Universities and Surveillance Capitalism

BY PAUL-OLIVIER DEHAYE Guest blogger Paul-Olivier Dehaye is a former assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Zurich.  Surveillance capitalism, described by Shoshana Zuboff, is the logic of accumulation of data leading to commodification of a facet of the global digital life. As remarked by Oliver Stone, Pokemon Go fits in this logic, as it…

If It's Good for Business…

BY JOYCE MILAMBILING Guest blogger Joyce Milambiling is professor and coordinator of the TESOL/applied linguistics graduate program in the Department of Languages and Literatures at the University of Northern Iowa. Applications for sabbaticals at my university are due next month. The process is competitive, the number of paid leaves for one or two semesters is limited,…

Adjuncts and Academic Freedom

BY EVA SWIDLER Guest blogger Eva Swidler is an environmental historian on the undergraduate liberal arts faculty at Goddard College and the Curtis Institute of Music. She also researches and writes in the fields of labor studies and political economy. Academic freedom is all the rage in newspapers these days. Are protests at speaking events on…

U of Chicago Faculty Letter to the Students

BY UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FACULTY The following open letter from University of Chicago faculty appeared in the Chicago Maroon on Sept. 13. Dear Students of the Class of 2020: As you have undoubtedly noticed, you and your new institution have been in the media spotlight lately. We want to take this opportunity to voice our…

New U of Iowa President Doesn't Get It

BY LOREN GLASS Loren Glass is a Professor of English at the University of Iowa. This op-ed appeared last week in the Quad City Times. Based on recent statements by University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld as well as various members and representatives of the Iowa Board of Regents it would seem that there is…