iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

I spoke w/ Amy Morona of @signalcleveland.bsky.social about [RPUs] and Ohio State and said RPUs “have really thought about ‘how do we create a campus environment that’s supportive to first-generation college, low-income students [and] students who have children." signalcleveland.org/ohio-state-f...

signalcleveland.org

How Ohio State’s free tuition program could impact other Ohio colleges

The state's flagship institution will soon offer free tuition for in-state students for more students who begin at a regional campus.

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

How adequately does your state acknowledge and fund its broad access institutions? We created a scorecard to evaluate states, published and funded by @sheeoed.bsky.social (thanks, SHEEO!). Check it out here. sheeo.org/wp-content/u... Co-authors: Katie Kleinhesselink and Essa Njie

sheeo.org

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Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 07/07/2025

This feels like a ✨prime✨ week to close the book on Amazon.

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

I spoke w/@nbcnews.com about higher ed finance and research that hang in the balance with the current Trump Admin attacks. "When you cut the research funding, that means [cancer-fighting] research will cease or it will be greatly diminished.”

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readywriting @readywriting.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Does anyone know/remember a published study (may have been in IHE/CHE) about the small number of institutions that are talked about in the media? Looking for a stat or two...

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

I spoke w/@propublica.org reporter Molly Parker about the challenges facing Regional Public Universities during the Trump and said "This is definitely one of those baby-in-the-bathwater moments..." as Trump goes after elite institutions but creates chaos for all. www.propublica.org/article/regi...

propublica.org

A University, a Rural Town and Their Fight to Survive Trump’s War on Higher Education

The administration’s research funding and DEI cuts present an existential threat to regional public universities like Southern Illinois University, the economic backbone of the conservative rural regi...

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

"They have a set of strategies to take down our institutions. The main part is to trick [liberals] because they don’t realize they’re going to come for the institutions no matter what. You want to show to the right wing that you’re a reasonable liberal, you can debate them. But they don’t care."

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Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard @tomh4.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Also recommend this white paper that documents the importance of the 474 regional public universities across the US. It's from @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social and Mac Wetherbee at @thirdway.bsky.social. 4/ www.thirdway.org/report/regio....

thirdway.org

Third Way

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

My advice to @ashegrads.bsky.social re: self care while conducting equity-focused research during this era? Spend time in spaces of innocence (w/children, pets, in nature), identify your sphere of influence and focus your energies there. This is a marathon. We must care for ourselves as we fight. 🥊

ashegrads.bsky.social

ASHE Grads (@ashegrads.bsky.social)

Official BlueSky account for @asheoffice Graduate Students. Join us for #ASHE2025 in Denver! Moderated by the Graduate Student Committee (GSC).

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W. Carson Byrd @wcbyrdphd.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Nice plug for the important work from ARRC with @drkevinrmcclure.com, @drandrewk.bsky.social, & @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

The growth in online grad programs makes sense given that RPUs often add these programs to serve their regions, and that many RPUs offer distance ed to serve adult learners in their regions. I appreciate this engagement w/our brief which brings more attention to this vital sector.

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Phil Hill with EdTech used our Regional Public University (RPU) list to analyze enrollment and grad programs. He found that enrollment has declined slightly in the sector since 2012 (6.7%) and online grad programs have grown. onedtech.philhillaa.com/p/diverging-...

onedtech.philhillaa.com

Diverging Fortunes in Public 4-year Institutions

Regional Public Universities deserve more attention for their mission, but the trends aren't looking good

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Meredith Billings @billingsmer.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

New pub with @itspgr.bsky.social & Denisa Gandara examining how state policymakers in New Mexico frame their support or opposition to the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, a statewide promise program that has a flexible and generous design. #edusky #highered epaa.asu.edu/index.php/ep...

epaa.asu.edu

View of “There’s something ennobling…about struggling”: State policymakers’ framing of deservingness in the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Take action in support of Tribal Colleges and Universities! Call your Rep or Senator and read the script prepared by the American Indian College Fund. standwith.collegefund.org/issues-impac...

standwith.collegefund.org

We need your voice, right now. | Standwith

Eliminating the Department of Education would devastate public schools, hurt students with disabilities, strip away civil rights protections for millions of ...

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Third Way Education @thirdwayedu.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

🗣️Regional public universities offer greater upward mobility than any other type of institution. For many Americans, RPUs provide access, affordability, and quality education, paving the way for economic stability and job security. More from @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social & Mac Wetherbee

buff.ly

Regional Public Universities: Expanding Higher Education's ROI for Students and Communities

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

We describe how different types of RPUs create value for their regions and students. We conclude with policy recommendations that at the time, seemed great but now seem downright fantastical but are still worth stating. Thanks to @bencecil.bsky.social for the invite to write about RPUs!

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

I truly believe that Regional Public Universities provide the best possible answer to questions about what value/ROI higher education provides society, which is why I co-wrote a @thirdwayedu.bsky.social brief about them. New publication 🚨! www.thirdway.org/report/regio...

thirdway.org

Third Way

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

@drandrewk.bsky.social and I had a wonderful time visiting Western Carolina University, a rural-serving Regional Public University, to help campus leaders think about how to tell their stories of impact and transformation. @arrc.bsky.social

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

I am grateful for Joe Garcia's leadership and service to Colorado. Sad to see him retire, but I know his legacy will live on. Happy retirement, Joe! www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...

chalkbeat.org

Colorado’s Joe Garcia plans to retire after 25 years in higher education

Garcia said his own college education helped him realize a career he never knew was possible.

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

A new episode of Mile Higher Ed podcast just dropped. "Administration, Practice, and Scholarship in Medicine" a conversation with a DUHigherEd graduate Dr. Sylk Sotto. open.spotify.com/episode/4f86...

open.spotify.com

Administration, Practice, and Scholarship in Medicine with Dr. Sylk Sotto

Mile Higher Ed Podcast · Episode

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

I researched the failure of ideal-centered change and found that failure occurred when campuses failed to create ongoing cultural engagement with the ideal, involve naysayers, or assess the effects of the change. Perhaps lessons for the attacks on DEI? www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

tandfonline.com

How Change Unravels: The Failure of Ideal-centered Organizational Change at Regional Comprehensive Universities

This multiple-case study examined the factors promoting or impeding ideal-centered change efforts focused on reclaiming the founding civic commitments of three Regional Comprehensive Universities. ...

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Glad my @arrc.bsky.social colleagues thought to download IPEDS data last week. This is wild.

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

I think as much attention to what is happening as possible is a good thing. But I also understand the need to focus attention on other priorities. It does feel like a firehose moment, though. But then I started a political awareness club in high school so this speaks to my own bias.

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Appalachian Learning Initiative @appli.org · 10/02/2025

#DidYouKnow? Nearly 3 out of every 4 adults (73.3%) living in #Georgia's #Appalachian counties struggle with basic #Math. Learn more by visiting our page about #GA on our website: www.appli.org/georgia 1/2

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Julian Go @juliango.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

One small thing we can do for now, to help set up an infrastructure for organizing: join the @aaup.bsky.social. They have officially declared they will be more aggressive in defending academic rights

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

"[W]e’re looking at rank cowardice, as in Northeastern University’s decision to purge any public-facing information that even references [DEI]. I suppose this suggests that Northeastern was not particularly committed to these things, as they are setting a land speed record for “obeying in advance.”

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Today I'm tuning into the Denver Democracy Summit hosted by DU's Korbel School of International Relations. It's helpful to get a global perspective on democracy and elections, given everything happening in the U.S. right now. 🗳️ Join here: korbel.du.edu/news-events/...

korbel.du.edu

Watch the 2025 Denver Democracy Summit Here | International Studies

Emerging from a global election year, January's 2025 Denver Democracy Summit will feature a dynamic gathering of leaders, thinkers, and changemakers tackling the most pressing challenges and opportuni...

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

...they create an existential crisis for higher ed, one we must be prepared to answer and engage, and are connected to a broader movement to redefine higher education's purposes. That's why I was glad to see this op-ed defining the purposes of Utah's public colleges: www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

deseret.com

Opinion: The cost of choosing efficiency over higher education

It may be tempting to want to fast-track degrees. But at what cost?

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

In higher ed, we must do a better job of advancing our own ideas about our purpose, least we let someone else do it for us and live with the consequences. Policymaker incursions into the curriculum, the anti-DEI movement, the end of Affirmative Action are bigger than threats to academic freedom...

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

If you don't find this alarming, you should. "About one-quarter of faculty members report feeling pressure to match their political views with those held by administrators and other professors at their institutions" in a survey by @aaup.bsky.social + @aacu.org www.highereddive.com/news/1-in-3-...

highereddive.com

One-third of faculty report recent declines in academic freedom, survey finds

The results show an “alarming erosion” of faculty rights, according to the head of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

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Inside Higher Ed @insidehighered.com · 13/01/2025

Some L.A. Colleges to Reopen This Week, Others Stay Closed Amid Wildfires Institutions that plan to reopen spent the weekend cleaning their campuses and purifying the air. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4j6uxcp

bit.ly

Some L.A. colleges to reopens, others stay closed amid wildfires

Institutions that plan to reopen spent the weekend cleaning their campuses and purifying the air.

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Did you know that Regional Public Universities exist all around the world? In May 2024 Madagascar opened their first RPU. Like RPUs in the U.S. and other countries, the Madagascan RPU has a mission to foster postsecondary access and regional development. www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?sto...

universityworldnews.com

First regional university aims to ensure equal opportunities

The official inauguration of the University of Fénérive-Est in Madagascar has taken place. It is the first of several new regional public universiti...

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Prof. Anthea Butler @antheabutler.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

There are families who will never be able to come back from this devastation, and many of them were in generational homes, passed down from people who bought homes in the 1970sand 80's in Altadena. All of the fires are a tragedy, but especially for those who don't have the resources to rebuild.

bet.com

Eaton Fire Devastates Historic Altadena, Displacing Black Families and Destroying Legacies

While celebrity losses grab headlines, the Eaton Fire has destroyed nearly 1,000 structures in Altadena, displacing Black families who’ve shaped the community for generations. Here's a brief history o...

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AERA @aeraedresearch.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

AERA is now accepting applications for the 2025 Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund. AERA graduate student members are encouraged to apply by January 31 at 11:59 pm PT. View the full Call for Applications here: www.aera.net/Portals/38/2...

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

This book was uncanny for all of the predictions Octavia Butler made. She was an oracle and a genius and predicted "Make America Great" in the Parable of the Talents.

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 08/01/2025

As we witness these heartbreaking scenes from the fires in LA, an important reminder that incarcerated people make up over 30% of California’s forest firefighters.

motherjones.com

30 percent of California's forest firefighters are prisoners

About 4,000 inmates battle blazes in the Golden State's woodlands.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Meta's policy is that group-based harassment is generally bad and forbidden *except for this one particular group*

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Great @cprnews.bsky.social story about Colorado Mesa U, a Regional Public, and its efforts to serve first-gen students. Colorado created a designation for first-gen colleges. No 💰 for designation, which is frustrating given how underfunded Regionals are, but it recognizes the unique role they play.

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Third Way Education @thirdwayedu.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

We got a LOT done in 2024! ✨ 📚 Launched the Higher Ed Value Metrics website 📚 Unveiled voter insights on higher ed value 📚 Debunked myths about the U.S. Dept. of Ed 📚 Proposed reforms for graduate education Big things ahead in 2025—stay tuned! buff.ly/3PclVmO

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Cecilia Orphan @ceciliaorphan.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

New Year, new pub🚨 I have wanted to write this for a long time. It was fun to write w/current and former students Steve Jenks & John Macikas. "Towards a More Nuanced Understanding of Regional Public Universities" in Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. link.springer.com/referencewor...

link.springer.com

Towards a More Nuanced Understanding of Regional Public Universities

Regional Public Universities (RPUs) serve a critical role in fostering postsecondary access, upward mobility, and regional well-being, providing support and services beyond just educational opportunit...

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