Hello friends,
As promised, I’ve built periodic breaks into my publication schedule. These will happen once every seven weeks or so, and this one happens to coincide with the annual gathering of the Liminal collective. I am more excited about seeing them—and more in need of their collective wisdom—than ever. I hope you have people you can count on too.

This was Year 2, Week 15. None of us are doing this alone.

Items to think about more deeply

This was a brutal week of news, all around. I spent the day Tuesday holding my breath, desperately hoping my government wasn’t about to commit historic atrocities. I spent the rest of my spare time thinking about all the ways the president’s 2027 budget request is already causing damage.¹ But I’d like to do more than focus on the headlines of the week.

When I think about what we need to be preparing for, two items are front of mind for me:

• What’s happening now: I’m deeply concerned about the rise of legislatively-mandated ‘civics’ centers at public universities. As cloaked as they are in the positive rhetoric of civic education, civil discourse, and intellectual freedom, it can be challenging to recognize bad actors at first.² But these centers are the product of model legislation that is specifically created for partisan policymakers who want to “change the administrative structure of higher education to change the substance of what professors teach in college classrooms.” Mandatory course requirements generate just one income stream among the tens of millions of dollars pouring into centers that are explicitly designed for “administrative autonomy” rather than academic rigor or accountability. It’s completely unacceptable. I also want to mention that the issue extends beyond brick-and-mortar centers. Civic discourse apps and platforms are similarly on the rise. These raise additional concerns about privacy and data security.

• And a guess at what’s ahead: I was so relieved when the so-called ‘compact for higher ed’ failed last year. Unfortunately, the threat is not gone, it is just shifting into new forms. Accreditation and student financial aid are two of the next administrative arenas being weaponized. I really wish that I didn’t have to learn about the bureaucratic complexity underpinning our systems, but we need to fight for academic freedom and self-governance wherever that fight takes us.

I know that the items I bring to you each week can be frightening or infuriating. I’m sorry that this is where we find ourselves. If this issue is hitting you the wrong way, or is just too much, I hope you can also take a break. I’ll be back next week, and I’ll meet you when you’re ready.

Get some sleep. Touch some grass. Make some art. Hug your people. Take care of yourself.

Liz

As ever, thanks for reading & thinking with me. Meeting the Moment will always be free, but if you want to contribute, you can ⤵️

If this email was forwarded to you, hi! 👋 Every Friday night, I write a briefing on the week’s news for those of us who care about science and higher education. If you like what you see ⤵️