Jason B.
@drbrowning.org
📍Seattle
PhD, MBA, working to advance the use of technology and data to support student and institutional success. Woodworker, reader, and dog dad.
PhD, MBA, working to advance the use of technology and data to support student and institutional success. Woodworker, reader, and dog dad.
Reposted by Jason B.
Three years into the generative-AI wave, demand for the technology seems surprisingly flimsy
Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening
Recent surveys point to flatlining business adoption
econ.st
November 29, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Three years into the generative-AI wave, demand for the technology seems surprisingly flimsy
Reposted by Jason B.
Efforts to “get on the artificial intelligence bandwagon” are not paying off for universities, with institutions being urged to “take a step back” before rushing to make more investments in new technologies, reports Juliette Rowsell from #THEarabsummit https://ow.ly/vyGW50Xyx6k
Universities making ‘bad’ investments in new AI technologies
Institutions urged to take a step back and think about what they are trying to achieve before ‘jumping on AI bandwagon’
ow.ly
November 27, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Efforts to “get on the artificial intelligence bandwagon” are not paying off for universities, with institutions being urged to “take a step back” before rushing to make more investments in new technologies, reports Juliette Rowsell from #THEarabsummit https://ow.ly/vyGW50Xyx6k
Reposted by Jason B.
ED is feeling enough pressure about the graduate vs. professional program distinction that they put out a press release (correctly) stating that nursing was never technically classified as professional. This probably won't gain much traction with the general public.
Myth vs. Fact: The Definition of Professional Degrees
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act placed commonsense limits on federal student loans for graduate degrees. This fact sheet sets the record straight regarding the proposed treatment of nursi...
www.ed.gov
November 24, 2025 at 9:37 PM
ED is feeling enough pressure about the graduate vs. professional program distinction that they put out a press release (correctly) stating that nursing was never technically classified as professional. This probably won't gain much traction with the general public.
Reposted by Jason B.
It is hard to overstate the stress produced by the incoherence of academic institutions pumping generative AI when they want to play business and then leaving instructors to deal with the results when they want to play school
Cheating with an LLM is the easiest thing in the world for a student to do, but it creates a massive, laborious headache for a prof, if you intend to take it seriously. There’s meetings, emails, discussions, moral dilemmas. It’s just incredibly burdensome, on top of everything else right now.
I had 9 meetings about students using Chat GPT/LLMs on their papers today.
If you want to know why professors burn out, ask anyone trying to teach critical thinking and writing skills to Freshmen....
If you want to know why professors burn out, ask anyone trying to teach critical thinking and writing skills to Freshmen....
October 28, 2025 at 1:45 PM
It is hard to overstate the stress produced by the incoherence of academic institutions pumping generative AI when they want to play business and then leaving instructors to deal with the results when they want to play school
Reposted by Jason B.
“When someone says we can’t miss the boat, I ask: where is the boat going? What exactly will this technology improve? That’s rarely discussed. Since when did we become Big Tech's free PR department?”
#HigherEd
👇
#HigherEd
👇
Belgian AI scientists are advocating *against* the use of AI in academia. “If independent thinking is no longer encouraged at university, where would it?” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia
Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.
apache.be
October 25, 2025 at 9:41 AM
“When someone says we can’t miss the boat, I ask: where is the boat going? What exactly will this technology improve? That’s rarely discussed. Since when did we become Big Tech's free PR department?”
#HigherEd
👇
#HigherEd
👇
Reposted by Jason B.
Everyone wants to streamline bureaucracy, but maybe we'd get better results by making it *harder* for university admins to chase fads. Imagine the money we'd save with a mandatory cooling-off period before launching a "Center for Blockchain Studies" or dumping millions into the latest edtech toy.
In about three years the entire university pivot to AI curricula and schools and programs is going to be so deeply embarrassing. We will all pretend it never happened and I will be standing there, looking at people with a mirror in my eyes. This is all so embarrassing.
October 17, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Everyone wants to streamline bureaucracy, but maybe we'd get better results by making it *harder* for university admins to chase fads. Imagine the money we'd save with a mandatory cooling-off period before launching a "Center for Blockchain Studies" or dumping millions into the latest edtech toy.
At the Cengage Limitless Learning Summit, I had the chance to fulfill a childhood dream and “fly” a Boeing 737 simulator. Took a quick flight around Maui, and was successful (in at least we didn’t crash)!
October 8, 2025 at 12:32 PM
At the Cengage Limitless Learning Summit, I had the chance to fulfill a childhood dream and “fly” a Boeing 737 simulator. Took a quick flight around Maui, and was successful (in at least we didn’t crash)!
Reposted by Jason B.
YES! THIS on GenAI!
Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:
"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."
Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:
"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."
Large Language Muddle | The Editors
The AI upheaval is unique in its ability to metabolize any number of dread-inducing transformations. The university is becoming more corporate, more politically oppressive, and all but hostile to the ...
www.nplusonemag.com
September 29, 2025 at 7:07 PM
YES! THIS on GenAI!
Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:
"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."
Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:
"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."
Reposted by Jason B.
The SEATTLE STORM HAVE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF SPOT!!!
September 10, 2025 at 3:57 AM
The SEATTLE STORM HAVE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF SPOT!!!
Reposted by Jason B.
John Oliver: "While get the appeal of thinking just one more concession, one more payoff might safeguard your independence or let you live to fight another day, it's worth asking at what point have you compromised so much that
the thing you're supposed to be defending is gone."
the thing you're supposed to be defending is gone."
Trump vs. Higher Education: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
YouTube video by LastWeekTonight
www.youtube.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:45 AM
John Oliver: "While get the appeal of thinking just one more concession, one more payoff might safeguard your independence or let you live to fight another day, it's worth asking at what point have you compromised so much that
the thing you're supposed to be defending is gone."
the thing you're supposed to be defending is gone."
Reposted by Jason B.
SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in a college applicant's file is blatantly unconstitutional
ALSO SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in targeting whom to detain and deport is cool cool cool
ALSO SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in targeting whom to detain and deport is cool cool cool
September 8, 2025 at 4:43 PM
SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in a college applicant's file is blatantly unconstitutional
ALSO SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in targeting whom to detain and deport is cool cool cool
ALSO SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in targeting whom to detain and deport is cool cool cool
Reposted by Jason B.
"The parallels with Putin’s Ukraine strategy are striking: an utter disregard for the law; a bumbling overconfidence; a decent long-term chance of success nonetheless; and massive damage to human potential that will be felt for decades."
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/24/h...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/24/h...
Higher Education: What Trump Hath Wrought
The Trump administration’s policies aren’t reforming higher education in any way whatsoever; they’re decimating it.
washingtonmonthly.com
August 26, 2025 at 12:29 PM
"The parallels with Putin’s Ukraine strategy are striking: an utter disregard for the law; a bumbling overconfidence; a decent long-term chance of success nonetheless; and massive damage to human potential that will be felt for decades."
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/24/h...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/24/h...
TRIO is one of the most successful college support programs in history for disadvantaged students.
For 60 years, TRIO has helped millions of people along the path to a degree, but the administration says it is no longer needed. n.pr/4mWcQgK
These programs help poor students with college. Trump wants to pull the funding
For 60 years, TRIO has helped millions of people along the path to a degree, but the administration says it is no longer needed.
n.pr
August 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM
TRIO is one of the most successful college support programs in history for disadvantaged students.
Reposted by Jason B.
I wrote about the significant technical problems with the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey component that ED wants to IPEDS. A couple quick points from the piece: 🧵
bit.ly/4mQRfX0
bit.ly/4mQRfX0
Will ACTS Survey Deliver Trustworthy Data for Higher Ed?
The ACTS survey could undermine college admissions transparency with flawed data collection methods and unrealistic deadlines for institutions.
bit.ly
August 19, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I wrote about the significant technical problems with the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey component that ED wants to IPEDS. A couple quick points from the piece: 🧵
bit.ly/4mQRfX0
bit.ly/4mQRfX0
Reposted by Jason B.
The first journalist to just say “what the actual fuck are you talking about?” to the president should get a Pulitzer.
August 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The first journalist to just say “what the actual fuck are you talking about?” to the president should get a Pulitzer.
Ok… I’m jumping on the bandwagon! Look what came today, @drkevinrmcclure.com !
July 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Ok… I’m jumping on the bandwagon! Look what came today, @drkevinrmcclure.com !
Reposted by Jason B.
The UVA Faculty Senate has voted to approve a resolution of No Confidence in the Board of Visitors
July 11, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The UVA Faculty Senate has voted to approve a resolution of No Confidence in the Board of Visitors
Reposted by Jason B.
Here’s a test: Every time someone says, “AI can replace X,” consider how you currently feel about Interactive Voice Response systems where you can’t reach a human operator.
AI turns substantive relationships into flattened transactions. it replaces faces for masks, substance for simulacra. if you want monuments, but you're too cheap to build anything, you make potemkin villages & cynically challenge people to explain the difference between a home and sheets of plywood.
June 25, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Here’s a test: Every time someone says, “AI can replace X,” consider how you currently feel about Interactive Voice Response systems where you can’t reach a human operator.
Reposted by Jason B.
If you have a Republican Senator or Rep and you are opposed to this bill, you should call them.
June 30, 2025 at 2:31 AM
If you have a Republican Senator or Rep and you are opposed to this bill, you should call them.
Reposted by Jason B.
Academics who were shocked when the current administration did exactly what it said it was going to do, please notice what conservative think tanks are pushing for college boards. I've pasted key parts of the intro if you don't want to give them clicks.
www.aei.org/research-pro...
www.aei.org/research-pro...
April 23, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Academics who were shocked when the current administration did exactly what it said it was going to do, please notice what conservative think tanks are pushing for college boards. I've pasted key parts of the intro if you don't want to give them clicks.
www.aei.org/research-pro...
www.aei.org/research-pro...
Reposted by Jason B.
This is a small sample and early research, but there is growing evidence that AI use reduces cognitive abilities
"Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels."
arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task
This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only (no tools). Each completed thr...
arxiv.org
June 16, 2025 at 12:18 AM
This is a small sample and early research, but there is growing evidence that AI use reduces cognitive abilities
Reposted by Jason B.
How now-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem felt about a president potentially federalizing the National Guard one year ago:
June 8, 2025 at 5:23 PM
How now-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem felt about a president potentially federalizing the National Guard one year ago:
Reposted by Jason B.
Tell #Congress to #VoteNO on legislation that would severely restrict college access for millions of Americans by slashing #Pell and #FinAid programs, removing essential protections, and making it harder to repay student loan debt.
Take action here: bit.ly/VoteNoOnCuts...
Take action here: bit.ly/VoteNoOnCuts...
April 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Tell #Congress to #VoteNO on legislation that would severely restrict college access for millions of Americans by slashing #Pell and #FinAid programs, removing essential protections, and making it harder to repay student loan debt.
Take action here: bit.ly/VoteNoOnCuts...
Take action here: bit.ly/VoteNoOnCuts...
In May, I will be joining the University of Nebraska at Omaha as the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success, where I’ll have the privilege of leading a dedicated team of professionals focused on advancing analytics, student recruitment, retention, and career development.
UNO Announces New Leaders for IESS and Global Engagement
Jason Browning will lead Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success (IESS), and Andrea Stiefvater will lead Global Engagement.
www.unomaha.edu
April 21, 2025 at 9:28 PM
In May, I will be joining the University of Nebraska at Omaha as the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success, where I’ll have the privilege of leading a dedicated team of professionals focused on advancing analytics, student recruitment, retention, and career development.
MIA: Has anyone seen the Democrats?
@schumer.senate.gov I believe you said the US would be in a constitutional crisis if Trump ignored the Supreme Court. Trump is now ignoring the Supreme Court. Please respond.
April 14, 2025 at 6:47 PM
MIA: Has anyone seen the Democrats?