Dispatches from the Academic Trenches

Nathan Archer, Tallahassee Democrat, April 8, 2022 Greetings from the Swamp. Florida has been the bellwether for the past five years regarding attacks against public education and public sector unions. Course curricula have been attacked, subject matter censored, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives defunded by reactionary state legislators who view anything challenging their narrow worldview in the most paranoid of terms. But the full impact of such reactionary l

February 19, 2026 Greetings from the Swamp. Ever since Florida became ground zero for the attacks against public higher education roughly five years ago, many misconceptions circulate regarding how academic freedom functions down here and the ways in which it is being compromised. A recent job candidate confided to a search committee member during a campus visit: “My advisor suggested I scrap my talk regarding gender and sexuality since he heard that you aren’t allowed to dis

January 2, 2026 Greetings from the Swamp. As the new year takes hold, the attacks against public higher education continue. Those with their student loans in default could face having their wages garnished (though, The Debt Collective offers some helpful advice to avoid doing so). Harvard continues trying to negotiate a settlement with the Department of Education but keeps running up against an administration that seems more intent in holding the university in its crossh