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Matthew R Hotham

@mrhotham.bsky.social

141 followers 187 following 37 posts

Professor of Islamic Studies.

Posts Replies Media

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.

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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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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 · 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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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Proud of our students for organizing to oppose BSU's announcement that they are ending all inclusion policies and activities and scrubbing our documents and website of all mention of its existence.

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Matthew R Hotham @mrhotham.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

For many, Friday the 13th is unlucky. For those who graduated from a tiny school founded by "13 men with 13 dollars and 13 prayers" it's Colgate Day. Happy Colgate Day to those who celebrate! It's fun bumping into alumni in random places wearing Colgate gear on Fri the 13th. Hope to meet some today!

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