Articles of interest about the virus (& higher ed) - March 25

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***THE VIRUS 

How to Handle Packages During the Coronavirus Pandemic  

The toilet paper calculator  

Coronavirus Sets the Stage for Hacking Mayhem

The psychological toll of coronavirus coverage

The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What's Coming

***WORKING DURING THE VIRUS

People Are Looping Videos to Fake Paying Attention in Zoom Meetings  

How To Work From Home Most Chaotically

What Employees Need to Know Amid the Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak 

***HIGHER ED

Department of Education Issues Guidance on Students with Disabilities, Privacy During COVID-19 Pandemic  

North Carolina College Investigates Use of Force by Officers

Small colleges were already on the brink. Now, coronavirus threatens their existence 

***TEACHING DURING THE VIRUS

Google and YouTube Launch Remote Learning Tools for Parents and Teachers

15 Moments That Perfectly And Hilariously Capture Online Classes In The Time Of The Coronavirus

From Zoom University to the Zoom Party 

All of Poynter's courses are now free

***ACADEMIC LIFE 

Working from home during COVID-19 proves challenging for faculty members 

MIT puts professor on leave over new revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein as it issues anticipated report

MLA members discuss professors' ethical responsibilities for training graduate students, as some propose shifts in admissions practices

The Move to Online College is Hitting Adjunct Professors the Hardest

University of Memphis instructor dies in Wisconsin from COVID-19 Complications 

What happens when the anonymity of campus sexual harassment probes is weaponized against a professor? 

Will the coronavirus kill off the ‘dinosaur’ world of academic publishing?  

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS  

Liberty University students returning to campus dorms amid coronavirus shutdowns 

Christian Colleges Should Interact With World, Not Oppose It (opinion) 

How Christian higher education responded to a pandemic 

Students sue to stop Christian university from merging with art college in Tennessee

***STUDENT LIFE

As campus closures strain low-income students, undergrads at over a dozen universities have started large "mutual aid" networks and fundraisers to defray costs

Study abroad students caught by international border closures 

Students Are Scrambling After Universities Close. Churches Can Help   

Casting Doubt

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A lot of people still think of propaganda as the art of making lies sound truthful, but...they want to make truthfulness an irrelevant category. It’s not about proving something, it’s about casting doubt. Most political ideologies have not been about casting doubt — they’ve claimed to be telling the truth about the way the world is or should be. But this new propaganda is different. Putin isn’t selling a wonderful communist future. He’s saying, we live in a dark world, the truth is unknowable, the truth is always subjective, you never know what it is, and you, the little guy, will never be able to make sense of it all — so you need to follow a strong leader.

Sean Illing & Peter Pomerantsev in a Vox  interview 

 

Articles of Interest about the virus (and higher ed) - March 19

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***THE VIRUS

How to Not Completely Hate the People You’re Quarantined With 

10 misconceptions about the 1918 flu, the 'greatest pandemic in history' 

Federal government in talks with tech groups to use phone location data to track coronavirus 

Inside the Pro-Trump Facebook Group Where First Responders Call Coronavirus a Hoax 

The Trump Administration Drove Him Back to China, Where He Invented a Fast Coronavirus Test 

Israeli Gov using phone tracking to alert people potentially exposed to the coronavirus

***FALSE INFO ABOUT  THE VIRUS 

National Enquirer blasted for coronavirus ‘cures’ fake news 

CVS sent false coronavirus information to staff 

Coronavirus in Africa: Facebook, Twitter fight misinformation 

***THE VIRUS & HIGHER ED

The Dept of Ed issues new guidelines to ensure internet accessibility for students with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic 

The Dept of Ed issues new guidelines on accreditation in the time of the pandemic 

Amid Coronavirus, Some College Students Have Nowhere To Go 

What Is a College Education in the Time of Coronavirus?

A Perfect Time To End Our STEM Obsession: 3 Ideas For Teaching Critical Thinking At Home During (And After) The Coronavirus Pandemic

The virus and religious freedom 

College enrollment officers report concern filling fall classes  

***HIGHER ED FINANCES DURING THE VIRUS

Coronavirus could affect college enrollment and college’s bottom line 

Moody's lowers higher ed outlook to negative amid coronavirus crisis   

Pomona College students Refuse to Leave Campus   

***HIGHER ED

University of Michigan removes provost amid allegations of sexual misconduct 

Palomar College at high risk of insolvency so state assigns fiscal monitor 

Will Shift to Remote Teaching Be Boon or Bane for Online Learning? 

How will for-profit colleges fare in the recession? 

Federal judge dismisses Title IX lawsuit filed against the University of Arizona 

***TEACHING 

As classes move online, some colleges are choosing to go pass/fail to relieve student stress 

Five Ways to Promote Student Autonomy in Online Discussions 

Adobe is Giving Everyone 2 Months of Free Creative Cloud -- Here's How To Get It

***ACADEMIC LIFE 

MIT puts professor on leave over new revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein as it issues anticipated report 

MLA members discuss professors' ethical responsibilities for training graduate students, as some propose shifts in admissions practices. 

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS 

How Christian Colleges Have Been Revising Student Handbooks Since Obergefell  

Christian Colleges Should Interact With World, Not Oppose It (opinion)  

Point Loma grad wins Miss Asia USA, becomes Global Ambassador  

Bob Jones University Regrets Not Telling Victim to Go to Police

***RESEARCH 

Want to do better science? Admit you’re not objective 

Why are hundreds of papers retracted every year? 

Hundreds of scientists have peer-reviewed for predatory journals 

Articles of Interest about religion, the virus, and teaching - March 17

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***THE VIRUS

Coronavirus may drive more high school seniors to in-state public colleges 

Social distancing prevents infections, but it can have unintended consequences

Coronavirus Rumors: Running List Of Fake News, Hoaxes, Disinformation 

***TEACHING DURING THE VIRUS

Welcome to Your Hastily Prepared Online College Course - McSweeney’s Internet Tendency 

Bringing Your Course Online: Resources from MLA 

Suddenly trying to teach humanities courses online? Here's what the experts recommend  

As coronavirus closures force colleges to move students online, ed-tech experts see opportunity -- but also risk 

Zoom videoconferencing is very popular. It has bigger plans

Why College Students Are One Of The Most Affected Groups By COVID-19 Outbreak 

How to Help Students Who Are at Risk of Dropping Out  

As coronavirus closes schools, teachers and families brace for massive experiment in online education 

***RELIGION & THE VIRUS

SoCal Church Offers a Drive-In Mass in Keeping With COVID-19 Guidelines  

Evangelical preacher claims to cure coronavirus through TV  

California mega-church cancels its ‘faith healing’ hospital visits, citing coronavirus

You’d think God could target the problem better by only giving “them” the virus!

Los Angeles Times postpones Festival of Books due to coronavirus 

Churches are closing doors, live streaming services for congregants avoiding coronavirus 

Liberty University Moves Classes Online Despite Falwell's Initial Coronavirus Skepticism  

COVID-19 Forces Hundreds of Bible Study Fellowship Classes Online

Televangelist Attempts To “Heal” Coronavirus Patients Through The TV 

***RELIGION

Anti-gay sign in religious leader’s yard sparks protest outside Bossier City church  

Do Christian Churches Care About the Climate Crisis 

Museum of the Bible's Dead Sea Scrolls are fake, analysis shows  

Did Jack Welch's Evangelical Faith Change the Controversial 'Rock Star' CEO of General Electric? 

***RELIGION AND POLITICS

How a data-backed Christian nationalist machine helped Trump to power 

White Evangelicals See Trump as Fighting for Their Beliefs, Though Many Have Mixed Feelings About His Personal Conduct 

***RELIGION & THE LAW 

Caught between gender equality and religious liberty (opinion) 

Pennsylvania opens grand jury investigation into Jehovah’s Witnesses’ cover-up of child sex abuse 

Texas megachurch pastor pleads guilty to defrauding investors

***DENOMINATIONS

California Southern Baptists to shutter newspaper

The courage and compassion of Catholic activist Dorothy Day  

It's over

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Many people leap to the conclusion that “it is over” means that the life situation has to go. They get divorced. They walk out of the office, never to return. They leave the church. They abandon their education. They leave their country. They do these things, even though all that they were being called on to do was to leave the relation that they had had to these things. Even when the ending is literal, as it is in death, the most important relinquishment is not of the person but of the life.

William Bridges, The Way of Transitions

Articles of Interest about Lit, Journ, Writing & Lang (plus the virus) – March 15

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***THE VIRUS

A list of disinfectants and wipes to protect against spread of the coronavirus 

The most ridiculous ways companies are trying to profit from the coronavirus outbreak  

What Does “Exponential Growth” Mean? 

Apple Confirms That Cleaning Your Phone With a Disinfectant Wipe Is Totally Fine  

 

***EDUCATION & THE VIRUS

If you are going online, the #1 question is not 'what tech?', the #1 question is 'how will you support your most struggling students?'

How to Make College Decisions When Campuses Are Closed  

Amazon Educational Resources  

Your college closed early because of coronavirus. You might not get your money back

Liberty students react to decision to continue in-person classes 

What will happen to college food service and custodial workers when campuses are empty? 

As Coronavirus Fears Close Classes, Some Kids Are Left Behind

Why I stopped using my university-licensed Zoom account (Twitter thread)

 ***WORKING REMOTE 

How to hide your messy room for a Zoom video conference  

Not all tech employees can work from home 

Resources for teaching production courses online in case of emergency  

What are my rights if I stay home and miss work because of coronavirus? 

 

***GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DO 

List of Live Streaming Concerts 

19 Bizarre Wikipedia Pages You'll Want To Read Next Time You're Bored 

Making a Plan When Planning Is Impossible 

 

***WRITING & READING

Do Authors Write Where They Know? 

The era of fake writing is upon us

Top 10 Writing and Grammar Mistakes That Even Published Authors Make

Oprah admits to 'not looking for Latinx writers' as American Dirt controversy continues

 

***JOURNALISM 

18 journalism work-from-home tips

Illinois Gov’s office pressures newspaper to unpublish news story on progressive tax 

Journalists May Get Reprieve From California Contractor Law   

IPI launches new protocol for newsrooms to address online harassment 

A guideline for inclusion in sports and the wider media industry 

 

***STUDENT MEDIA 

Change to Clery investigation process helps student journalists get information faster 

Sacramento State's new campus media policy called unconstitutional 

Retraction and apology for racist op-ed illustration choice 

High school students fill gap in coverage of their Minneapolis neighborhood through community-driven newspaper 

Article Retraction: “Sexual harassment in English Department” at Mills College

***FAKES & FRAUDS

Elite Hackers Are Using Coronavirus Emails to Set Traps

The Nigerian prince scam is still fooling people. Here’s why

***LANGUAGE

From Uptalk to Vocal Fry, Women Are Prolific Language Innovators (podcast) 

 

***LITERATURE

Pete Buttigieg’s favorite author would maybe hate Pete Buttigieg

How to support your local indie bookstore without leaving your house 

 

***POETRY

Broadway Is Closed. Write Poems Instead 

Pulitzer Prize-Winning N. Scott Momaday Talks About His New Collection Of Poetry 

In Defense of Poetic Nonsense 

John Carey: ‘In my teens I fancied myself as a poet’ 

Poetry Challenge: Paint A Picture With Words 

 

***PRIVACY & SECURITY  

Why so many Americans don’t talk about money 

Google tracked his bike ride past a burglarized home. That made him a suspect.

Finding God in the Next Person

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Gandhi—who did not have a good track record as a family man—is reported to have said, “If you don’t find God in the very next person you meet, it is a waste of time looking for him further.” I would add, ‘If you don’t find God in the person who forgets to put the toilet seat down or brings home a disastrous report card or violates the 11:00 p.m. curfew, it is a waste of time looking for God further.” Families are social entities, but more importantly they are spiritual communities.

Margaret Guenther, The Practice of Prayer

Recent Articles of Interest about the Virus (as well as teaching)

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Why Toilet Paper?

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When people are told something dangerous is coming, but all you need to do is wash your hands, the action doesn't seem proportionate to the threat. The novel coronavirus is engendering a sort of survivalist psychology, where we must live as much as possible at home and thus must 'stock up' on essentials, and that certainly includes toilet paper. After all, if we run out of [toilet paper], what do we replace it with?

Stephen Taylor, The Psychology of Pandemics

Articles of Interest about Higher Ed (plus the virus)

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***THE VIRUS  

What To Do If You Think You've Got Symptoms Of COVID-19 

A social media display of U.S. coronavirus coverage from CrowdTangle

Your legal rights in a quarantine, explained

Is it canceled yet? This site tracks events canceled due to the coronavirus disease 

 

***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS 

Colleges Planning for Coronavirus With Fewer Resources 

Colleges leave students in a bind when they close for coronavirus 
 

***HIGHER ED

A group of students and faculty want the GW president removed 

UC San Diego accidentally overstated success of its MBA program in Financial Times rankings

California university fired 54 grad students who were striking for higher pay

Chapman University prospective students may opt out of submitting SAT, ACT scores 

Why public universities are chasing rich kids from out of state 

Small Colleges Are Lawyering Up. Here’s Why. 

 

***TEACHING (DURING THE VIRUS)

Google and Microsoft are giving away enterprise conferencing tools due to coronavirus 

Spreadsheet with links to remote teaching resources from more than 130 colleges and universities (created by DePaul University’s Center for Teaching and Learning)

Practical advice for instructors faced with an abrupt move to online teaching  

Understanding the Challenges Facing First-Generation College Students 

Best practices for Creating Accessible Microsoft Office Documents 

 

***ACADEMIC LIFE 

"It's Caused a Lot of Havoc": As CA Film Schools Reclassify Part-Time Professors, Wage Lawsuits Ramp Up 

MIT puts professor on leave over new revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein as it issues anticipated report

MLA members discuss professors' ethical responsibilities for training graduate students, as some propose shifts in admissions practices 

 

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS 

Northwest Christian University in Eugene to change its name 

Mormon Church delivers stinging rebuke to BYU students with letter stating homosexual behavior is 'not compatible' with its principles

Despite Strict Baptist Doctrine, Baylor Takes Steps Toward a Gay-Tolerant Campus 

GW faculty and students want president's resignation

NNU renews President Joel Pearsall's contract for 4 more years  

Corban University Announces Nursing Partnership with George Fox University 

Point Loma Nazarene University tells students returning from Italy to stay away due to coronavirus

***RESEARCH  

Open Peer Review in the Humanities 

Academic research integrity: Exploring researchers’ perceptions of responsibilities and enablers 

Scientists reveal what they learnt from their biggest mistakes  How retractions can be a way forward. 

Sloppy science is often not intentional, but due to lack of knowledge.” 

A single ‘paper mill’ appears to have churned out 400 fake papers, sleuths find  

***THE COST OF COLLEGE

College students may be paying thousands in athletic fees and not know it 

Why Are Textbooks So Expensive?

What Does a Class Action Lawsuit Over College Textbooks Have to do with Designer Bags?  

***STUDENT LIFE

Some students do feel political pressure from their professors, but few change their views 

30 years after Americans with Disability Act, college students with disabilities say law is not enough

The Many Ways College Students May Be Tracked on Campus (sub req’d)

Some University of Minnesota students say F-you to SAFE-U alert 

 

***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT

MeToo era slow to arrive at Minnesota State campuses

Texas accepts recommendation to fire faculty and staff found guilty of sexual misconduct 

How the new DeVos rules on sexual assault will shock schools — and students

 

Climb Down & Sit with Them

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The hardest habit for me to break was the instinct to turn the conversation round to the positive. It took a while for me to understand that if a friend is in a dark place, the most compassionate thing we can do is to climb down into that place and sit with them for a while. “If a person trusts you enough to talk about their distress, trying to cheer them up is like shutting them up – you are dismissing and trivialising their feelings. Give them the space to say how bad they feel and stay with it. Swerving away from it, talking about a silver lining, can signal you don’t want to hear it.” Focus on your friend and their words. Thinking too much about your responses can be detrimental. “I make a constant effort to calm my mind down and tune into what is being said.”

Moya Sarner writing in The Guardian