand up for the free speech and academic freedom of their students and faculty, then what, if any, values do they stand for?"

Why We're Taking Action — A National Day of Action for Higher Ed

THURS! national day of action for higher ed!

U.S. universities serve 20 million students, largest employers in dozens of regions, provide essential healthcare in rural areas, drive economic growth + wellbeing!

find or host an action, in person and virtual!

www.dayofactionforhighered.org/agenda

Rutgers Senate Proposes Big Ten 'Mutual Defense Compact' to Block Trump's Campus Attacks | Common Dreams Rutgers University Senate takes a stand against Trump's attacks on First Amendment rights, forming a mutual defense compact with other Big Ten schools. Will this bold move inspire other institutions t...

Rutgers Senate Proposes Big Ten 'Mutual Defense Compact' to Block Trump's Campus Attacks www.commondreams.org/news/rutgers...

BREAKING: Harvard AAUP & the nat'l AAUP have jointly filed a lawsuit & TRO to block the Trump admin from demanding that Harvard restrict speech & undermine academic freedom or else lose $8.7 billion in federal funds. This action challenges the Trump admin's misuse of funds for coercion. Stay tuned.

RIGHT NOW:

Researchers, healthcare, and education workers at the University of Washington are staging a die-in to get the point across:

Slashing NIH funding puts critical research & healthcare at risk. To put it simply: Trump’s Cuts Kill.

#KilltheCuts

AAUP has just published a memo laying out the many legal reasons why universities should not hand over the names & nationalities of their students or faculty, as the Trump admin has asked. Please share freely with your friendly university admin! @aaup.bsky.social www.aaup.org/news/institu...

Princeton considers issuing bonds same day as federal government pauses grants The University announced its consideration to sell approximately $320 million of taxable bonds on Tuesday, following a notification from government agencies about the suspension of research grants.

Princeton has announced that it is considering selling approximately $320 million of taxable bonds. The bonds are a way for the University to raise short-term funds. The major credit-rating agencies rate University bonds AAA, the highest level of creditworthiness.

Who actually runs Columbia University? | Arjun Appadurai and Sheldon Pollock Trustees aren’t academics – and they’re often political wolves in sheep’s clothing. We need reform to save the American university as we know it

Important article on trustees who run unis but aren’t academics and have no experience teaching or doing research. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Happening today! @ruaaup-aft.bsky.social @higheredlabor.bsky.social

I ❤️ Rutgers Faculty Senate.

Solidarity against tyranny is a wonderful thing. Go, Rutgers!

Thank you so much @clancyny.bsky.social!

Rutgers University Senate proposal for a mutual defense pact of Big Ten schools. Rutgers faculty, show them the way!

Excerpt from Rutgers University Senate resolution calling for a Mutual Academic Defense Compact. The excerpt reads: "BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Rutgers University Senate urges the President of Rutgers University to formally propose and help establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) among all members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, under this compact, all participating institutions shall commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund. This fund shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement;"

This exciting resolution from Rutgers University Senate is exactly the kind of model I think higher ed needs: a mutual defense pact of, in this case, Big 10 schools. They call for member institutions to create a joint defense fund and make resources available to any member institution under attack.