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.
"the humanities can survive. In fact, they can thrive. Humanities should be indispensable to 21st-century higher education, and data shows that they’re certainly crucial to the workforce.": bit.ly/3W84hE7
October 14, 2025 at 7:02 PM
"the humanities can survive. In fact, they can thrive. Humanities should be indispensable to 21st-century higher education, and data shows that they’re certainly crucial to the workforce.": bit.ly/3W84hE7
Within the humanities, area studies and religion have had the biggest drops since 2012 (both down more than 55%), but the modern languages, English, classical studies, and history are all down more than 40% from recent highs. You can see how your disciplines is doing at bit.ly/47ilh0F.
October 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Within the humanities, area studies and religion have had the biggest drops since 2012 (both down more than 55%), but the modern languages, English, classical studies, and history are all down more than 40% from recent highs. You can see how your disciplines is doing at bit.ly/47ilh0F.
Unfortunately, new degree data for 2024 is out, and offers more bad news for the #humanities. Humanities bachelor's degrees fell 2.1% from the year before, and the field fell to just 8.4% of the total (from almost 15% twenty years earlier). bit.ly/46K1GX4
October 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Unfortunately, new degree data for 2024 is out, and offers more bad news for the #humanities. Humanities bachelor's degrees fell 2.1% from the year before, and the field fell to just 8.4% of the total (from almost 15% twenty years earlier). bit.ly/46K1GX4
The reading skills of 12th graders continue to decline: bit.ly/47BPA3c
September 9, 2025 at 9:23 PM
The reading skills of 12th graders continue to decline: bit.ly/47BPA3c
We are revising our definition of the humanities (the most popular page on the Indicators) to try to capture all of the aspects we study. (This would precede the catalog of specific academic disciplines on the current page: bit.ly/4lxDGKN). I'm curious what folks might think of the following:
August 21, 2025 at 8:13 PM
We are revising our definition of the humanities (the most popular page on the Indicators) to try to capture all of the aspects we study. (This would precede the catalog of specific academic disciplines on the current page: bit.ly/4lxDGKN). I'm curious what folks might think of the following:
Meanwhile, at Union Station…. I felt safer before the little green men appeared.
August 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Meanwhile, at Union Station…. I felt safer before the little green men appeared.
Interesting new study about the aspirations of teens, and the mix of things they want out of their studies in college: bit.ly/46dnavJ
July 16, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Interesting new study about the aspirations of teens, and the mix of things they want out of their studies in college: bit.ly/46dnavJ
AEI arguing that NEH funding should continue because otherwise lefty foundations will step in to support all that bad humanities stuff. bit.ly/4loZ3yI 🤔
July 15, 2025 at 5:47 PM
AEI arguing that NEH funding should continue because otherwise lefty foundations will step in to support all that bad humanities stuff. bit.ly/4loZ3yI 🤔
BBB also included $40 million for the Garden of Heroes (bit.ly/45Y0DCX).
July 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
BBB also included $40 million for the Garden of Heroes (bit.ly/45Y0DCX).
"The FY 2026 Budget proposes to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts. Toward this end, the FY 2026 Budget provides $29.0 million to begin the orderly closure of the agency." bit.ly/4kqqUOC
June 2, 2025 at 7:33 PM
"The FY 2026 Budget proposes to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts. Toward this end, the FY 2026 Budget provides $29.0 million to begin the orderly closure of the agency." bit.ly/4kqqUOC
About 600 copies of our new report on the academic humanities are now in the mail to everyone who requested them. But I still have more on hand, if you would like a copy. Just fill out the form at bit.ly/3Z8yzZa
May 19, 2025 at 7:24 PM
About 600 copies of our new report on the academic humanities are now in the mail to everyone who requested them. But I still have more on hand, if you would like a copy. Just fill out the form at bit.ly/3Z8yzZa
Q&A with the Indicators staff on the new report about the academic humanities today will start in 15 minutes. If you are interested, you can still sign up for a link at bit.ly/3RP3juo
May 15, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Q&A with the Indicators staff on the new report about the academic humanities today will start in 15 minutes. If you are interested, you can still sign up for a link at bit.ly/3RP3juo
Quick reminder that we will host a webinar to discuss our report on the state of the academic humanities next Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET (register at bit.ly/3YXj2LC ). And if you would like a print copy, I will be sending those out soon. You can request free copies at bit.ly/3Z8yzZa.
May 9, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Quick reminder that we will host a webinar to discuss our report on the state of the academic humanities next Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET (register at bit.ly/3YXj2LC ). And if you would like a print copy, I will be sending those out soon. You can request free copies at bit.ly/3Z8yzZa.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns about our recent report on the state of the humanities, please join us for a webinar to discuss on May 15th, 2:00 p.m. ET. Register at bit.ly/3YXj2LC.
May 2, 2025 at 1:41 PM
If you have questions, comments, or concerns about our recent report on the state of the humanities, please join us for a webinar to discuss on May 15th, 2:00 p.m. ET. Register at bit.ly/3YXj2LC.
"Defendants’ decision to use NEH funds to create statues in the proposed “Garden of American Heroes” is arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with law" bit.ly/4jWuuz8
May 1, 2025 at 8:02 PM
"Defendants’ decision to use NEH funds to create statues in the proposed “Garden of American Heroes” is arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with law" bit.ly/4jWuuz8
Still puzzling over why history was the most pessimistic about the future of the discipline at their institution. (And that was before the election.) Really left me worried about my home team. bit.ly/42L8EHX
April 25, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Still puzzling over why history was the most pessimistic about the future of the discipline at their institution. (And that was before the election.) Really left me worried about my home team. bit.ly/42L8EHX
On Thursday we will release results from our latest survey of humanities departments. Sign up now for an email alert about the release (at formstack.io/A7882) and a free print copy of the report (at forms.gle/oRoY3BN7VZYQ...).
April 21, 2025 at 7:28 PM
On Thursday we will release results from our latest survey of humanities departments. Sign up now for an email alert about the release (at formstack.io/A7882) and a free print copy of the report (at forms.gle/oRoY3BN7VZYQ...).
Capitol Hill blossoming.
March 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Capitol Hill blossoming.
For those more generally interested in the movement of students between majors, my analysis for the Academy Bulletin: bit.ly/3D92Uz3
March 4, 2025 at 2:52 PM
For those more generally interested in the movement of students between majors, my analysis for the Academy Bulletin: bit.ly/3D92Uz3
Where do #humanities majors come from? Everywhere!
A new Indicators research brief on movement into (and out of) humanities majors. bit.ly/4ki0WwU
A new Indicators research brief on movement into (and out of) humanities majors. bit.ly/4ki0WwU
March 3, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Where do #humanities majors come from? Everywhere!
A new Indicators research brief on movement into (and out of) humanities majors. bit.ly/4ki0WwU
A new Indicators research brief on movement into (and out of) humanities majors. bit.ly/4ki0WwU
Looks bad, but if I chart the share of HS students who read weekly for pleasure (per the NAEP survey), shift those responses over by five years to better juxtapose with BAs, we get this. That looks like more of a troubling relationship (and the reading share has fallen further).
January 12, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Looks bad, but if I chart the share of HS students who read weekly for pleasure (per the NAEP survey), shift those responses over by five years to better juxtapose with BAs, we get this. That looks like more of a troubling relationship (and the reading share has fallen further).
I'll be honest, that does not look like much of an X to me, much less suggesting a correlation between the two. On the other hand, if I chart the share of HS students who read weekly for pleasure, shift it over five years alongside BAs, we get this. That looks like more of a troubling relationship.
January 12, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I'll be honest, that does not look like much of an X to me, much less suggesting a correlation between the two. On the other hand, if I chart the share of HS students who read weekly for pleasure, shift it over five years alongside BAs, we get this. That looks like more of a troubling relationship.