I understand and support the heat directed at Cornell, et al. But precise communication matters:
"We need to reinvigorate research and education through state schools and cut these private colleges and universities out of federal funding completely. For years."
Sounds like most SLACs & PUIs.
"We need to reinvigorate research and education through state schools and cut these private colleges and universities out of federal funding completely. For years."
Sounds like most SLACs & PUIs.
September 30, 2026 at 7:08 PM
I understand and support the heat directed at Cornell, et al. But precise communication matters:
"We need to reinvigorate research and education through state schools and cut these private colleges and universities out of federal funding completely. For years."
Sounds like most SLACs & PUIs.
"We need to reinvigorate research and education through state schools and cut these private colleges and universities out of federal funding completely. For years."
Sounds like most SLACs & PUIs.
The key here is the buried statement that each student had an individual 45-min oral exam with him to defend their argument & research. I've given oral exams & I'll absolutely promote them as an assessment tool, but almost no institution besides a few elite SLACs has the resources for that at scale.
missing from this argument is the fact that Williams is an extraordinarily rich college with students who are overall very well-prepared for college—essentially none of this is generalizable even to a flagship university, much less any other higher education institution
Opinion | I’m a College Professor. Writing Isn’t as Important as We Think. (Gift Article)
If I do not treat writing as essential for achieving thought, it is not clear why I should force my students to.
www.nytimes.com
September 29, 2026 at 5:40 PM
The key here is the buried statement that each student had an individual 45-min oral exam with him to defend their argument & research. I've given oral exams & I'll absolutely promote them as an assessment tool, but almost no institution besides a few elite SLACs has the resources for that at scale.
there are a hundred different ways to teach an excellent humanities course to 13 students. technology has only augmented the diversity of potentially edifying pedagogical approaches at ivies and fancy SLACs. these facts are basically irrelevant to my job as a humanities prof at a public university
missing from this argument is the fact that Williams is an extraordinarily rich college with students who are overall very well-prepared for college—essentially none of this is generalizable even to a flagship university, much less any other higher education institution
Opinion | I’m a College Professor. Writing Isn’t as Important as We Think. (Gift Article)
If I do not treat writing as essential for achieving thought, it is not clear why I should force my students to.
www.nytimes.com
September 29, 2026 at 3:06 PM
there are a hundred different ways to teach an excellent humanities course to 13 students. technology has only augmented the diversity of potentially edifying pedagogical approaches at ivies and fancy SLACs. these facts are basically irrelevant to my job as a humanities prof at a public university
The NYT once again reminds us that it is written for people who went to SLACs and Ivies by people who went to SLACs or Ivies. They don't even think of the NPCs who, say, teach hundreds of students each semester in State Schools. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
Opinion | I’m a College Professor. Writing Isn’t as Important as We Think.
If I do not treat writing as essential for achieving thought, it is not clear why I should force my students to.
www.nytimes.com
September 29, 2026 at 12:20 PM
The NYT once again reminds us that it is written for people who went to SLACs and Ivies by people who went to SLACs or Ivies. They don't even think of the NPCs who, say, teach hundreds of students each semester in State Schools. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
I met my wife at our SLAC! I think her favorite class in undergrad was feminism in 19th century Chinese literature. Now she’s a chemist, & set to be get the “staff scientist” title at her firm (🤞). Got SLACs, they’re great
September 29, 2026 at 2:53 AM
I met my wife at our SLAC! I think her favorite class in undergrad was feminism in 19th century Chinese literature. Now she’s a chemist, & set to be get the “staff scientist” title at her firm (🤞). Got SLACs, they’re great
just the overrepresentation of SLACs on bluesky
September 25, 2026 at 5:33 PM
just the overrepresentation of SLACs on bluesky
Thanks! That's basically what I was left elsewhere in the thread: 2 conservative schools, 3 replacements for senior hires at Ivy+, 3 at SLACs, and 1 direct replacement for someone who left.
If you removed the 3 Ivy+ schools, it would look far worse. But still not as catastrophic as other subfields.
If you removed the 3 Ivy+ schools, it would look far worse. But still not as catastrophic as other subfields.
September 23, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Thanks! That's basically what I was left elsewhere in the thread: 2 conservative schools, 3 replacements for senior hires at Ivy+, 3 at SLACs, and 1 direct replacement for someone who left.
If you removed the 3 Ivy+ schools, it would look far worse. But still not as catastrophic as other subfields.
If you removed the 3 Ivy+ schools, it would look far worse. But still not as catastrophic as other subfields.
I wonder if all of those are in play just looking at the list. The conservative schools I can clearly point to 2 of the jobs, there are 3 replacements for senior hires at Ivy+, 3 are at SLACs where it would be the only premodern person, and 1 is a direct replacement for someone who left.
September 23, 2026 at 12:47 PM
I wonder if all of those are in play just looking at the list. The conservative schools I can clearly point to 2 of the jobs, there are 3 replacements for senior hires at Ivy+, 3 are at SLACs where it would be the only premodern person, and 1 is a direct replacement for someone who left.
ESA/Hubble (@esa.int) images (Nov 17, 2005)
These Hubble Space Telescope images reveal Einstein rings, where light from distant galaxies is warped by gravity from massive elliptical galaxies.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532a/
These Hubble Space Telescope images reveal Einstein rings, where light from distant galaxies is warped by gravity from massive elliptical galaxies.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532a/
September 23, 2026 at 12:30 PM
ESA/Hubble (@esa.int) images (Nov 17, 2005)
These Hubble Space Telescope images reveal Einstein rings, where light from distant galaxies is warped by gravity from massive elliptical galaxies.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532a/
These Hubble Space Telescope images reveal Einstein rings, where light from distant galaxies is warped by gravity from massive elliptical galaxies.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532a/
September 22, 2026 at 4:30 PM
ESA/Hubble (@esa.int) images (Nov 17, 2005)
SDSS J162746.44-005357.5 showcases an Einstein ring, formed through gravitational lensing when two galaxies align perfectly, revealing a distant galaxy's light.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532g/
SDSS J162746.44-005357.5 showcases an Einstein ring, formed through gravitational lensing when two galaxies align perfectly, revealing a distant galaxy's light.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532g/
September 22, 2026 at 4:30 PM
ESA/Hubble (@esa.int) images (Nov 17, 2005)
SDSS J162746.44-005357.5 showcases an Einstein ring, formed through gravitational lensing when two galaxies align perfectly, revealing a distant galaxy's light.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532g/
SDSS J162746.44-005357.5 showcases an Einstein ring, formed through gravitational lensing when two galaxies align perfectly, revealing a distant galaxy's light.
esahubble.org/images/opo0532g/
I mean SLACs fit the bill exactly
September 22, 2026 at 12:55 AM
I mean SLACs fit the bill exactly
SLACs are especially interested in good teaching; we take it seriously, and while it's by no means a requirement that a candidate will have taught at a liberal arts college, it's good for them to position their existing teaching experience in relation to its applicability to the SLAC environment
September 19, 2026 at 7:58 PM
SLACs are especially interested in good teaching; we take it seriously, and while it's by no means a requirement that a candidate will have taught at a liberal arts college, it's good for them to position their existing teaching experience in relation to its applicability to the SLAC environment
At least among the US schools, they also seem to have a bias in favour of large R1 institutions (lots of midwestern public universities!) and against smaller, but arguably higher-status SLACs. Hat tip to HK immigration officials' takes on US college discourse honestly
September 15, 2026 at 2:55 AM
At least among the US schools, they also seem to have a bias in favour of large R1 institutions (lots of midwestern public universities!) and against smaller, but arguably higher-status SLACs. Hat tip to HK immigration officials' takes on US college discourse honestly
SLACs, notoriously bad at boundaries because of their small size, also often have fewer boundaries because of their small size. Great idea, everyone.
September 7, 2026 at 10:48 PM
SLACs, notoriously bad at boundaries because of their small size, also often have fewer boundaries because of their small size. Great idea, everyone.
Ah, that sounds awesome. I added a lot more SLACs to my application todos due to *waves arms,* but would take anything that opened up while I switch from postdoc to postdoc 😅
But I’m sure you’re a steal
But I’m sure you’re a steal
September 7, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Ah, that sounds awesome. I added a lot more SLACs to my application todos due to *waves arms,* but would take anything that opened up while I switch from postdoc to postdoc 😅
But I’m sure you’re a steal
But I’m sure you’re a steal
This is correct. Except it's not "nobody." It's "not enough." This has been the argument both fir SLACs and for community colleges, for decades!
We know how to teach books in the age of AI: small classes, close reading, research-engaged learning (which is how you ’let students see you struggle’). The issue is nobody will hire and pay the requisite # of faculty to offer this.
September 6, 2026 at 12:10 PM
This is correct. Except it's not "nobody." It's "not enough." This has been the argument both fir SLACs and for community colleges, for decades!
(And, a whole bunch of SLACs that are also doing the work of education.)
September 5, 2026 at 7:20 PM
(And, a whole bunch of SLACs that are also doing the work of education.)
Straight A pregnancy reminds of my friend in undergrad who’s (now) wife had a baby during their first semester while living in different states and they both graduated on time and with honors from two quite good SLACS. My friend would drive to NC on the weekends too
There’s a category called Microdramas on Peacock and every show just looks bizarre. Like the streaming equivalent of a B-movie or pulp fiction, except without the kitsch/camp
September 2, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Straight A pregnancy reminds of my friend in undergrad who’s (now) wife had a baby during their first semester while living in different states and they both graduated on time and with honors from two quite good SLACS. My friend would drive to NC on the weekends too
...her galaxy twice as far away.
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Bolton (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA) and the SLACS Team
Source: ESA/Hubble
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Bolton (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA) and the SLACS Team
Source: ESA/Hubble
September 2, 2026 at 3:55 AM
...her galaxy twice as far away.
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Bolton (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA) and the SLACS Team
Source: ESA/Hubble
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Bolton (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA) and the SLACS Team
Source: ESA/Hubble
Nothing to apologize for, this is a great point
OPBF and I were watching a YouTube video that was about enrollment and revenue challenges in higher ed last night and it fell into this same trap of really only looking at northeastern SLACs
OPBF and I were watching a YouTube video that was about enrollment and revenue challenges in higher ed last night and it fell into this same trap of really only looking at northeastern SLACs
August 31, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Nothing to apologize for, this is a great point
OPBF and I were watching a YouTube video that was about enrollment and revenue challenges in higher ed last night and it fell into this same trap of really only looking at northeastern SLACs
OPBF and I were watching a YouTube video that was about enrollment and revenue challenges in higher ed last night and it fell into this same trap of really only looking at northeastern SLACs
The SLACs have a disproportionate number of profs' kids, in my experience.
August 26, 2026 at 1:16 AM
The SLACs have a disproportionate number of profs' kids, in my experience.
I’m a broken record on this, but truly it can allow SLACs to shine as teaching universities and build them a niche to hang on by their fingernails. I don’t have a solution at scale for large universities though.
August 26, 2026 at 12:26 AM
I’m a broken record on this, but truly it can allow SLACs to shine as teaching universities and build them a niche to hang on by their fingernails. I don’t have a solution at scale for large universities though.
Counterpoint: I do not, under any conditions, have to hand it to the University of Chicago
Get with me when those SLACs get to work
Get with me when those SLACs get to work
cognitive sabotage, you can ban it
extra credit to U Chicago for bans on professional AND undergrad programs; smart SLACs are going to market AI free campuses soon
chicagomaroon.com/53262/news/s...
extra credit to U Chicago for bans on professional AND undergrad programs; smart SLACs are going to market AI free campuses soon
chicagomaroon.com/53262/news/s...
August 23, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Counterpoint: I do not, under any conditions, have to hand it to the University of Chicago
Get with me when those SLACs get to work
Get with me when those SLACs get to work