markpachucki
@markpachucki.bsky.social
460 followers 130 following 33 posts
Professor, UMass Amherst. Studying inequality in culture, networks, health. Focused on prevention, risk mitigation, and community. Often through food. The views expressed here are my own, and not my employer’s.
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jeffsharlet.bsky.social
It appears that my employer, Dartmouth, one of the Trump 9, has said no to the compact. All the better given that our president is cited within it. But she’s saying no. Count the small victories when they come.
Office of the President
Dear Dartmouth community,
 
As many of you know, Dartmouth was one of nine universities asked by the White House to give feedback by Oct. 20 on a draft of its “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” 
 
I am deeply committed to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values and will always defend our fierce independence. 
 
You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better. At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves. 
 
Best,
Sian Leah Beilock
President
Reposted by markpachucki
brsoucek.bsky.social
Strong statement today from UC's Academic Senate:
markpachucki.bsky.social
How about it, @massgovernor.bsky.social? Let’s stand with California on this for the future of higher ed. @standhighered.bsky.social
governor.ca.gov
IF ANY CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY SIGNS THIS RADICAL AGREEMENT, THEY'LL LOSE BILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING — INCLUDING CAL GRANTS — INSTANTLY.

CALIFORNIA WILL NOT BANKROLL SCHOOLS THAT SELL OUT THEIR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, AND SURRENDER ACADEMIC FREEDOM.
New York Times: "Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference."

The White House asked nine top universities to pledge support for President Trump’s agenda to help ensure access to research funding.
markpachucki.bsky.social
@standhighered.bsky.social The administration's 'Compact' is one route to Mutually Assured Destruction in higher ed. But there's another route - which is for faculty and staff to stand together with one another to resist this egregious incursion on academic freedom.
krforde.bsky.social
We are organizing to resist The Compact. Faculty and staff at all US higher ed institutions: stand with us. It's free. www.standtogetherhighered.org #academicsky #highered www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...
Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by markpachucki
fuhsejan.bsky.social
The #SocialNetworks special issue on duality, honoring the path-breaking concept by R. Breiger is now online.
It features an impressive ten contributions by world-class scholars, show-casing the power and wide applicability of the concept. 1/2
Social Networks | Duality in social networks: Current perspectives | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
For this special issue of Social Networks we aim to continue to expand the space of theoretical, methodological, and empirical possibilities afforded by duality principles
www.sciencedirect.com
markpachucki.bsky.social
I thought this was a helpful read in the last couple days? The last sentence especially resonated for me: “Cancel culture ends when we decide that people can be horrifically wrong and still entitled to the grace that enables us all to grow from our worst moments.” www.thefire.org/news/we-are-...
We are in the cancel culture part of the tragedy cycle
Cancel culture ends when we decide that people can be horrifically wrong and still entitled to the grace that enables us all to grow from our worst moments.
www.thefire.org
markpachucki.bsky.social
I’m sorry our Berkeley colleagues are facing this. It *is* reprehensible, and, I too am at a public R1 where FOIA implications mean universities have to turn over docs. There may be something here to help: www.umass.edu/faculty-deve... also, check out standtogetherhighered.org for more.
Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit : Office of Faculty Development : UMass Amherst
Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit
www.umass.edu
markpachucki.bsky.social
“Some faculty, student and alumni groups, however, have begun to stand up and make their voices heard.” Yes we have. Stand with us; we commit to educating for freedom. Thank you, Michael S. Roth. @standhighered.bsky.social
insidehighered.com
Opinion | Education as Freedom

As a new academic year begins, Michael S. Roth writes that colleges must redouble their commitment to educating for freedom—including freedom from governmental intrusion. https://bit.ly/4mfneiG

#EDUSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd
A drawing of a woman standing with a telescope on top of a stack of books in the mountainous outdoors, suggesting education as a path to freedom.
markpachucki.bsky.social
@lastweektonight.com“if this administration’s actions have taught us one thing so far, it’s that no capitulation will be enough...I’d argue that to the extent they can, these institutions need to stop yielding, stand firm, and fight back.” Stand with [email protected] tinyurl.com/49vjwkde
Trump vs. Higher Education: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
YouTube video by LastWeekTonight
www.youtube.com
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krforde.bsky.social
@pennstateuniv.bsky.social Thanks to the Democracy Works team at Penn State's McCourtney Institute for Democracy for highlighting our movement at Stand Together for Higher Ed www.democracyworkspodcast.com/episodes/kat... Join us at standtogetherhighered.org
Democracy Works
www.democracyworkspodcast.com
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krforde.bsky.social
Stand Together for Higher Ed is in the news! Mike Nietzel reports on our work in his Forbes higher ed column. Please repost, and if you are higher ed faculty and staff, please join Stand Together for Higher Ed! #academicsky www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
A Grass-Roots Faculty Effort To Advance Higher Education Takes Shape
As college faculty see their role in university decision-making eroded, a new grass-roots organization is taking shape, providing a platform for a stronger faculty voice.
www.forbes.com
Reposted by markpachucki
markpachucki.bsky.social
Great Q-yes, we have aligned our efforts w/AAUP, which has done pathbreaking work! But STHE is not a union, so doesn't negotiate compensation/working conditions; our core focus is non-partisan defense of higher ed as a democratic institution via building campus teams & cross-institution alliances.
markpachucki.bsky.social
Thanks
@arneduncan.bsky.social for your vision and this Chronicle article! What you write about every higher ed org coming together is exactly what @standhighered.bsky.social is doing RIGHT NOW. We welcome all faculty and staff nationwide to stand together for the next generation of learners.
krforde.bsky.social
OK, #academicsky. It's time to act. Join Stand Together for Higher Ed, a movement of US #highered faculty and staff to defend our research, academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and our people. standtogether.org
www.chronicle.com/article/an-o...
The Only Hope Is Total and Unrelenting Resistance
Every university must join together to stop Trump, urges Arne Duncan.
www.chronicle.com
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alondra.bsky.social
The title is silly. The reformist vs resistance frame is oversimplified. But this piece brings to light higher-ed leadership's collective action problem. Institutions acting individually or in splinter groups can't address threats that require coordinated response www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
The Elite University Presidents Who Despise One Another
Inside the civil war between the Ivy League and the South
www.theatlantic.com
markpachucki.bsky.social
The federal government’s $1B demand is an attack on @UCLA and its mission to serve the public good and higher education. #StandUpForUC here: bit.ly/standuc. But make no mistake - this goes beyond UC/publics - it affects ALL higher ed! We need to @standhighered.bsky.social. #AcademicSky
Stand Up for UC
We must stand together to protect our students, staff, faculty and our mission.
bit.ly
markpachucki.bsky.social
Sociologists/fans of academic freedom @ #ASA2025, if you’re interested in talking about how to Stand Together for Higher Ed on your campus, reach out! Happy to try to connect. Our work is grounded in shared values–not partisanship. @standhighered.bsky.social
@asanews.bsky.social #AcademicSky
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krforde.bsky.social
Columbia. Harvard. UPenn. George Mason. UVA. UCLA.

One by one, universities are being attacked—financially, politically, ideologically.

Faculty & staff: don’t wait for it to hit your campus. Join the national movement defending higher ed.

standtogetherhighered.org (sign up on homepage)
markpachucki.bsky.social
Proud of my colleagues! "We must win in the court of public opinion and emphasize that working together can transcend partisanship. We can and must build the local and national infrastructure that allows us to act together in the common defense of academic freedom..." academeblog.org/2025/06/23/w...
What a Federal Court Brief Can Teach Us About How to Defend Higher Ed
BY KATHY ROBERTS FORDE AND THE MEMBERS OF THE STAND TOGETHER FOR HIGHER ED LEADERSHIP TEAM* In a rare act of institutional solidarity, twenty-four universities have filed a joint amicus brief suppo…
academeblog.org
markpachucki.bsky.social
This is so important- join us! #AcademicSky
lindatropp.bsky.social
"Faculty may long for a break, but the government is actively operationalizing Project 2025... with higher education being the crown jewel of its antidemocratic agenda...We should be prepared for a potential wave of coordinated assaults on higher education"

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
This Is a Summer to Organize (opinion)
Faculty may want a break, but the architects of the assault on higher ed won’t be breaking and neither should we, Jennifer Lundquist and Kathy Roberts Forde write.
www.insidehighered.com
markpachucki.bsky.social
What fantastic news; well-earned!
markpachucki.bsky.social
Thanks! (Yes, I love this piece!)
markpachucki.bsky.social
Yes, our UMass ADVANCE program (organizes research/programming on faculty equity) hosted a listening session on impact statements where topic arose. Relatedly, it'd be great to know of places adapting former-COVID-statements for this moment - our resources in the link www.umass.edu/advance/equi...
Equity and the COVID-19 Pandemic : ADVANCE : UMass AmherstUMass Collegiate MSeal of The University of Massachusetts Amherst - 1863
TBD
www.umass.edu
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annahaleysw.bsky.social
How many more existential threats will it take before university leaders agree to defend higher education collectively (and publicly so, and with their faculty, staff, and students)? #MADC #AcademicSky
Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
www.nytimes.com