Sign in

Rob Taber

@robtaber.bsky.social
6.2K followers 1.7K following 2.1K posts

Historian of Haiti 🇭🇹 and democracy in the Americas at Fayetteville State. Working for a welcoming + transformative UNC System & NC. Views my own. Formerly US ED Partnerships. Occasional live-poster of obscure panels and events.

PostsRepliesMedia
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, […]
01723
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...
110
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.
1384
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...)
153
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.
010
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.
172
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).
260
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.
151
Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This change was officially reported for the first time today; the school board is considering it in a specially-called meeting in middle of the day tomorrow.
cityviewnc.com
Cumberland County Considers Sweeping Changes to School Choice Program
School district wants to end Spanish immersion at E.E. Miller, while launching new health sciences, technology, and hospitality programs.
010
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 ...
041
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.
46918
Reposted by Rob Taber
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
211129
Reposted by Rob Taber
Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Sometimes you try to make a very serious video(TM) and your editor decides to make a shitpost www.patreon.com/farmtotaber/... (not paywalled)
patreon.com
Accidentally made an Inspirational Speech(TM) | Farm to Taber
The editor decided to have some fun with this one (It's a clip from a video about Cyclospora & the FDA false positive test. That one's post
2639
Reposted by Rob Taber
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
032
Reposted by Rob Taber
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
71206
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
032
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
111
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.
140
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. 🤔
021
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.
241
Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A very valuable thread.
131
Reposted by Rob Taber
Age of Revolutions @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
ICYMI: Dr. Rob Taber (@robtaber.bsky.social) on the politics of clothing and locating connections among women of color in "What's in a Headwrap?: Using Mouchoirs to Illuminate Connections Between Women of Color in Colonial Haiti." ageofrevolutions.com/2026/09/02/w...
ageofrevolutions.com
What’s in a Headwrap? Using Mouchoirs to Illuminate Connections Between Women of Color in Colonial Haiti
By Robert D. Taber Dress and grooming standards are often political. In the contemporary United States, this ranges from Sikhs in the US military advocating to wear turbans as part of their uniform…
064
Reposted by Rob Taber
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
214138
Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
If you read or shared that Chronicle piece on the AHA's hiring of lobbyists, I recommend reading the AHA's response.
historians.org
The AHA’s Government Relations Work: An Update for Members - AHA
For many years, the AHA has believed that its advocacy works best when it is informed by experts in governmental affairs work. We have always been open about these partnerships, but as misinformation ...
144
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.
020
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.
140
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.
140
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.
140
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...
260
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."
2212
Reposted by Rob Taber
Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Did a collab with @aragusea.bsky.social about "How do we stop the goshdang outbreaks?"
youtu.be
How Do We Stop Outbreaks? Stop Hating Workers
YouTube video by Farm to Taber
214331
Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
There's something fitting about spending Labor Day doing the paperwork for a personnel action.
060
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
050
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!
062
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.
13012
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...
160
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.
130
Reposted by Rob Taber
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
1329895
Reposted by Rob Taber
Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 29/08/2026
The US sent a 3-year-old citizen to HAITI
01102569
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.
040
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).
130
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.
110
Reposted by Rob Taber
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...
Screenshot of an August 2026 Pew Research Center study titled, "No Easy Fix for Bogus Respondents in Online Opt-In Polls"
13918
Reposted by Rob Taber
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
171478430
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)
110
Reposted by Rob Taber
👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 25/08/2026
if you're in line to donate money to the Imagination Library, please stay in line
91542432
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.
2171
Reposted by Rob Taber
Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
THREAD
322368
Reposted by Rob Taber
The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 24/08/2026
VERY important to read the second sentence (and follow-on tweet) here -->
06528