S. Sommers

@printculture.bsky.social

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S. Sommers

In the university context, it is frustrating how often "we need to focus on our strengths" seems to mean "we need to hire two more Associate Vice-Presidents of Strategic Planning."

Every time I read a sober company-wide email complete with imaginary eye contact from the CEO explaining how we need to streamline and focus on our strengths and how people might be "impacted" by "restructuring," I think of friends losing their jobs while the CEO buys a yacht.

Shoutout to my incredible @UConnAAUP comrade Prof Andrea Celli who staged a 1-man protest at the Provost’s Office Hours yesterday. Proud to protest manufactured austerity alongside this hero.

Is there a group chat out there for activists and union organizers in #highered? Can we start one? #1u #phdsky #academicsky

April 17 is a National Day of Action for higher ed. If you’re at #UConn join us at the BoT to make the case that we cannot fix our budget problems by increasing class size and cutting grad programs #aaup @aftunion.bsky.social

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profs working in liberal arts disciplines need to understand that this can happen at your campus, & WILL happen unless you’re organizing against austerity thinking right now. Build solidarity before this manufactured crisis comes for you.

Two weeks ago, I found out my position at St. Norbert College had been eliminated due to budget cuts: one of 21 faculty positions (13 in the humanities) eliminated at the college so far this year. I was under tenure review, and now I'm not. I have until May, and then my contract will be done.

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We’ve also been rpk-grouped, and I’m going up for tenure right now (I imagine this will be my fate as well) “Sunset” is language being used here. We also brought ideas to save programs without cuts that were ignored. We also petitioned to slow the process and were ignored. Admin copying same process

are you fucking kidding me— it's literally the same consultancy as all the other ones. this is grotesque, & should be considered a form of theft from students

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So the two big proponents of AI in higher ed are admin hellbent on giving $$ to ed tech rather than ppl and the Rufos of the world scanning the work of scholars of color for made-up plagiarism charges, right? ie once again admin “austerity” (just a redirect of $) and fascist bigotry go hand in hand

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Nothing. Absolutely nothing about gutting an institution’s junior faculty is a “solution” to anything. By definition the junior faculty are the future of the institution.

Let their names ring out! Get #RPK and #huron off our campuses.

are you fucking kidding me— it's literally the same consultancy as all the other ones. this is grotesque, & should be considered a form of theft from students

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S. Sommers

St. Norbert College AAUP's official response to the college's faculty cuts yesterday, mostly in the Humanities and all untenured or tenure-track faculty. Please read and share, as the narrative currently circulating in the local media mostly cites administration. buttondown.email/SNCAAUP/arch...

AAUP Response to March Cutsbuttondown.email March 9, 2024 For release and distribution. Please share. The SNC chapter of the AAUP writes to express its alarm at the firing of 12 junior faculty...

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True Story: we had a consulting group visit our college to help us draw up a "Vision Statement." When I asked them if they could point to a success story from their work or any example of improvement from such a statement, they just looked at me, stunned.

literally none, and if you pressed them to define what 'success' would mean to them, anyway, the darkest imaginable abyss would open up under the entire conversation

The point of public universities is to create and share new knowledge, not revenue streams.

Thrilled to announce a Day of Action in Honor of the #UConn Board of Trustees this Weds 2/28. Join us and share widely…! docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… #stopthecuts #fundourfuturect

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The Biden administration is forgiving $1.2 billion in student debt for 153,000 borrowers. Here's who qualifies

Biden administration is forgiving $1.2 billion in student debt for 153,000 borrowers. Here's who qualifies.www.cbsnews.com The Department of Education will automatically forgive student debt for borrowers who meet a few conditions. Here's who.

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S. Sommers

Residents of Bluesky, can you improve Toby’s mood!? Submit testimony OPPOSING CT’s inadequate higher Ed budget www.cga.ct.gov/aspx/CGATest...

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www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/fa...

Baltimore’s historically Black newspaper chain is sorting through its archives. Treasures are surfacingwww.thebaltimorebanner.com A team of archivists is going through the AFRO American newspaper chain’s vast collection of records and artifacts.

This is Toby. He’s giving us his mad face. I told him CT higher ed is facing $140m & $70m budget shortfalls EVEN THO we have $3B+ in the state’s Rainy-Day fund.

UConn faculty staff and grad unions held an informational picket yesterday at Storrs. Distributed 1000 flyers and got great earned media from CT news orgs & the student newspaper! Turns out cutting academic budgets by 15-19% is unpopular!

For anyone struggling to find the town hall link at the very end of admin’s “nothing to see here!” email academics.its.uconn.edu/town-hall/

Anyway this bs is happening at UConn - huge budget cuts with no clear explanation of how the budget got so mismanaged. 😡

For anyone struggling to find the link to today’s town hall on the budget—provided at the very end of admin’s “nothing to see here!” email and now here! academics.its.uconn.edu/town-hall/

Hello Connecticut friends, more cuts coming to UConn if the governor gets his way. These will almost all be felt by students, faculty and staff -- and in the long term, our state. Please reach out to your electeds and ask them to not cut education!

UConn Town Hall | Academic ITacademics.its.uconn.edu Town Hall – Budgets for UConn & UConn Health – Wednesday, January 24, Noon to 1:00pm Please join President Radenka Maric, Provost Anne D’Alleva, Chief F ...

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Just before break our union learned UConn Admin is following the WVU & UNH playbook courtesy Huron Consulting. 15-19% across-the-board cuts to academic depts starting F'24. Our only path to prevent disaster is collective action. Come to our picket 2–4PM Tues at Storrs #stopthecuts #fundourfutureCT

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I have an old chest in my sitting room. The chest is nothing fancy, vaguely ratty. My toy chest as a child. As I finish books, I tuck them in the chest to shelf later. I’ve been negligent about this for months. And moved piles elsewhere. Now staring at quite a task. Wish me luck?

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We’re only $1,098.73 short. Help us get there by tomorrow night. donorbox.org/support-the-...

Donate to Palmetto State Abortion Fund | Palmetto State Abortion Fund (Powered by Donorbox)donorbox.org Abortion care in South Carolina is still legal but, as always, is in danger until it is protected, federally, and in our state. How Much Does an Abortion Cost?Depending on the clinic, a medication a...

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News of WVU’s “Academic Transformation” has died down. 43% (9/21) of the faculty in my unit (Div. of Plant & Soil Sciences) are being fired & we will learn our fate by next Friday (10/13). The idea of losing ≈50% of my colleagues / friends (or 100% if I’m RIFed) by next summer is devastating!