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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · 14h

#WarTorn Chicago

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Reposted by Augusta McMahon

AAUP @aaup.org · 9d

AAUP President Todd Wolfson unpacks the dangerous consequences of the Trump administration’s compact, which aims to exert ideological control over universities and colleges. As Wolfson makes clear, this partisan incursion into higher education affects ALL sectors.

@proftwolf.bsky.social

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · 26d

Maybe twice in 30 years as reviewer, once as editor.

Reposted by Augusta McMahon

Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · Sep 12

Babylonian map of the world (© The Trustees of the British Museum) and c. AD 1620 Portuguese map of Basra, Iraq (© Hugo Refachinho / CC BY-SA 4.0). Despite both depicting the Shaṭṭ al-ʿArab river, they are completely different, showcasing maps' subjectivity

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology

Clay tablet engraved with cuneiform writing and what may be the world's first map: a geometric design made up of circles and triangles representing cities, territories, kingdoms, rivers and an ocean.

Illustrated map depicting a large river with several islands. On its banks are several walled defensive structures and palm trees.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Sep 7

This. Many colleagues want to be helpful but clearly should just say no. Nagging reviewers is the worst part of my editor job.

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · Sep 6

Peer reviewers are exhausted. It's common to spend *months* inviting reviewers, getting refusals, inviting more, maybe 12 or more, then 2 agree but 1 doesn't complete, so you go again. That's why your paper is in limbo. I'm very sorry, it's awful, but it's also an untenable academic labour issue.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 29

It’s UChicago. Even an Assoc Prof in 1997 might well still be hanging on. I finished my PhD in 93, and when I returned in 22, well let’s say there were some familiar faces. Problem is which dept? at the moment there are 16 Hums depts (though maybe not for much longer)

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 29

The library has bound copies only until ca 1990-1991, unfortunately. Maybe his MA supervisor is still out there?

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 29

He might have been in the first cohort of the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH). Even now, paper versions of theses by students in this MA are not normally lodged with a library (main or departmental). They may be placed on Knowledge@UChicago but this is unlikely for 1997.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 24

No, we’d prefer to accept PhD applicants for 2026, but the previously lucky departments have joined with the unlucky in solidarity. Awesome colleagues! www.insidehighered.com/news/admissi...

More UChicago Ph.D. Programs Will Pause Admissions

The arts and humanities dean said “nearly all” faculty leaders preferred “a broader pause for the division.” Some social sciences programs also aren’t accepting new students.

www.insidehighered.com

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 19

A lot of overlap with subjects for which PhD admissions are paused for 2026 at UChicago. We are not unionised.

Sasha Senderovich 🌻 @returnstosender.bsky.social · Aug 18

A massive attack on several humanities units (Arabic Studies, Judaic Studies, Holocaust Studies, Classics, Religion, German & Scandinavian, Russian/East European/Eurasian Studies) *and* tenure now unfolding at the University of Oregon (a blue state!). Closure of units and faculty layoffs threatened.

I've now been allowed and asked to share more details about what's going down at the University of Oregon, which involves imminent announcement of firings, among others, of tenure-track and tenured faculty. Given the units impacted (see below), please share this with your professional networks in related disciplines and start getting ready to put pressure (or begin putting pressure already) on the University of Oregon upper admin to abandon this alleged plan before they finalize it.

It appears that, with no prior consultations, the departments of Religion and Classics (two separate units), and the programs in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, German & Scandinavian, Judaic Studies, Arabic Studies, and Holocaust Studies (the latter five all parts of a previously-consolidated mega unit called the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages) are facing imminent announcement of elimination (expected the week of Sept 7), with layoffs of pre-tenure, tenured, and career faculty in these units. The reason given is "financial exigency" -- upper administrations of several universities across the country (and in blue states like Oregon also) appear to be giddy to use the context of Trump attacks on higher ed to dismantle the humanities.

Faculty at OU won a faculty union not long ago; this may be, in part, a retaliation for that, I've been told. The union is working with AAUP, etc.; my understanding is that the maximum spotlight is needed at this point.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 17

Thank you!

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 15

Looking forward to the President and Dean coming around asking ISAC and MES colleagues to please translate the Akkadian, Sumerian and Hittite ones 🙂

Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 15

Please write the President, Provost and Dean of Arts and Humanities. Outrage appreciated, but details of the meaningful value of your degree are even more needed.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 15

Thank you!

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 15

No PhD admissions for Middle Eastern Studies at UChicago in 2026. MES includes modern and all aspects of the ancient Near East: cuneiform languages, Egyptology, archaeology 🏺 www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...

UChicago Freezing Ph.D. Admissions for Multiple Programs

The indebted institution tasked committees of faculty and staff with planning for changes. But this week, a dean forged ahead and announced broad cuts. Two other units are also pausing admissions.

www.insidehighered.com

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 15

Same.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 14

Sadly real. As an alumna, write the dean and president!

Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 14

Yes, not an ancient/ modern split at all. The Middle Eastern Studies dept admits grad students in both ancient and modern fields, although faculty working in the ancient fields are generally housed in ISAC while moderns are across the street. Classics is one of the “paused” departments also.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 14

Also “paused”: CompLit, Middle Eastern Studies, Slavic Langs and Lit.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 14

Not a hoax. This screenshot is a message sent to a Classics listserv by a colleague that summarises an email sent by the Arts and Humanities dean to faculty in the division. Real UChicago professor here, in Middle East Studies (one of the depts whose PhD admissions is “paused”).

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 14

He’s retired and I have his job. He should have done a lot more punching before he left.

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 14

Not a hoax (another UChicago professor here).

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Augusta McMahon @augustamcmahon.bsky.social · Aug 13

UChicago’s phoenix is flying backwards into the ashes. #AcademicSky www.chronicle.com/article/they...

They’re Killing the Humanities On Purpose

The crisis is not one of resources but of values.

www.chronicle.com

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Reposted by Augusta McMahon

AAUP @aaup.org · Aug 5

The government is “using levers of power that are completely unrelated to the underlying allegations…Cutting off research for diabetes, cancer, heart disease will not improve the safety of Jewish faculty & students on campus & will not address antisemitism.”

—Mia McIver, AAUP Executive Director

With Grant Cuts, Trump Pressures UCLA to Make Deal

Like it did for prestigious private universities, the administration has cut off federal grants for UCLA, alleging it failed to address antisemitism. The UC system must tell the DOJ by today whether i...

www.insidehighered.com

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Reposted by Augusta McMahon

H-Net @h-net-humanities.bsky.social · Aug 1

FEATURED JOB: Klarman Postdoctoral Fellowship [Up to 3-Year Appointment] College of Arts & Sciences, Cornell University - New York

networks.h-net.org/jobs/68922/c...

#edusky #academicsky #humanities #socialsciences

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