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Matthew R Hotham

@mrhotham.bsky.social
141 followers 187 following 37 posts

Professor of Islamic Studies.

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Reposted by Matthew R Hotham
Safiya Umoja Noble, PhD @safiyanoble.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
This is one of the best analyses of the total grift and scammery of AI in education I’ve seen, and it is a MUST Read: “Higher Ed’s Rush To Adopt AI Is About So Much More Than AI - defector.com/higher-eds-r...
defector.com
Higher Ed’s Rush To Adopt AI Is About So Much More Than AI | Defector
If you don’t work at a university or have college-age kids, you may have missed the flurry of news stories and social media banter about AI adoption in higher ed, stories which have snowballed into th...
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
Moved by the Pegasus Awards Reading. Amy Stolls gave an elegy for the NEA. Kazim Ali reminded us of the urgent need for accessible but rigorous critique. And Rigoberto Gonzalez spoke of both loss and hope as "a child of undocumented immigrants receiving this award in this city [Chicago] tonight"
Rigoberto Gonzalez reading at a podium on the left with an image of him wearing a hat seated in a yellow chair projected on the screen to his right.Amy Stolls speaking at a podium on the left with a headshot of her projected on the screen to the right.Kazim Ali at a podium on the left with his headshot projected on the screen to his right.
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Today, with a 31-4-6 vote, BSU's Faculty Council approved our resolution on Free Expression! bsuaaup.com/fc-resolutio... This shows that faculty across 31 depts remain concerned about the firing of an employee for private statements and are not ready to forget the threat this poses to us all.
bsuaaup.com
Faculty Council Resolution on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University - BSU AAUP
Rationale: On September 17, 2025, Ball State University terminated an employee for a statement she made in a private, friends-only Facebook post. This action appears to be in conflict with Ball State’...
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Our KYR event on international travel with CUNY CLEAR went great on Tuesday! If you couldn't make it, here's a handy document to help you navigate dealing with CBP for both citizens, LPRs, and non-citizens: drive.google.com/file/d/1NNDT...
Orange background with black lettering that says "Know your rights! Know your options" above orange text on a white background that says "traveling through airports or land borders"
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
While we recognize the largely symbolic nature of resolutions like this one, passage makes discussion of the issue an official university matter, so anyone afraid of retaliation can now claim discussion of university business passed by the Faculty Council.
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Good start! And @bsuaaup.bsky.social is a good one to follow too!
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Really proud of our students for this and hoping it is just the beginning of a conversation about how student publications can pool resources and work together to circumvent administrative censorship: www.ballstatedailynews.com/article/join...
ballstatedailynews.com
Actions towards Indiana Daily Student set dangerous precedent for all student media outlets
"If this decision stands, it would set a precedent that other universities can get away with such blatant censorship, and it should be alarming to all. We, along with so many others, are calling for a...
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Gabrielle Hecht 🇵🇷 • she/elle/ella/cis⚔️ • AOC 4USpresident @gabriellehecht.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
Sara Whitmer
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1h • 8
I'm sure many of you have heard by now that earlier this week, IU k*lled the print edition of its student paper, the IDS. The issue that was supposed to print this week contained criticism of the Whitten regime and IUs further slide into scist control, and they couldn't allow that to happen during Homecoming, when all the rich alumni are in town.
Enter Purdue! The Purdue student paper, The Exponent, owns its own presses. Yesterday, in an act of tremendous solidarity with their biggest rival school, they printed the forbidden issue of the IDS. They then drove it to Bloomington overnight and stocked all of the IDS boxes on campus, just in time for Homecoming.
Solidarity is what makes us stronger, and solidarity will be what ultimately allows us to triumph, if we can ever truly get it together. I hope everyone has a fun, safe day if they're going out today, and I hope we can think about what acts of solidarity we can begin taking to really make this movement MOVE - beyond a permitted expression of upset into more active resistance.
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AAUP @aaup.org · 30/09/2025
BREAKING: WE WON!!! 💥 💥 💥 Federal Judge William G. Young ruled today in our lawsuit against the Trump administration that the policy of arresting, detaining, & deporting noncitizen students & faculty members for their pro-Palestinian advocacy violates the 1st Amendment. Full ruling here:
courtlistener.com
Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law – #261 in American Association of University Professors v. Rubio (D. Mass., 1:25-cv-10685) – CourtListener.com
Judge William G. Young: ORDER entered. FINDINGS OF FACT AND RULINGS OF LAW, PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 52(A)(Sonnenberg, Elizabeth) (Additional attachment(s) added on 9/30/2025: # 1 Main Document) (J...
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Dr. Sarah Vitale, secretary of our chapter, delivers some excellent comments and insight in this article by the NYT. See our petition in the comments. We are up to at least 352 signatures and still collecting them. @aaup.org @sarahvit82.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
She Was Fired for a Comment on Her Private Facebook Account
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
I have lots of nitpicks about this article, but I'm glad this is getting national attention and that the reporter spent several days in Muncie working on this piece: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
She Was Fired for a Comment on Her Private Facebook Account
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Middle East Medievalists @mideastmedieval.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Three-year VAP in Medieval Middle East/Islamic History at Colby's History Department jobs.chronicle.com/job/37887745...
jobs.chronicle.com
Visiting Assistant Professor of Medieval Middle East-3 year - Waterville, Maine, United States job with Colby College | 37887745
Description Visiting Assistant Professor in Middle East/Islamic History The Department of History at Colby College invites applications for a...
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Read our statement on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University signed by hundreds of BSU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members from across the political spectrum. You can add your name too, using the form at the bottom of this page: bsuaaup.com/aaup-public-...
bsuaaup.com
AAUP Public Statement on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University - BSU AAUP
Add your name to this list by filling out this form:
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
How's your week been? Indiana Educator Sues After Firing Over Charlie Kirk Posts share.google/0PBkW2iIvvhd...
share.google
Educator, ACLU Sue University After Firing Linked to Kirk Criticism
An Indiana educator, along with the ACLU, is suing after being fired from Ball State University over posts criticizing Charlie Kirk.
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ACLU of Indiana @acluindiana.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
“People do not forfeit their First Amendment rights when they are hired by government institutions. Public employees are free to speak on matters of public concern, so long as they are speaking as private citizens..."
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Please see our official statement regarding the termination of BSU employee Suzanne Swierc. Click the following link for the full statement: bsuaaup.com/response-to-... @aaup.org
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Jordie B. @jordie9.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
I graduated in 2024 with two bachelor degrees: Religious Studies and Social Work. I’m finishing up my master degree in Social Work. I will graduate next July. It is strange to think that in just over a year, there is no longer a Religious Studies program. It has been dissolved. There is a-
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
LinkedIn advertising that Texas A&M is hiring Associate Professors is darkly hilarious
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Michael "Fallen Coffee Pot of Shadows" Senters the Sigillite:ABD @mikesenters.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
@partpartisan.bsky.social , another day…another perfect moment to drop the meme.
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Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Protesters were tear gassed, shot with pepper spray bullets and some detained by ICE officers outside of a facility in suburban Broadview Friday morning. blockclubchi.co/3VslkAr
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Ashley C. Ford @smashfizzle.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
It’s going to break your heart how many people you know, love, and respect will turn out to be cowards. Prepare yourself as best you can. You are not alone, but you are your own center. Be a strong center.
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Kevin Reuning @reuning.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
The @aaup.org just shared guidance for academic workers on how to protect themselves online www.aaup.org/news/advisor...
aaup.org
Advisory to Academic Workers
In a moment when it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict the consequences of our online speech and choices, the AAUP and Faculty First Responders are issuing guidance to AAUP members and othe...
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Is your university using EAB for student tracking? Would you like to track their eye movement, heart rate, circadian rhythms and create a corporate go-between for all their educational, social, emotional, and professional needs? EAB has you covered. And your uni is probably considering adopting it.
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
A glimpse into BSU's future. Next week, Mearns will start hosting forums and surveys on how to cut $20 mil from the budget next year. As with the strategic plan update and core revision, they already know the desired outcome and these info gathering sessions will mostly be performative.
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Matthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Number of majors = wrong metric👇
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Shaily Patel @vox-magica.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
the whole thread, but especially this. especially this. students need basic religious literacy to make sense of all *this* and how we got here.
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Veena Dubal @veenadubal.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
AAUP-HARVARD, AAUP, & UAW WON THE HARVARD CASE!!!! storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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AAUP @aaup.org · 02/09/2025
From Durham, NC to Washington, LA, Chicago, Boston, & dozens of cities in between, higher ed workers stood up today for the freedom & independence of higher education, because the future of our democracy depends on it. #LaborDay #DefendHigherEd #WorkersOverBillionaires @ncaaup.bsky.social
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AAUP @aaup.org · 01/09/2025
We Out Here! AAUP & @aft.org members from coast to coast are out in the streets this #LaborDay standing on business & raising the voices of higher ed workers as we continue to resist an unprecedented wave of attacks. Join Us! #DefendHigherEd ✊🏼✊🏾✊🏻✊🏿✊🏽
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AAUP IU Bloomington Chapter @iubaaup.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
📰hot off the press, a piece by English professor and IUB AAUP Exec member Purnima Bose, outlining the ways in which recent legislation in Indiana has been deployed as a direct assault on the autonomy and academic freedom of the state's public universities againstthecurrent.org/atc238/india...
againstthecurrent.org
Indiana’s Assault on Public Education
Godfather of Trump University, Trump is insisting on his rules for private and public U.S. universities. RIGHT-WING AUTHORITARIANS such as Donald Trump and his MAGA minions drive their ideological …
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Matthew Boedy @matthewboedy.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
Update on the shadowy media group that requested millions of syllabi across the US. Here are stories from their own sites about the national August 6th request, likely thousands of requests to schools in Alabama, California, New York, Pennsylvania likely all 50 states: www.google.com/search?hl=en...
google.com
Google Search
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Aaron Cynic @aaroncynic.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
Looks like I'm gonna have to tap the sign again today
A design made by Harebrained!. It's the Morton's Salt Girl logo. On the top it reads "STFU ABOUT CHICAGO." Just to the left it reads in cursive "you don't live here."
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Marian Wilson Kimber @mwilsonkimber.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
@aaup.org Youtuber Hank Green (with 3.94 million followers) has made a video about Trump and higher ed. He's provided a link to the AAUP. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQwh...
youtube.com
What Trump is Doing to Universities
YouTube video by vlogbrothers
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Matthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
This is a great read, one of the more truly thoughtful takes I’ve come across👇
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Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) @mesa1966.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
Whether you're a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident (LPR), or visiting on a visa, it's important to understand your rights at the border, what to expect, entry requirements, how to secure your devices, and who to contact. Stay informed and travel safe!
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Excited for this forthcoming volume from @sunypress.bsky.social. @drjags.bsky.social, myself, and 2 co-authors not on Bluesky have a chapter about the SB 202 fight at BSU. Full of lessons and strategies for handling shenanigans coming soon to a university near you. sunypress.edu/Books/T/The-...
sunypress.edu
The Campus Crisis Toolkit
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Matt Seybold @mattseybold.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
"Ziplines is renting the brand equity of regionalized public higher education in the aggregate" but "the evolution of education which companies like Ziplines imagine is not one of mutual flourishing with their university partners, but one in which those partners can be retired and replaced."
theamericanvandal.substack.com
How Venture Capitalists Built A For-Profit "Micro-University" Inside Our Public Flagships
You can graduate any time, but you can never leave.
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Rebecca Colesworthy @rcolesworthy.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
And it will be on the @sunypress.bsky.social website and available for preorder next week/in early August. Stay tuned! Really excited to get this into the world and readers’ hands.
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Kevin Gannon (now a Moo Deng fan account) @thetattooedprof.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
IT HAS A COVER! Pleased to announce that _The Campus Crisis Toolkit: Strategies and Solidarity For the Rest of Us_ is coming from @sunypress.bsky.social in Feb. With 25 chapters from over 40 contributors, the book tackles everything from anti-DEI laws to consultants and cuts to campus violence (1/2)
The cover for the upcoming volume "The Campus Crisis Toolkit: Strategies and Solidarity for the Rest of Us"
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Soumya Rangarajan, MD, MPP @soumya-goblue.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Ohio State and Indiana are ruining themselves and what used to be the jewel in the #Midwest crown, #BigTen academics. Cutting over 50 programs from humanities to data science for...this. Embarrassing
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Joseph Laycock @josephlaycock.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Please share this CFP for the second Gods and Monsters conference at Texas State.
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
@aarweb.bsky.social has sent a letter regarding the elimination of Religious Studies at BSU, IUI, and IU-B. Thankful for their swift action on this and for my Midwest AAR colleagues who helped me to bring this to their attention.
The leadership of the AAR, the premier professional association with a world-wide membership of over 6000, writes to express its concern that the Commission has announced its plans to suspend or consolidate/merge the Religious Studies BA Progs at BSU, IU-B & IU-I. The AAR is dedicated to advancing the academic study of religion and fostering the public understanding of religion, a commitment it has maintained and refined over more than a century since its conception in 1909. We have reminded the public of the relevance and significant contributions religious studies makes to higher education in our public statement issued in 2020. The research and public engagement of religious studies scholars makes it very clear that the study of religion is more than ever before essential to the mission of the university, to the understanding of global challenges such as violence and poverty, and to making the world a place of respectful co-existence....  The academic study of religion is critical to this education, providing not only transferable skills and competencies but a special vocabulary, historical depth, and informed perspective to lead in global and local conversations on various kinds of community needs, meanings, and innovations. We recognize that as part of the public university system of Indiana, your Commission and these universities have obligations beyond providing basic career preparation. They are responsible for helping shape thoughtful, engaged, and critical citizens. Eliminating BAs that have at their center intercultural literacy and critical consciousness of world religious traditions goes counter to the public record of distinction of the University. We urge you to recognize that religious studies is a strong ally, and enabler, of the mission and vision of the university. In the spirit of constructive partnership in higher education, we ask you to not eliminate but to support these programs.
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Megan Goodwin @mpgphd.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
religious studies at Ball State and IU Bloomington on the chopping block once more, with feeling: religiondispatches.org/the-universi...
religiondispatches.org
The University of Vermont Might Be Done With Religion, But Religion Isn't Done With Us
In case you missed it: Religion has had quite a year. The Muslim Ban celebrated its second (or third) birthday. Reproductive justice once again took a backseat to religious “liberty,” and queer parent...
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Some of the defenses I've seen of those cuts include "but these programs have 0 students enrolled!" This makes people think some profs are collecting checks to do nothing. Here is why that misleading and an unhelpful way to look at this. 1/4
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Joseph A Marchal @jamarchal.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Indiana and the US are weaker and less prepared for the world now and still to come www.ipm.org/news-section...
ipm.org
Indiana public colleges cut almost 20% of degrees
Public Indiana colleges and universities have eliminated 19 percent of their degree programs to meet requirements added to the state’s budget, according to the Commission for Higher Education.
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
And this is why it's sad, but predictable, that the state of Indiana seems to be eliminating the field entirely with HB 1001.
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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
BSU AAUP is collecting data on HB 1001's impact at BSU. Could lead to the loss of 90 programs, including Religious Studies, Math, Meteorology, Philosophy, Physics, International Business, Landscape Architecture, and Parks & Rec Facilities Management. How can you eliminate Parks and Rec in Muncie??
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is talking to a group of people .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is talking to a group of people .
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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Ahead of the BoT meeting on 6/13, we sent them an initial report with findings from our spring survey. This one focused on compensation and its link to morale. We are more than disappointed that they chose to ignore this data and suspend raises. Read the report here: bsuaaup.com/bsu-faculty-...
bsuaaup.com
BSU Faculty Compensation and Morale Report – Ball State University AAUP
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