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Reposted by Ashley Watts

Jonathan Gilligan @jgilligan.org · 12h

Student governments of Vanderbilt, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, UVA, and Arizona issued a joint statement condemning the Compact and stating that "Academic Freedom is not negotiable." www.instagram.com/p/DPm507ljBJ...

On October 1st, 2025, the White House sent the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education to our seven universities, outlining expectations universities must meet to continue receiving federal benefits.

Although the compact's full implications remain unclear, the document outlines
unprecedented expectations universities must meet to receive federal benefits. This could systemically alter the mission of higher education and erode the independence that has long defined our universities. We must not allow these attempts to control what can be taught, studied, or spoken on our campuses.

Our universities represent the full spectrum of American higher education, from liberal arts colleges to leading research institutions. As students, this directly impacts us, and thus, our voices must be heard. We know firsthand that institutional autonomy is instrumental to the perpetuation of innovation and progress. As the Compact itself acknowledges, “American higher education is the envy of the world and represents a key strategic benefit for our Nation," yet the document undermines the very principles that make this statement true. Our administrations have been presented with a false choice between their commitments to knowledge and education and our access to the resources that sustain them. To preserve our status as world leaders in education, we must remain true to the foundation of academic freedom that has propelled us forward.

As student representatives, we stand in united opposition to the outlined conditions. We call on our community of students, faculty, alumni, and leadership to reaffirm our commitment to reject political interference and federal overreach. Academic freedom is not negotiable.

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Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · 13h

Proud of my Vanderbilt colleagues for making it clear that our university should reject the proposed "Compact". As I state below - this deal is a devil's bargain and should be rejected in all forms. (And yay to MIT for their clear rejection today!)

www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

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Nashville Post @nashvillepost.com · 14h

The Vanderbilt University Faculty Senate has adopted a resolution recommending the school reject a recent offer from the Trump administration.
https://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/vanderbilt-faculty-senate-opposes-white-house-compact/article_924875c3-36fc-43fb-a318-aeae000ef377.html

Vanderbilt faculty senate opposes White House compact

University members approve resolution recommending university reject Trump deal

www.nashvillepost.com

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Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · 1d

"American civil society has more than enough financial and organizational muscle to stop this authoritarian offensive. But it requires collective resolve. And it requires leadership, which has been in painfully short supply."

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.

www.thecrimson.com

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d

⚡️ NYT Editorial Board: “Blame Trump when your energy bills go up… Rather than trying to put oil companies out of business, Mr. Trump is going after clean energy, and Americans will face higher bills as a result.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/o...

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 6d

A strong statement from the Dartmouth President regarding the "Compact"

president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10...

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Response to the ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ | Office of the President

president.dartmouth.edu

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 8d

I’ve started a watchdog group that follows only your preprints so we can circle your p values and tell ourselves they we‘re saving science. You’re welcome!

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 8d

Surely the persistent mocking and condescension will work. Is that what you mean? Seriously disappointing.

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 8d

IMO claims that non-OS people are hostile are largely overstated. Sure, some senior folks are hostile toward OS. Many young people (incl trainees) are open to it, but might not be trained in labs that use OS practices. I'd like to think those folks could be persuaded. Hostility doesn't help.

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 8d

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Open science discussions that are largely hostile and condescending toward non-adopters will not motivate behavior change. Are we doing altruism, or antagonism?

Signed, someone who practices open science

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samuel mehr @mehr.nz · 12d

here are some helpful steps for academics who are considering creating genAI images to use for lab branding:

1. don't

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Kate Humphreys (she/her) @klhumphreys.bsky.social · 15d

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College is hiring a TT Assistant Prof in Clinical Psychology (child/family focus) with expertise in AI methods (ML, NLP, LLMs, CV).

📅 Review begins Nov 15, 2025

👉 apply.interfolio.com/174418

Please share!

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 16d

😂 I’ve always struggled with email but outlook has completely ruined me.

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 16d

Did you discover a fix? I had the same thing happen with this summer!

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 21d

My lab has been using a mix of these methods — splines, change point models — and we’re working on a simulation study to see where some methods outperform others. In our applied work, methods tend to tell the same story, but it’s nice to check. I’ll ask my postdoc for paper recs and will email you.

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · Sep 11

Comes to Nashville and visits Margaritaville

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Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces, PhD @lluaces.bsky.social · Sep 11

I’m at the Garbage concert with @ashleylwatts.bsky.social and Shirley Manson just mentioned Britney and this is the crossover I needed 😭

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Arrianna Marie Planey, PhD MA @arrianna-planey.bsky.social · Sep 9

The people whipping up panics about "academic freedom" rarely speak up when academic freedom is actually imperiled.

This is absolutely chilling.

Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · Sep 9

Texas A&M’s President just removed a dean and department head from their positions after they supported a professor whose lesson on gender was challenged by a student. www.kbtx.com/2025/09/09/a...

A&M Dean removed following student complaints over curriculum

The Department of Justice has also acknowledged the situation and said it would be investigating.

www.kbtx.com

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Linda Skitka @lindaskitka.bsky.social · Sep 8

89 of my journal articles were used to train Meta’s AI. You can alert the lawyers handling the class action suit if your intellectual works were used as well at www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com.

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · Sep 5

I'm happy to announce that Vanderbilt Psychology's clinical area is hiring a TT asst prof this year! Please share with your networks and consider applying if you're on the market! Happy to (try to) answer questions about the search if you have them.

Link here: apply.interfolio.com/173316

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · Aug 29

That’s two reported ChatGPT suicides in one week, plus the grandpa who died trying to meet Meta’s chatbot which had arranged an in-person meeting

All going really well

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · Aug 29

WSJ: ChatGPT fueled a 56-year-old tech industry veteran’s paranoia, encouraging his suspicions that his mother was plotting against him.... On Aug. 5, Greenwich police discovered that Soelberg killed his mother and himself in the $2.7 million Dutch colonial-style home where they lived together.

A Troubled Man, His Chatbot and a Murder-Suicide in Old Greenwich

“Erik, you’re not crazy.” ChatGPT fueled a 56-year-old tech industry veteran’s paranoia, encouraging his suspicions that his mother was plotting against him.

www.wsj.com

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · Aug 27

Finally some hard hitting journalism

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · Aug 21

So sorry, Claire. I'm keeping you in my thoughts. What an excruciating thing. I went through the same in the spring and don't know that I'll ever recover. River is loved ❤️

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · Aug 20

Thank you for proving my point 😂

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · Aug 17

a close up of a woman 's face with blonde hair making a funny face .

ALT: a close up of a woman 's face with blonde hair making a funny face .

media.tenor.com

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