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Daniel Sparks

@jdsparks.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.2K following 200 posts

Prof @UArk | interested in higher ed finance, community colleges, ed privatization and cycling. Opinions my own..

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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Bummer that the Vanderbilt report got so much more media attention than the Cornell report will get Former met the narrative that higher ed is woke Latter put in the work of engaging with the university community and unsurprisingly came to more democratic conclusions/solutions
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Love the takeaways from this piece by @biblioracle.bsky.social What if campus policies on AI were the product of student, staff, faculty and admin dialogue? Opportunities abound to model shared governance instead of handing down policies (and contracts with big tech) from on high
insidehighered.com
Dartmouth’s provost has stopped “writing.”
Dartmouth’s provost raises a tension we should examine.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Instead of paying consultants colleges could use democratic governance to help make decisions. Just a thought
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
leave it to the states, they said
coloradopolitics.com
DOJ sues Colorado to overturn in‑state tuition for students living in the country illegally
The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Colorado to dismantle a decade‑old law that grants in‑state tuition to students living illegally in the United States, setting up a high‑stakes clash over immig...
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Finished reading Blood in the Machine Very excited to have retorts on hand for when i'm inevitably accused of being a luddite for banning AI in my classes
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
life was much easier when soccer was on for 7 hrs a day
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
New from me for the Academe Blog - I highlight two big reasons why earnings accountability from OBBBA is problematic: (1) earnings isn't an appropriate outcome measure for most programs at nonprofit colleges (2) it gives states a template for more control over programmatic decisions
academeblog.org
When “Do No Economic Harm” Causes Harm to Higher Education
BY DANIEL SPARKS Federal and state policy landscapes are changing rapidly in higher education. In July 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes a “do no economic harm” a…
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
of course polymarket uses kanye's music in commercials there could never be a pretense of scruples for that kind of company
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
the amount of people shitting on alexi lalas this world cup gives me hope for a more fair and just world
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
(+) calls out net prices at 4yr colleges haven't gone up in 10 yrs (+) engaged w/ research on loans & tuition (-) no real critique this is part of bad faith efforts to punish colleges not support students (-) no mention more state funding could limit tuition w/o increasing private student loans
npr.org
Can the Trump administration make college cheaper? : Planet Money
Will limiting how much students can borrow force schools to lower their prices? The Department of Education thinks so. It has a new plan to bring down tuition costs. Starting today, July 1st, it’s goi...
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
i'm gutted for japan, that's a tough way to go
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
This is good because it never really made any sense
insidehighered.com
Judge Tosses “Professional” Degree Definition
The ruling says the Education Department violated Congress’s instructions by adding criteria strictly limiting which degrees qualify for higher federal student loan borrowing caps.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
perhaps the daily articles and reports on eroding public trust in higher ed lead to...more distrust in higher ed i keep coming back to this lumina report finding that students overwhelmingly value college and find it to be a transformational experience
luminafoundation.org
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
i severely messed up in thinking i'd be in any way productive during the world cup
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
I've been watching world cup games on telemundo and man its way better than watching on fox. full disclosure i speak no spanish
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
this lad is leading the good life
Dog napping on the couch
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Reposted by Daniel Sparks
Joshua Goodman @joshua-goodman.com · 21/05/2026
The Economics of Education Review has been killing it recently. The latest issue is chock full of interesting articles worth reading and citing. Kudos to the editorial team! www.sciencedirect.com/journal/econ...
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Imagine thinking its cool to say 'You can hear me now or pay me later' to students at their college graduation
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
New paper on Virginia's free community college program (G3) is out today in Econ of Ed Review. Sade Bonilla and i find that G3 - increased FAFSA completion & grant aid - reduced debt - increased certificate completion in high-demand fields by >5pp
sciencedirect.com
Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead? Evaluating the effects of Virginia’s workforce-targeted free college program
Tuition-free college programs are gaining momentum as policymakers address rising college costs and workforce readiness. Despite their growing adoptio…
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Studying the humanities is helpful for understanding that this is a tale as old as time, fraught with the same tired characters
nytimes.com
The Rich and Powerful Want to Live Forever. What if They Could?
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The bookmark: a simple yet effective technology. Has never let me down in all my years of reading
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Happy earth day. Buffalo River, Arkansas
Picture of a bluff overlooking the buffalo river.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Just had an IES grant reinstated 13 months after it was terminated. Now THAT is efficiency!
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
This column by @bakerdphd.bsky.social rocks It also encouraged me to take out No Ivory Tower from the library
insidehighered.com
The Danger of Silence When Academic Freedom Is Under Threat
Inaction from rank-and-file workers enabled government censorship during the Red Scares.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
This is really cool to see. Feels like we've reached a tipping point in higher ed where college sports (mostly football & basketball) rep colleges in name only and make tons of $$ even as resources for actual college missions are gutted Hope to see more of this from big names in college athletics
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Notes from faculty meeting with college admin this am faculty member: what's the university doing to increase seed funds for faculty research given federal cuts? admin: we're working with boston consulting group to strategize me (internally): why not use the money for consulting for seed grants?
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
me and @cmulhern.bsky.social's paper on school counselors is out in econ of ed review We find more funding for counselors in California in the 2000s increased grad rates, college enrollment & school climate in short: counselors improve student outcomes and we should invest more in them!
sciencedirect.com
Expanding school counseling: The impacts of California funding changes
Counselors are a common school resource for students navigating complicated and consequential education choices, but most students have limited access…
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
When I lived in nyc, my 'small' landlord raised my rent well beyond inflation every year. when i asked why, they said it was to help cover increased costs of maintaining their vacation home in vermont
washingtonpost.com
NYC’s small landlords say they won’t survive Mamdani plan to freeze rent
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has criticized landlords and vowed to freeze what tenants in rent-stabilized apartments pay monthly.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Cue the quasi experiments
ncan.org
FAFSA Simplification Yielded 1.7 Million Additional Pell-Eligible Students - National College Attainment Network
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Most 'deleted' programs are in the humanities, following bills from UT, OH and IN that require workforce demand justifications. The survival of programs in higher is increasingly tied to perceptions of workforce demand, a problem I write at length about in Higher Ed Handbook. Link in comments
oudaily.com
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education terminates 16 OU degree programs, suspends 3 others
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved the termination of 16 and the suspension of three OU degree programs Friday as part of the board's comprehensive review of programs
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
our dept. at the university of arkansas is hiring a tenure-track AP of adult and lifelong learning. feel free to dm if interested
uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning
Current University of Arkansas System employees, including student employees and graduate assistants, need to log in to Workday via MyApps.Microsoft.com, then access Find Jobs from the Workday search ...
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
it is a huge bummer that only super rich people will be able to go to world cup games in the US. 2k just to get in the stadium is insane
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
One of the most American headlines I've ever seen
Headline from NPR on the growth of the school shooting industry
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
This is spot on from @jenniferberkshire.bsky.social . It’s soul sucking to constantly frame education as workforce training. It’s also not clear that going all in on this narrative has or will offer k12 and higher ed more stability and support
thebaffler.com
Uniform Policy | Jennifer C. Berkshire
Democrats must come up with a defense of public schools that goes beyond bloodless workforce preparation
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
"Relatively few students say that generative AI has diminished the value of college" interesting how the loudest voices championing AI in higher ed never seem to be students and faculty 🤔
insidehighered.com
Survey: College Students’ Views on AI
Key findings from Inside Higher Ed’s student survey on generative AI show that using the evolving technology hasn’t diminished the value of college in their view, but it could affect their critical th...
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Crazy numbers from US News & World Report survey: 35% of students are thinking about cutting back on their studies 32% about changing degrees 31% about completing school abroad 26% about enlisting in the military for financial support
theguardian.com
Majority of college students say they will be affected by Trump’s new tax bill: ‘Honestly, I’m cooked’
Survey shows 60% of students say they would personally feel impact of bill that sets new caps on borrowing
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Since NYT spends 99% of the time talking about elite colleges, its worth highlighting when they put out a great piece on community colleges. CCs are already under resourced, and the trump cuts to higher ed will limit opportunities for social mobility thru these institutions
nytimes.com
How Trump’s War on Higher Education Is Hitting Community Colleges
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
These are the kinds of stats every college and opposition policymaker should be using daily to restore funding and improve public perceptions of higher ed
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
It’d be cool if Trump threw a curve ball and forgave all student debt thru executive order just to mess w/ SCOTUS
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Spotted in Philly: “For JD Vance”
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
Attaching a dollar amount to the culture wars at school - another $3 billion that could have gone to actually helping students instead of directing resources to combat "small groups of individuals who used threats and misinformation for political advantages."
nepc.colorado.edu
Attaching a Dollar Amount to the Culture Wars at School
Culture wars create legal and operational expenses for schools. A recent report tallies up the cost.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Every college is on the list at this point, no sense believing otherwise
npr.org
More than 50 universities under investigation as part of Trump's anti-DEI crackdown
More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of Trump's campaign to end DEI programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian students.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Austerity comes for private higher ed. Public higher ed might not be too far behind
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Welp, there goes my postdoc.. had a feeling our team's research on CTE programs at community colleges would be perceived as too radical
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Orienting education as a strictly vocational project is dystopic, plain and simple
ed.gov
Secretary McMahon: Our Department's Final Mission
The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington.
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Welp, it continues to be illegal to try to make things easier for student borrowers
nasfaa.org
NASFAA | Court Ruling Affirms Blocking of SAVE Plan While Next Steps for the Program Remain Uncertain
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Philly researchers out protesting funding cuts. Hands off our healthcare, research and jobs @pasenatorsaval.com
Protestors outside of senator dave McCormick’s office in center city Philadelphia
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Maybe let's just start with making sure all schools have certified teachers, air conditioners, and asbestos free walls
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
Reviewer 1: your identification strategy is broken Reviewer 2: “whether or not” is redundant Reviewer 3: chill paper, enjoyed reading it
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Daniel Sparks @jdsparks.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
Everyone’s talking about pie for breakfast, but might I also recommend pie for dinner
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