Success as teacher
/After 20, success has very little to teach us.
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
Welcome to the fairy tale
/Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale. -Hans Christian Andersen (born April 2, 1805)
Articles of interest about higher ed- April 1
/***COVID-19
Vaccine passports and digital vaccination records, explained
Why vaccine passports may be inevitable in next phase of COVID-19
Should I laminate my COVID vaccine card? Here’s what experts say
How does COVID-19 affect the brain?
Florida man fired after fake vaccine card business exposed on TikTok
Stanford Scientists Reverse Engineer Moderna Vaccine, Post Code on Github
***HIGHER ED & COVID
Some say COVID-19 may have changed college campuses for good
Rutgers University first in nation to require on-campus students get COVID vaccine for fall semester
***ENROLLMENT
Enrollment declines at California’s community colleges far greater than earlier predictions
***HIGHER ED
Moody's Upgrades Financial Outlook for Higher Ed
The Absurdity of University Rankings
A new direction for Bennett College
Google Engineers Created a Cheap Certificate Program to Help You Get a New Job in Tech
***LAYOFFS & CUTS
University of Montana professors, students protest proposed $2.6 million budget cuts
Salem State University retrenchment plan accidentally released
***COLLEGE FINANCES
The biggest earners at private colleges and universities
Moody's Raises Higher Ed Outlook to Stable
***HIGHER ED IN COURT
High court sympathetic to college athletes in NCAA dispute
Judge rules for Southern Methodist University over jurisdiction
Students file lawsuit over fake college sting operation by ICE and DHS
***TEACHING
A Pair of Business School Professors Made Their Students Read Fiction. Amazing Things Happened
Cal State LA was caught in a large-scale cheating scandal, but it’s not alone
How Cheating in College Hurts Students
Zoom Escaper makes it easy to sabotage that unbearable Zoom meeting
***ACADEMIC LIFE
University of Missouri faculty members upset about use of data in promotion and tenure
The Well-Heeled Professoriate: Socioeconomic Backgrounds Of University Faculty
***ACADEMICS & CRIME
Professor put camera in teen’s room ‘to bond with her,’ Oklahoma documents say
Ga. Tech professor indicted on federal fraud charges
***PROFESSORS IN COURT
Lecturer fired for ‘aggressive’ use of question marks gets $20K payout
***ADMINISTRATORS
SC State University faculty senate votes 'no confidence' in President and Provost
University of Michigan leaders condemn regent's comments
***ADMINISTRATORS LEAVING
Lily McNair No Longer President at Tuskegee University
University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld to leave earlier than expected
Oregon State University President F. King Alexander resigns amid fallout from LSU scandal
CUNY law school dean cancels herself after 'slaveholder' comment
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Evangel University dropping the name "Crusaders"
USA Today editor fired who wanted to ban Christian University from NCAA
Regent University hosts conspiracy-filled livestream event
***RESEARCH
How to Find and Vet Journal Articles
The fight against fake-paper factories that churn out sham science
Science relies on constructive criticism. Here’s how to keep it useful and respectful
Self-correction in science: The diagnostic and integrative motives for replication
The internationality of published higher education scholarship: How do the ‘top’ journals compare?
The top editor at JAMA has been sidelined amid outcry comments on structural racism
***STUDENT LIFE
Angela Davis event: Butler University students allege censorship
College student found driving 106 mph while watching Zoom class
Tax Refund Scam Targets College Students and Staff
Yale Disputes Social Media Report on Student's Suicide
28 Things They Don't Teach You In High School That You Learn Pretty Much Immediately In College
***STUDENTS IN COURT
Supreme Court sides with student newspaper in dispute with UK over sexual misconduct records
Judge Says Students Can Sue Quinnipiac Over Shift to Remote Learning
FTC sends out nearly $50 million to former University of Phoenix students from 2019 settlement
***STUDENT MEDIA
***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT
New online reporting form allows Brown University students to report sexual harassment anonymously
USC agrees to $852 million payout in sex abuse lawsuit
11 women file lawsuit alleging Eastern Michigan University mishandled sexual assault claims
***RACIAL ISSUES ON CAMPUS
Oxford University considers scrapping ‘colonial’ and ‘white’ music notation in syllabus makeover
Boise State resumes diversity classes after brief suspension and controversy
University of Cincinnati professor who called COVID-19 'the Chinese virus' not asked to return
Brown University undergraduates vote for reparations for descendants of enslaved people
***CRIME ON CAMPUS
Two plead guilty to stealing millions of dollars’ worth of computers from Stanford
***RANSOMWARE
Ransomware gang breaches University of Colorado and University of Miami
Ransomware group targets universities in Maryland, California in new data leaks
Children are unpredictable
/Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next. - Franklin P Jones
Data Science articles from March 2021
/DARPA seeks to improve computer vision in ‘Third Wave’ of AI research
Bayesian networks can provide answers when machine learning comes up short
MIT study finds ‘systematic’ labeling errors in popular AI benchmark datasets
An overview of machine learning operations maintenance
Small, cheap spy satellites mean there’s no hiding place
A new statistical model generates more nuanced predictions for complicated events
Researchers think they’ve solved the ‘barren plateaus' issue in quantum machine learning
Geospatial information is vital for linking unconnected datasets and driving digital transformation
Is coding more like a language, or more like math?
The not-so-secret value of sharing commercial geospatial and open-source information
MIT built algorithm helps artificial intelligence systems dodge “adversarial” inputs
DARPA work on homomorphic encryption technology
Cataloging non-reproducible machine learning papers
Five reasons so many data science projects fail to deliver
a real seeker after truth
/If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -Rene Descartes (born March 31, 1596)
Articles of interest about religion - March 30
/***COVID-19
How to talk to those hesitant about the Covid-19 vaccine
Michigan must tell Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients that it was developed using stem cells
Watch out for these vaccination scams looking to get your money, information
New York launches nation's first 'vaccine passports.'
People Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Can Still Contract Virus, Study Shows
Why you should get a COVID-19 vaccine – even if you’ve already had the coronavirus
Office Depot will laminate COVID-19 vaccination cards for free
***COVID-19 & RELIGION
Hundreds attend Christian revival in North Carolina — most without masks, videos show
***RELIGION
Why would Christians embrace conspiracy theories?
National Association Of Evangelicals Leader Strives To Break Down Barriers, 'Build Bridges'
The Most Christian Continent: Africa
The waning of the black church A historic past is not enough for the black church to thrive today
***THE BIBLE
Dead Sea Scrolls Discovery Reveals New Details About the Bible’s Earliest Translations
Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to make Bible state's official book
***RELIGION & CRIME
Atlanta Suspect’s Fixation on Sex Is Familiar Thorn for Evangelicals
Atlanta Shooting Suspect’s Church Bashed ‘Radical Feminism’ in Deleted Sermons
***RELIGION & RACIAL ISSUES
Study: Racial Diversity Within a Church Is Associated with Higher Average Attendance Over Time
***RELIGION & WOMEN
From the Empty Tomb to Today’s Abuse: Believe Women
The good White Christian women of Nazi Germany
Asian women lead charge against bigotry in Christian rallies across U.S,
After Beth Moore departure, more Southern Baptist women question roles in church
***MEGACHURCHES
Megachurch employee fired for “inappropriate behavior online” years ago, church leaders say
***RELIGION & BUSINESS
Parent company of Christian radio's K-LOVE and Air1 relocating to Nashville area
Can you be fired over your sex life? Christian Financial Guru Dave Ramsey thinks so
***ISLAM
Muslim groups are raising money for Colorado shooting victims
Colorado shooting suspect had worried about being targeted for his Muslim faith, acquaintances say
***RELIGION & SINGERS
Skillet’s John Cooper Compares Grammys to Hitler, Condemns Cardi B’s Performance
***RELIGION & CRIME
Accused Atlanta gunman was a patient at an evangelical treatment center
***RELIGION & SEXUAL ABUSE
The inside story of how Kanakuk—one of America’s largest Christian camps—enabled horrific abuse
***SURVEYS ABOUT RELIGION
Gallup: Fewer Than Half of Americans Belong to a Church
74% of Black Americans believe in God of the Bible or other scripture
Nine-in-ten Black ‘nones’ believe in God, but fewer pray or attend services
***RELIGION & MONEY
Even in our sleep pain
/He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God. -Aeschylus
A loss can set you free
/Deafness freed Beethoven as a composer because he no longer had society’s soundtrack in his ears. Perhaps therein lies a lesson for each of us. I know, I know: You’re no Beethoven. But as you read the lines above, maybe you could relate to the great composer’s loss in some small way. Have you lost something that defined your identity? Maybe it involves your looks. Or your social prestige. Or your professional relevance. How might this loss set you free?
You might finally define yourself in new ways, free from the boundaries you set for yourself based on the expectations of others.
Arthur C. Brooks writing in the Washington Post
Teenager having seizure saved by online gamer - 5,000 miles away
/#GOODNEWS
You can read the story here.
Suffering
/Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning. –Victor Frankl (born March 26, 1905)
Education
/Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence. -Robert Frost (Born: March 26, 1874)
Articles of interest about journalism, writing, conspiracy theories & more - March 25
/***COVID-19
Survey: 42% say they gained about 29 pandemic pounds, while 10% gained as much as 50 pounds
The US is about to reach a surprise milestone: too many vaccines, not enough takers
10 facts about Americans and coronavirus vaccines
Hang on to that COVID-19 vaccination card -- it’s important
Doctor says people previously infected with COVID-19 being infected with variant cases
***JOURNALISM
News deserts and weak ethics laws allow corruption to run rampant in SC
The Asian American Journalists Association guide for those covering the Atlanta shootings
***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM
How the New York Times A/B tests their headlines
Pooled Journalism Funds Could Help Save Local Newspapers
***WRITING & READING
How to write inclusive, accessible digital products
More Than Words: Using AI to Map How the Brain Understands Sentences
How Crying on TikTok Sells Books
***PLAGIARISM
The English teacher, Oxford University Press, and an accusation of heinous plagiarism
A paper on plagiarism titled Illegitimacy of Plagiarism Norms
Plagiarism costs legal firm £45,000 in damages
***FAKES, FRAUDS & SCAMS
Anyone with an iPhone can now make deepfakes ($)
Young Adults, Seniors Over 75 Most Susceptible to Cyber Fraud: Report
Fake science news: 6 tips to debunk misinformation online
Fraudsters jump on Clubhouse hype to push malicious Android app
Articles Linking COVID-19 To Death Seem To Be Driving Misinformation Online
***VACCINE CONSPIRACIES
Why do Americans share so much fake news? They aren’t paying attention, new research suggests
The ex-Pfizer scientist who became an anti-vax hero
Amazon Is Pushing Readers Down A "Rabbit Hole" Of Conspiracy Theories About The Coronavirus
Anti-Vaxxers Are Already Big Mad About Krispy Kreme's Free Doughnut Offer
Why anti-vaccine propaganda still runs rampant on Instagram
12 people are behind most of the anti-vaxxer disinformation you see on social media
***CONSPIRACY THEORIES
Conspiracy Theories and the Problem of Disbelief
How Do We Understand Conspiracy Theories And Their Impact?
***QANON
Why QAnon Followers Are Suddenly Saying There’s No Such Thing As QAnon
QAnon shifts, spreading Chinese and Jewish conspiracy myths
HBO's QAnon Docuseries 'Q: Into The Storm' Says It Has Discovered Q's Identity
Biden and Trump supporters see two different Facebooks, and here’s proof
Facebook Is Building An Instagram For Kids
What Facebook sees in newsletters
***PRIVACY & SECURITY
The hidden fingerprint inside your photos
Third-party cookie replacements fall short of consent and transparency promises
***LITERATURE
Really Harsh Early Reviews of 20 Classic 20th-Century Novels
Dr. Seuss’ stepdaughter speaks out about books removed from print
***POETRY
Living in the “In-Between Spaces” of Elizabeth Bishop’s Life-Changing Poetry
The phone call
/Your telephone rings and the voice at the other end says, “Friend, don’t be disturbed. I don’t want to borrow any money and I have no favors to ask. I just thought I would call and tell you that I think you’re one of the nicest persons who ever draw a breath of air. You are an asset to your profession and a credit to your community. You’re the kind of person I like to be with because every time I’m around you, I feel inspired and motivated to do a better job. I wish I could see you every day because you motivate me to be my best self. That’s all I want to say, friend. Look forward to seeing you soon.”
Now, if a close friend called you and said those things to you what kind of day would you have? Remember, you know the words are sincere because they are coming from a close friend.
If you were a doctor, would you be a better doctor? If you were a teacher, would you be a better teacher? Regardless of who you are or what you do, you know in your own mind you wouldn’t only be better at your job, but you would be happier wouldn’t you?
How much more would you know about being a doctor? Or a sales person? Or a lawyer? How much more would you know if you had gotten that phone call? The answer obviously is you wouldn’t know any more. Still, in your own mind you know you would be better and happier.
You would say, "I’m an asset to my community and a credit to my profession. That old boy said so and he is one more smart cookie."
You wouldn’t argue with him for one single moment. You would see yourself in a different light. Your self-image would change and at that instant an interesting thing happens. Your confidence goes up and when your confidence goes up, your competence goes up at the same time.
Since you know what this kind of phone call would do for you, why don’t you do the same thing for someone else?
Zig Ziglar, See You at the Top
Community thanks UPS driver with surprise party
/#GOODNEWS
Shifting your zip code
/Shifting your zip code to a religious address won’t prevent your own personal box of character flaws from being delivered promptly to your doorstep.
The meaning of Life
/In September 1942, Viktor Frankl, a prominent Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist in Vienna, was arrested and transported to a Nazi concentration camp with his wife and parents. Three years later, when his camp was liberated, most of his family, including his pregnant wife, had perished — but he, prisoner number 119104, had lived. In his bestselling 1946 book, Man’s Search for Meaning, which he wrote in nine days about his experiences in the camps, Frankl concluded that the difference between those who had lived and those who had died came down to one thing: Meaning, an insight he came to early in life. When he was a high school student, one of his science teachers declared to the class, “Life is nothing more than a combustion process, a process of oxidation.” Frankl jumped out of his chair and responded, “Sir, if this is so, then what can be the meaning of life?”
Emily Esfahani Smith
Writing in The Atlantic
Articles of Interest about higher ed - March 22
/***COVID-19
What the science says about 7 common COVID-19 vaccine myths
Many in U.S. face mental health issues as COVID-19 enters year two
Do you still need a COVID-19 test after you’ve been vaccinated?
How The Pandemic Has Changed The Way We Grieve
Researchers report delayed skin reaction to COVID-19 vaccine
Why your arm might be sore after getting a vaccine
Fauci and Collins join interfaith leaders at cathedral vaccine ‘confidence event’
***FINANCES LAYOFFS & CUTS
Oakland's historic Mills College to stop granting degrees after 2023
200 Layoffs Planned at City College of San Francisco
Cabrini University cuts 46 positions, 15 programs
Leader of Pa. State Universities: make a change or “dissolve” the system
Emporia State makes adjustments and plans for more changes
***HIGHER ED IN COURT
St. Louis lawsuit alleges university leaked confidential records to kill Title IX bill
University of Oregon professor’s equal pay lawsuit can proceed to jury trial
***TEACHING
How college students learned new ways to cheat during pandemic remote schooling
***ACADEMIC LIFE
Brown Prof Gets Hounded Off Twitter for Article Saying It’s OK to Take Your Kids on Vacation
A University of San Diego professor under investigation for racial comments in a blog
After grad student suicide, misconduct findings, university suspends professor
Law School Invites Professor Who Uses Racial Slurs To Encourage ‘Dialogue,’ Then Shuts Off Comments
One NJ professor's struggle with the 'Asian fetish' stereotype
***ADMINISTRATORS
Oregon Tech Faculty Call for President's Resignation
LSU administrator gave rapists, stalkers and other Title IX violators slaps on the wrist
Santa Clara University President Investigated for Alleged Misconduct, Inappropriate Comments
Brandeis University president takes bitter contract negotiations public
Oregon State puts F. King Alexander on probation for his role in LSU sexual misconduct scandal
Survey shows college presidents emerging from COVID-19 more confident in their institutions
***NEW ADMINISTRATORS
Stephen F. Austin State University names new provost
Bentley University names new president
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Oral Roberts and 12 other March Madness teams with religious affiliations
Offensive language prompts Wheaton College to revise plaque for slain missionaries
How Faculty on Christian Campuses Can Support Asian and Asian American Students
Taylor University announces new president: former Gordon College president
Houston Baptist University plans new buildings, community revitalizations
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS & LGBTQ ISSUES
Actor Says Catholic University Canceled Contract Because of Sexual Orientation
Lee U. clarifies marriage stance, alumni start LGBTQ+ petition
Survey finds LGBTQ+ students attending religious colleges struggle with belonging
The Equality Act Through the Eyes of a Christian College President
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS & POLITICS
Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Leaves Liberty University Think Tank
What America Can Learn From My Experience Being Black in a Trumpland Christian college
***RESEARCH
Is preprint the future of science? A thirty year journey of online preprint services
Scientists Should Admit They Bring Personal Values to Their Work
The open access effect in social media exposure of scholarly articles
***RETRACTIONS
Retracting publications doesn’t stop them from influencing science
Research integrity in the COVID-19 era: insights from Retraction Watch co-founder Ivan Oransky
***CAMPUS SPEECH
Biden administration commits to anti-Semitism definition that could stifle campus speech
High school football coach who prayed after games loses appeal
***STUDENTS & MENTAL HEALTH
‘When Normal Life Stopped’: College Essays Reflect a Turbulent Year
News Study reports that CUNY students’ mental health has worsened due to the pandemic
Mindfulness program in campus dorms, groups improved students’ mental health
Study: College students’ mental health suffered when displaced by pandemic
Half of U.S. college students battling anxiety or depression, study finds
5 Mental Health Tips for College Students
***RACIAL ISSUES ON CAMPUS
San Diego law professor under investigation over Chinese reference in coronavirus blog post
Reports of racism on Wisconsin college campuses have increased in past year
Why Did Boise State Suspend Its Mandatory Diversity Course?
Episcopal seminary deans respond to racial incidents at Sewanee
***DATA SECURITY
Victoria University of Wellington accidentally deletes all files stored on desktop computers
FBI Warns of Increased Ransomware Attacks Targeting Colleges
There will come a time
/There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning. –Louis L’Amour (born March 22, 1908)