Rob Townsend
@rbtownsend.bsky.social
Director, Humanities, Arts, and Culture Programs and Humanities Indicators (http://bit.ly/1vcZlh4) at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Quotes and RTs ≠ opinions.
Pinned
Rob Townsend
@rbtownsend.bsky.social
· May 21
The Academic Humanities Today: Findings from a New National Survey
Few need to be told that the academic humanities have been beset by challenges over the past fifteen years, but the evidence tends to be scattered. To provide a clearer picture of the state of the fie...
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"Drawing on responses from more than two thousand department chairs, the report demonstrates both the challenges the field experiences today and the resilience of many departments in the face of those difficulties." bit.ly/43ojlAN
"A federal court in Manhattan chided the Trump administration on Thursday for trying to dodge discovery obligations in a collection of consolidated lawsuits over terminated grant awards issued by the National Endowment for the Humanities" bit.ly/45pQGgh
Judge excoriates Trump admin for 'refusing to comply' with discovery in grant-funding lawsuit
"The problem for the Government lies in the fact that the administrative record, as currently designated, does not reflect all documents and materials."
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December 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
"A federal court in Manhattan chided the Trump administration on Thursday for trying to dodge discovery obligations in a collection of consolidated lawsuits over terminated grant awards issued by the National Endowment for the Humanities" bit.ly/45pQGgh
"Where humanistic angles were allowed in, science tended to improve not by becoming less rigorous, but by becoming more self-aware: clearer about its concepts, its subjects, its incentives and its downstream effects." bit.ly/3MZ3V18
Shadi Bartsch: Hamstringing the humanities will hinder scientific discovery
Thinking of “sciences” and “humanities” as unrelated modes of inquiry is not only shortsighted; it’s new to western civilization.
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December 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
"Where humanistic angles were allowed in, science tended to improve not by becoming less rigorous, but by becoming more self-aware: clearer about its concepts, its subjects, its incentives and its downstream effects." bit.ly/3MZ3V18
"Clark University, the University of Arizona and Georgia Tech have all recently restructured departments and revamped their liberal arts programs, emphasizing applied humanities that weave career preparation directly into the curriculum." bit.ly/3Ya8mIT
More young people are questioning the value of college, some universities are rethinking liberal arts programs
Brandeis University says it is revamping its humanities offerings to focus on preparing its students for the workforce. It is one of a number of schools making such moves.
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December 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
"Clark University, the University of Arizona and Georgia Tech have all recently restructured departments and revamped their liberal arts programs, emphasizing applied humanities that weave career preparation directly into the curriculum." bit.ly/3Ya8mIT
India: “Most bright boys and girls are pursuing only science and technical courses at the higher education... having very little interest in languages, philosophy, fine arts, and social science subjects. This is very unfortunate and against the interest of national development.” bit.ly/3MN7Azb
Minister urges VCs to revive students’ interest in humanities, social sciences | Patna News - The Times of India
Patna: Expressing concern over students’ declining interest in humanities and social sciences, higher education minister Sunil Kumar on Monday urged v.
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December 22, 2025 at 8:11 PM
India: “Most bright boys and girls are pursuing only science and technical courses at the higher education... having very little interest in languages, philosophy, fine arts, and social science subjects. This is very unfortunate and against the interest of national development.” bit.ly/3MN7Azb
"As a humanities professor myself, the biggest danger I see to the discipline is the growing perception, fueled by the ubiquity of large language models, that knowledge is cheap—a resource whose procurement ought to be easy and frictionless." bit.ly/4s82duD
Stop Trying to Make the Humanities ‘Relevant’
For humanities departments to continue to matter, they must challenge the modern world rather than accommodate it.
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December 22, 2025 at 1:55 PM
"As a humanities professor myself, the biggest danger I see to the discipline is the growing perception, fueled by the ubiquity of large language models, that knowledge is cheap—a resource whose procurement ought to be easy and frictionless." bit.ly/4s82duD
"Ultimately, the STEM vs humanities debate is probably more of a reflection on student identity than it is on degree ‘difficulty’." bit.ly/4akQFxD
The Boar
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December 19, 2025 at 6:44 PM
"Ultimately, the STEM vs humanities debate is probably more of a reflection on student identity than it is on degree ‘difficulty’." bit.ly/4akQFxD
We are seeking high school counselors and teachers currently teaching humanities subjects in grades 9-12 for a 1 ½ hour online focus group in January--exploring how students make their way into humanities majors. Use this link to take a short eligibility survey by January 5, 2026: bit.ly/4s9KO4Q
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December 18, 2025 at 9:02 PM
We are seeking high school counselors and teachers currently teaching humanities subjects in grades 9-12 for a 1 ½ hour online focus group in January--exploring how students make their way into humanities majors. Use this link to take a short eligibility survey by January 5, 2026: bit.ly/4s9KO4Q
"all of us have access to the same powers to connect with others through creative expression... ours can be through cooking meals, knitting, singing—whatever is authentic and personal" bit.ly/4qaWtOQ
Listening Together: Yo-Yo Ma, Mayor Wu, and a Hopeful Culture of Democracy
Taking my kids to experience the “We The People: Celebrating Our Shared Humanity” concert clarified how shared cultural experiences can help us practice the art of civic engagement.
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December 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
"all of us have access to the same powers to connect with others through creative expression... ours can be through cooking meals, knitting, singing—whatever is authentic and personal" bit.ly/4qaWtOQ
"Nothing is more powerful than a person with passion and drive who recognises pressing problems and acts to solve them. If this is what you imagine for your child, a humanities degree is an excellent choice." bit.ly/3MGSrzm
Parents, here’s why you should stop steering your kids away from the humanities
As AI transforms our world it is humanities graduates who can shape its effect on our lives.
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December 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM
"Nothing is more powerful than a person with passion and drive who recognises pressing problems and acts to solve them. If this is what you imagine for your child, a humanities degree is an excellent choice." bit.ly/3MGSrzm
“The attempt here is to really to learn from an outside perspective what people outside the humanities want from the humanities, or how they use the humanities, and to talk to colleagues in the humanities who are trying to build bridges.” bit.ly/3MIBEMe
Who needs the humanities? — Harvard Gazette
Scholars detail how disciplines offer value in cultivating mind, character but also enable fresh perspectives on societal, practical problems.
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December 17, 2025 at 2:50 PM
“The attempt here is to really to learn from an outside perspective what people outside the humanities want from the humanities, or how they use the humanities, and to talk to colleagues in the humanities who are trying to build bridges.” bit.ly/3MIBEMe
In history, majors fell by 56% from 1971 to 1980, but I found only one small item in the AHA annual reports noting that fact, in a statement about "increasing the attractiveness of undergraduate study in history" in 1973: bit.ly/3MG71qO
December 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
In history, majors fell by 56% from 1971 to 1980, but I found only one small item in the AHA annual reports noting that fact, in a statement about "increasing the attractiveness of undergraduate study in history" in 1973: bit.ly/3MG71qO
"Cross-disciplinary collaboration.... Instead of undermining the specialisation of our staff, this approach encourages them to branch out and explore other subjects in arts and humanities, and beyond." bit.ly/3KDuY1r
Weave interdisciplinarity into the identity of your humanities department
Create flexibility within department structures to allow interdisciplinary work and collaboration to flourish. Here’s how
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December 16, 2025 at 10:22 PM
"Cross-disciplinary collaboration.... Instead of undermining the specialisation of our staff, this approach encourages them to branch out and explore other subjects in arts and humanities, and beyond." bit.ly/3KDuY1r
"the humanities are not irrelevant to law, but foundational. As the legal field evolves to address complex social, environmental and technological challenges, the interpretive and ethical capacities developed through the humanities will only become more vital" bit.ly/4oVUNru
Why the future of law may start in the humanities
A growing number of humanities alumni are shaping the future of law
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December 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
"the humanities are not irrelevant to law, but foundational. As the legal field evolves to address complex social, environmental and technological challenges, the interpretive and ethical capacities developed through the humanities will only become more vital" bit.ly/4oVUNru
NEH Invites Applications to Build Endowments for Research and Teaching of Western Civilization, American History and Government, and Civics: bit.ly/49ca7eW
New Endowments Program at NEH
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December 15, 2025 at 6:49 PM
NEH Invites Applications to Build Endowments for Research and Teaching of Western Civilization, American History and Government, and Civics: bit.ly/49ca7eW
"many of today’s technological careers could become obsolete in a few years, while the skills of the arts and humanities are durable and adaptable." bit.ly/4peub5n
Support at all levels is needed for the arts and humanities
We need to promote different levels of support for the arts and humanities, including an institutional culture that recognises the intrinsic value of ...
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December 15, 2025 at 6:10 PM
"many of today’s technological careers could become obsolete in a few years, while the skills of the arts and humanities are durable and adaptable." bit.ly/4peub5n
Looking back at the Academy: "the Humanities Indicators project released the results from a major national survey of humanities departments and a study on student pathways in the humanities, generating extensive media and scholarly attention." bit.ly/3XVePr6
From the President
It is my pleasure to present this edition of the Annual Report of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the first since I officially began my term as president in January 2025. I would like to be...
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December 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Looking back at the Academy: "the Humanities Indicators project released the results from a major national survey of humanities departments and a study on student pathways in the humanities, generating extensive media and scholarly attention." bit.ly/3XVePr6
“Nine in ten employers say it is important for graduates to have developed AI-related skills while in college” bit.ly/48MMDvy
New National Survey Finds Strong Employer Confidence in… | AAC&U
New National Survey Finds Strong Employer Confidence in Higher Education
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December 13, 2025 at 8:49 PM
“Nine in ten employers say it is important for graduates to have developed AI-related skills while in college” bit.ly/48MMDvy
"If my suspicion is correct, AI literacy—the judgment to determine when and how to use AI tools effectively—may be the critical skill graduates will need to succeed in the emerging labor market." bit.ly/4aM1VmJ
Crossing the Great AI Divide - CEW Georgetown
For months, the news cycle focused on the plight of recent college graduates and growing fears that entry-level workers are increasingly unable to compete with AI in today’s job market.
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December 11, 2025 at 7:55 PM
"If my suspicion is correct, AI literacy—the judgment to determine when and how to use AI tools effectively—may be the critical skill graduates will need to succeed in the emerging labor market." bit.ly/4aM1VmJ
"As part of the comprehensive effort, Brandeis is undergoing a broad reorganization, merging its liberal arts departments with graduate schools, creating a Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts, and building more direct pathways from coursework to jobs." bit.ly/3KGaAwE
Brandeis bets big on rebuilding the liberal arts around real-world skills
Facing financial pressure, declining enrollment, and growing skepticism about the value of a degree, Brandeis University is launching a sweeping overhaul and recasting the liberal arts with a focus on...
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December 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
"As part of the comprehensive effort, Brandeis is undergoing a broad reorganization, merging its liberal arts departments with graduate schools, creating a Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts, and building more direct pathways from coursework to jobs." bit.ly/3KGaAwE
Reposted by Rob Townsend
We are thinking about doing a survey of the public about how often they use AI to perform various humanistic activities (writing, "reading," etc.) juxtaposed with some STEM activities (math, programming). I welcome thoughts and suggestions on anything that might be missing below:
December 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
We are thinking about doing a survey of the public about how often they use AI to perform various humanistic activities (writing, "reading," etc.) juxtaposed with some STEM activities (math, programming). I welcome thoughts and suggestions on anything that might be missing below:
We are thinking about doing a survey of the public about how often they use AI to perform various humanistic activities (writing, "reading," etc.) juxtaposed with some STEM activities (math, programming). I welcome thoughts and suggestions on anything that might be missing below:
December 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
We are thinking about doing a survey of the public about how often they use AI to perform various humanistic activities (writing, "reading," etc.) juxtaposed with some STEM activities (math, programming). I welcome thoughts and suggestions on anything that might be missing below:
The education data we rely on is now hanging by a thread: "NCES faces uniquely severe structural problems. The agency has the weakest statistical integrity safeguards among federal statistical agencies, with no statutory protections" bit.ly/48CftOY
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December 10, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The education data we rely on is now hanging by a thread: "NCES faces uniquely severe structural problems. The agency has the weakest statistical integrity safeguards among federal statistical agencies, with no statutory protections" bit.ly/48CftOY
"why is STEM research given essentially a free pass, while the social sciences, arts and humanities are singled out for extra scrutiny?" bit.ly/44Gjtgz
Proposed Model Bill Would Change College Tenure, Teaching, & Research
Three conservative groups have proposed model legislation that would dramatically change faculty tenure paths, teaching loads, research activities and hiring authority
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December 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
"why is STEM research given essentially a free pass, while the social sciences, arts and humanities are singled out for extra scrutiny?" bit.ly/44Gjtgz
"the proposal would “devastate higher education by placing scholarly inquiry — especially in the humanities, social sciences, and other non-STEM fields — under direct political control, ideological litmus tests, and a narrow obsession with ‘Western civilization’ and ‘Americanism.’” bit.ly/4iPn4yy
A New Blueprint for Conservative Lawmakers Aims to Curb ‘Unserious’ Research
The latest model legislation from a trio of right-wing groups targets faculty in non-STEM fields and would also increase teaching loads.
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December 9, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"the proposal would “devastate higher education by placing scholarly inquiry — especially in the humanities, social sciences, and other non-STEM fields — under direct political control, ideological litmus tests, and a narrow obsession with ‘Western civilization’ and ‘Americanism.’” bit.ly/4iPn4yy
"The flexible curriculum lets them combine subjects in unexpected ways to create educational paths that reflect their full range of interests." bit.ly/4iH8k4A
Undergraduates demonstrate better engineering through the humanities
Three Hajim School of Engineering seniors are honored for blending technical rigor with humanistic insight in their studies.
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December 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM
"The flexible curriculum lets them combine subjects in unexpected ways to create educational paths that reflect their full range of interests." bit.ly/4iH8k4A