iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Rob Taber

Thiago Krause @thiagokrause.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Call for proposals for a workshop, my people! Slavery and transimperial trade next March at William & Mary. Please spread it far and wide: I want to read your many great proposals!

atlanticexchanges.wm.edu

2027 Workshop Call for Proposals - Atlantic Exchanges Workshop

Atlantic Exchanges 2027 Slavery and the Commercial Machinery of Empires The Atlantic Exchanges Workshop invites proposals for its second edition, […]

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And a decent chunk of the pressure from employers is people hoping to hire grads who have figured out use cases that the employers haven't found yet...

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The more Yudkowsky interviews I read, the more glad I become that: 1) I bounced away from Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality after a chapter or two. 2) There's a family rule that the kid doesn't learn the results of their childhood IQ test (school required) until they're 30 yo.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Another hazard for History programs is the Humanities are good training for solving problems, so our faculty end up on administrative reassignment. So while we're theoretically adequately staffed (7 TT faculty, 4:4 base load, class sections capped at 30-40 but upper level smaller...)

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Ugh, yes, absolutely. And in the spirt of this, I'm going to put down my own work for at least a few hours.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It's amazing the problems that the "Civic Center" approach keeps running into. Meanwhile, the UNC System's Common Ground Collaborative has issued 70 course design or redesign grants to faculty across the state with minimal fuss, more immediate impact, and a much lower overall cost.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

There's a big fight happening right now where the Trump administration is trying to remove the American Bar Association's ability to accredit law schools (yes, really).

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

As I get older, I become more convinced that the most important advice you can give to young people who are interested in politics, activism, or making a difference of any kind is to invest time and energy into taking care of your health (physical and mental) so you can be of use in the long haul.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Last night was the deadline to submit public comments on the Department of Education's proposed rule on "Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization." Here's what I submitted—drawing on resources and conversations from many friends + colleagues, but speaking only for myself.

docs.google.com

Taber_Statement on AIM regulation

21 September 2026 To Whom It May Concern: I am submitting this comment in my capacity as an individual higher education professional, drawing on my experiences within the Office of the Secretary at ...

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Reposted by Rob Taber

Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Eric basically asked "Why are you so big on criticizing universities publicly but not the administration?" The response was...lacking.

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I'm seeing a lot of "Oh nooooo Taylor Farms bribed Trump & now they'll be excused 🥺" Frankly? We need more of a spine than that, people. Let's talk about what really happened with Taylor Farms, the FDA false positive, & why we gotta stop handing wins to billionaires before we even start to fight.

youtu.be

Taylor Farms Conspiracy Theory DEBUNKED

YouTube video by Farm to Taber

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Also discussed: -The importance of paying attention to regional public universities -The "public trust in higher ed" question -Not making assumptions of our students + letting them learn & grow -The crucial role of academic freedom in enabling + protecting civil discourse

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I left this out last night bc I had an early work morning set for today. Rob woke up, found it lying on the living room floor w no context, & said "...it looks like a cyberpunk guy melted"

A pair of safety-orange chainsaw chaps, instruction manuals, a power cord, and a couple portable solar panels lying on the floor

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Something I've maintained since the start is that civil discourse teaching it shouldn't be a partisan issue. Helping students learn how to engage in the strong civility required for hard conversations, to follow evidence to solve problems, is core to the work of the university:

youtube.com

Robert Taber Discusses UNC's Report of Civil Discourse

YouTube video by The James G. Martin Center

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Update: grading the paper-based exam was much faster than grading on Canvas (about 2x speed). I also learned how much I missed the community aspect of handing the graded exams back to the students at the end of class + that students are much more likely to actually look at feedback this way.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I am eager to revise our curriculum but should probably start with a survey of History majors and alumni. 🤔

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Re-reading Mountains Beyond Mountains and struck by how much Paul Farmer's friends and colleagues are the ones who made his vision / Partners in Health a reality.

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Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

you can, if your library has books or subscriptions, have research labs for humanities courses, the way STEM courses have labs you can make communal spaces for writing you can emphasize process over productivity the choice to learn is always the student’s; that’s life. but you can make it easier

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I find myself in the sudden position of being the History Program coordinator. Any tips, tricks, and reccomendations are greatly appreciated.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The pain when one author is at Microsoft campus and the other is at a Google campus.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Note: add "how to disable pop-up blockers for the university's learning management system" to all student orientations.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Higher ed governance is hard! One reason I'm so intrigued by the model the UNC Faculty Assembly + System Office developed ~4 years ago is it's one of the few I've seen to include meaningful faculty input on an accelerated* timeline. *Accelerated compared to many faculty committees.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

We're stuck with e-textbooks for the students for the foreseeable future, but just gave my first paper-based exam today since 2020. Reading the replies reminded me that I could take advantage of my print budget and switch to printed out sources...

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The cat knocked a ceramic bowl off the porch into the dirt, where it broke. I had a moment where I thought, "I can't pick this up, I'm not a trained archaeologist. Potsherds must be left in situ."

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

There's something fitting about spending Labor Day doing the paperwork for a personnel action.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Well, if I were going to have a day with eight hours of meetings, I'm glad it's followed by Labor Day weekend.

static.klipy.com

The Weekend

Alt: The Weekend being introduced by Daniel Craig

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Of all the things that need reformed, this is pretty small, but: The fact that my Member of Congress can send a glossy mailer to me about how awesome he is—just two months before the election—and have it be paid for by the taxpayers, that's pretty wild!

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Great to have this out into the world! Many thanks to friends who looked at it ahead of time and the peer reviewers at @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social who provided excellent feedback. Mouchoirs (headwraps) were passed between Haitian women, including across generations and the free/enslaved boundary.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

You know those home renovation projects that look simple from the outside but quickly become much larger? So, my department is trying to do two "simple" updates to the History curriculum...

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The weather is cooling. The days are getting shorter. It's that magical time of year where I get to come up with terrible recruitment lines for quiz bowl.

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Lots of mystery meat news this week! I did a livestream going through the stories here! If you've wondered "Where is this bonus tariff-free beef coming from?? "Is it HORSE?" youtube.com/live/av5QXbH...

youtu.be

Mystery Meat Situation Is Insane

YouTube video by Farm to Taber

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Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 29/08/2026

The US sent a 3-year-old citizen to HAITI

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

As the authors of the Vanderbilt report have relesaed their follow-up looks at their specific fields, Steven Mintz has given them a close reading. Lots of big ideas in this piece, but I particularly appreciate his argument that there have been changes in the humanities + the sciences since ~1999.

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

With normal traffic, my commute home is exactly the length of "All Too Well" (Taylor's version).

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Found out today that one of the Early Colleges on our campus, which has been focused on global languages of "strategic national interest" (Chinese, Arabic, Spanish) and global cultural competence, is pivoting to a STEM program focused on nursing and cybersecurity.

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John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Admittedly, a detailed report about survey methodology isn't for everyone. But this new @pewresearch.org study has some hilarious examples of "trap questions" used to weed out bogus survey respondents. 10% said they've visited the International Space Station. www.pewresearch.org/methods/2026...

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 26/08/2026

I’m here in Salisbury, MD today, where Rev. William Barber is leading a protest in support of the local Haitian community. Around 10% of Salisbury is Haitian, and many are facing potential deportation after the Trump admin ended their TPS status. Joined by faith leaders, reps from Sens and the Gov

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Heck, the Commission for Public Higher Education's evidentiary guidance for its standard on intellectual diversity GOES OUT OF ITS WAY to state that it isn't about the political views of individual faculty. (1/2)

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👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 25/08/2026

if you're in line to donate money to the Imagination Library, please stay in line

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Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Maybe I'm wrong, but I suspect that one of the big "ed reform" movements of the next decade will be to get computers OUT of (many) classrooms.

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The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 24/08/2026

VERY important to read the second sentence (and follow-on tweet) here -->

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