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
"If we want graduates who can withstand disinformation, polarisation and the pressures of AI-driven work... Arts and humanities education does that ... through sustained human practices: making, observing, storytelling, questioning, listening." bit.ly/48khb7K
‘The arts and humanities celebrate what makes us human’
As deepfakes blur truth and political divides widen, the arts and humanities offer essential skills such as reflection and resilience. And, of course, they provide respite and balance. Patty Raun expl...
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November 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
"If we want graduates who can withstand disinformation, polarisation and the pressures of AI-driven work... Arts and humanities education does that ... through sustained human practices: making, observing, storytelling, questioning, listening." bit.ly/48khb7K
"While other universities report that the humanities are shrinking, at Berkeley, the opposite is true. The music major is the fastest-growing major on campus. We are finding bigger classrooms because film is exploding. English is back to the numbers we saw 15 years ago. We are hiring" bit.ly/4ohKuOe
"The humanities really are a resource — a confidence for living in our times.” Dean Sara Guyer on the modern utility of humanities degrees
This interview originally appeared on the Division of Arts
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November 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
"While other universities report that the humanities are shrinking, at Berkeley, the opposite is true. The music major is the fastest-growing major on campus. We are finding bigger classrooms because film is exploding. English is back to the numbers we saw 15 years ago. We are hiring" bit.ly/4ohKuOe
"exemplars of public value offer an effective way of making the case for arts and humanities fields. By this, I mean a public staging of arts and humanities-based research to express its tangible value." bit.ly/4rcg2Yn
How to demonstrate the worth of arts and humanities-based research
Express the tangible benefits of your creative work and practices, by showcasing public value
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November 21, 2025 at 1:36 PM
"exemplars of public value offer an effective way of making the case for arts and humanities fields. By this, I mean a public staging of arts and humanities-based research to express its tangible value." bit.ly/4rcg2Yn
“Amid concerns over funding … organizations across the country have decided they would rather find money elsewhere than be subject to federal restrictions.” bit.ly/3K5MoU3
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November 21, 2025 at 12:48 AM
“Amid concerns over funding … organizations across the country have decided they would rather find money elsewhere than be subject to federal restrictions.” bit.ly/3K5MoU3
"The difference between these two responses is what the humanities is all about: looking past the immediate problem, getting to the root of it and imagining new ways forward." bit.ly/3LLV9mN
The Humanities Are The Heart of Fordham
When people attack the humanities, it typically goes like this: “Who’s going to hire someone who studied something we don’t need! STEM is what pushes us forward.” To that I say, look at the majors who...
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November 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
"The difference between these two responses is what the humanities is all about: looking past the immediate problem, getting to the root of it and imagining new ways forward." bit.ly/3LLV9mN
“The departments of English, classics, philosophy, world languages and Spanish and Latino studies, for example, will be grouped into the tentatively titled School of Human Narratives and Creative Expressions.” nyti.ms/4rhSXDR
nyti.ms
November 20, 2025 at 12:57 PM
“The departments of English, classics, philosophy, world languages and Spanish and Latino studies, for example, will be grouped into the tentatively titled School of Human Narratives and Creative Expressions.” nyti.ms/4rhSXDR
"(NEH) grant funds appear to have been put towards supporting two awards at nearly 10 percent of the agency’s annual $207 million budget" bit.ly/48asUWt
Ten Percent of National Endowment for the Humanities Budget Will Support Two Grantees
'The agency’s ability to conduct grantmaking has been seriously damaged,' Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, explained.
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November 19, 2025 at 5:29 PM
"(NEH) grant funds appear to have been put towards supporting two awards at nearly 10 percent of the agency’s annual $207 million budget" bit.ly/48asUWt
“As humanists, we have to make a case for how what we do has a value for them as they think about their lives. The study of the texts of the past, of art, of music will help us move through this remarkable impasse that we are in around our culture” bit.ly/4pjl5Ev
Presidential Spotlight Discusses Liberal Arts Education
On Thursday, Professor of Russian and Director of the Center for Humanistic Inquiry Michael Kunichika, and President Michael Elliott hosted a webinar as part of the college’s Presidential Spotlight Se...
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November 19, 2025 at 2:46 PM
“As humanists, we have to make a case for how what we do has a value for them as they think about their lives. The study of the texts of the past, of art, of music will help us move through this remarkable impasse that we are in around our culture” bit.ly/4pjl5Ev
"six months after the Trump administration canceled virtually all grants approved during the Biden administration, the nation’s largest public funder of the humanities appears to be transforming into a vehicle narrowly tailored to the president’s agenda." www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/a...
Fired Scholars and Big Grants to Favored Projects: Inside Trump’s N.E.H.
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM
"six months after the Trump administration canceled virtually all grants approved during the Biden administration, the nation’s largest public funder of the humanities appears to be transforming into a vehicle narrowly tailored to the president’s agenda." www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/a...
“AI will replace probably the most practical jobs, but [that is] all the more reason we need humanists who are able to preserve creativity, who are able to preserve the sense of what makes us human” bit.ly/447Rm9u
What are you gonna do with a philosophy degree?
I’m a philosophy major, so some may be surprised to hear that being a blue-haired barista at a café isn’t part of my five-year plan.
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November 18, 2025 at 5:50 PM
“AI will replace probably the most practical jobs, but [that is] all the more reason we need humanists who are able to preserve creativity, who are able to preserve the sense of what makes us human” bit.ly/447Rm9u
"Although Nadel had support and resources from the classics department, he had to learn a different skillset to accommodate the new structure and workload of #humanities courses. '[There was] a big learning curve…The biggest thing to adjust to was going from problem sets to readings'" bit.ly/49qtbqm
A Jumbo shift: Switching majors at Tufts - The Tufts Daily
Tufts prides itself on being an interdisciplinary institution. With over 150-plus majors and minors for students to choose from, students often find themselves exploring new intellectual interest...
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November 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM
"Although Nadel had support and resources from the classics department, he had to learn a different skillset to accommodate the new structure and workload of #humanities courses. '[There was] a big learning curve…The biggest thing to adjust to was going from problem sets to readings'" bit.ly/49qtbqm
"The PhD students have been awarded scholarships as part of the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to support research in the humanities, recognising its role in enriching many aspects of UK society and its cultural life." bit.ly/47V3MCO
News - New funding award for outstanding PhD scholars recognises the value of humanities research in enriching society - University of Nottingham
Three outstanding doctoral scholars are beginning their studies at the University of Nottingham thanks to the generous support of the Wolfson Foundation.
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November 14, 2025 at 9:20 PM
"The PhD students have been awarded scholarships as part of the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to support research in the humanities, recognising its role in enriching many aspects of UK society and its cultural life." bit.ly/47V3MCO
"Curricula that incorporate digital literacy, applied data methods and field-based research into liberal arts training will also be necessary to revitalise the #humanities and ensure that employability and intellectual breadth are compatible." bit.ly/4nW7xOj
Economic logic is reshaping what India studies—And the humanities are losing out
Humanities' decline isn’t about waning curiosity but shifting priorities. Private institutions, driven by revenue-linked courses and placement goals, have reshaped student aspirations. Policy must ste...
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November 14, 2025 at 5:37 PM
"Curricula that incorporate digital literacy, applied data methods and field-based research into liberal arts training will also be necessary to revitalise the #humanities and ensure that employability and intellectual breadth are compatible." bit.ly/4nW7xOj
"students should explore different areas of the humanities to best find how they can serve their community. Finding flexibility within the humanities is helpful regardless of what one’s interests are" bit.ly/47MJRFW
Cost of Cuts: How UW humanities persevere amidst national challenges
The realm of academia has seen a significant change in 2025. Federal budget cuts — and even legal cases between universities and the Trump administration — have hit almost every major university in a ...
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November 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
"students should explore different areas of the humanities to best find how they can serve their community. Finding flexibility within the humanities is helpful regardless of what one’s interests are" bit.ly/47MJRFW
"NEH will award 250 challenge grants of up to $25,000 each for projects that focus on the founding of the American nation, key historical figures, and milestones that reflect the exceptional achievements of the United States." bit.ly/47Hv9BA
Rediscovering Our Revolutionary Tradition
Preserves and improves access to primary sources that pertain to the establishment and expansion of the nation and the history of American government.
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November 14, 2025 at 2:19 PM
"NEH will award 250 challenge grants of up to $25,000 each for projects that focus on the founding of the American nation, key historical figures, and milestones that reflect the exceptional achievements of the United States." bit.ly/47Hv9BA
"Students are concerned that a master plan for the Annandale campus calls for replacing professors’ offices in the humanities building with cubicles. That means students would no longer be able to have private meetings with their professors and advisors." bit.ly/4p3184Q
NOVA students stage a walkout
NOVA students stage a walkout over plan to convert Humanities Building to offices.
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November 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
"Students are concerned that a master plan for the Annandale campus calls for replacing professors’ offices in the humanities building with cubicles. That means students would no longer be able to have private meetings with their professors and advisors." bit.ly/4p3184Q
"humanities departments should look to expand methods of evaluation beyond out-of-class essays. These assignments are an essential part of any humanities course, but the rise of AI opens the door for hard-to-detect corner cutting" bit.ly/47Ordh2
Changing Grades Won’t Fix the Humanities — Here’s What Will | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
The humanities are serious disciplines — it’s time for academic programming at Harvard to treat them as such.
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November 12, 2025 at 8:10 PM
"humanities departments should look to expand methods of evaluation beyond out-of-class essays. These assignments are an essential part of any humanities course, but the rise of AI opens the door for hard-to-detect corner cutting" bit.ly/47Ordh2
“ChatGPT has just become the occasion to act more swiftly and deliberately around these issues... So we are now thinking of ourselves as engaged in a kind of renewal of our teaching.” bit.ly/3LC6W71
As Students Rely More on AI, Humanities Professors Are Pushing Back
Since OpenAI released ChatGPT, humanities departments across BC have engaged in conversations, implemented new policies, and reoriented their perspectives to assess how AI affects learning and how to ...
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November 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM
“ChatGPT has just become the occasion to act more swiftly and deliberately around these issues... So we are now thinking of ourselves as engaged in a kind of renewal of our teaching.” bit.ly/3LC6W71
"For the first time since the pandemic, we're seeing museums' recovery in reverse" bit.ly/4qVsNGA
Museums had a rough 2025: Report shows lower attendance, lost grants, less money
The American Alliance of Museums put out its annual industry snapshot and it's not great. Trump's targeting of museum programming had downstream effects and put a "chill on corporate philanthropy."
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November 12, 2025 at 12:02 AM
"For the first time since the pandemic, we're seeing museums' recovery in reverse" bit.ly/4qVsNGA
"This moment of uncertainty for the English Department has led faculty members to ask questions and revisit what it means to study, read and write literature." bit.ly/43W7HxS
In light of English Department vacancies, faculty revisit importance of a literary degree - The Middlebury Campus
With several English Department faculty on leave, on associate status or recently retired, the department is facing staffing concerns, and no replacement positions have been approved by the Educationa...
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November 7, 2025 at 7:04 PM
"This moment of uncertainty for the English Department has led faculty members to ask questions and revisit what it means to study, read and write literature." bit.ly/43W7HxS
"A look at the helpful statistics provided by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences indicates that this latest crisis in humanities enrollments and degree completions is not like the previous fluctuations in our history, but more foundational." bit.ly/4nLVEKN
Would We Rather Humanities “Be Ruined Than Changed”? (opinion
Yes, the humanities are in crisis—but enough with the hyperbole already.
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November 5, 2025 at 9:32 PM
"A look at the helpful statistics provided by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences indicates that this latest crisis in humanities enrollments and degree completions is not like the previous fluctuations in our history, but more foundational." bit.ly/4nLVEKN
"Over the course of the past ten months, archives and museums have had to reconfigure their budgets, storage and processing capabilities and their ability to be available to the public. She said, “the whole process of knowledge production will slow down.”" bit.ly/4ojjv5x
Government funding cuts to NEH impacts Dickinson faculty
Since May, The Dickinsonian has been speaking to faculty and campus groups affected by the Trump administration’s cuts to academic funding. This article specifically explores the impact on humanities ...
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November 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
"Over the course of the past ten months, archives and museums have had to reconfigure their budgets, storage and processing capabilities and their ability to be available to the public. She said, “the whole process of knowledge production will slow down.”" bit.ly/4ojjv5x
"We are committing $1 million to the College of Humanities over the next few years. The endowment will fund scholarships to support humanities students on study abroad programs." Congratulations A-P! bit.ly/43cNoMu
Local opinion: Steve Kerr announces $1 million gift to U of A's College of Humanities
Steve Kerr and his wife Margot, a fellow Wildcat alum, are committing $1 million to the University of Arizona College of Humanities over the next few years.
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November 3, 2025 at 4:29 PM
"We are committing $1 million to the College of Humanities over the next few years. The endowment will fund scholarships to support humanities students on study abroad programs." Congratulations A-P! bit.ly/43cNoMu
Really interesting work on skill-building with humanities students at community colleges by JFF (bit.ly/4hFcoSH). It would be great to see similar programs at 4-year institutions.
Building New Pathways From the Humanities to Careers
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October 31, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Really interesting work on skill-building with humanities students at community colleges by JFF (bit.ly/4hFcoSH). It would be great to see similar programs at 4-year institutions.
"The framing of LLMs as preserving the lives of those we have lost distracts from the lost livelihoods, and worsened material conditions, of a generation of writers on whose work the technology of LLM feeds—and the loss of innumerable voices and the stories they won’t be able to tell" bit.ly/48Vv1iT
Literature Is Not a Vibe: On ChatGPT and the Humanities | Los Angeles Review of Books
Rachele Dini discusses OpenAI’s “A Machine-Shaped Hand” and an academic sector in crisis.
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October 31, 2025 at 1:47 PM
"The framing of LLMs as preserving the lives of those we have lost distracts from the lost livelihoods, and worsened material conditions, of a generation of writers on whose work the technology of LLM feeds—and the loss of innumerable voices and the stories they won’t be able to tell" bit.ly/48Vv1iT