The Edge: 'Gone Fishing' Edition

On holiday, this newsletter writer offers up some thoughts on vacation reads — for herself and you. ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. I’m Goldie Blumenstyk, a senior writer at The Chronicle covering innovation in and around academe. Here’s what I’m thinking about this week. Vacation state of mind. I’m off this week. And while fishing isn’t really on my agenda, I do look forward to some kayak time on the water, bicycle time on the trails, and sandpiper-watching at the shoreline. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. For me, vacations are also great times for really digging into books. Last year’s project was the brilliant Pulitzer Prize winner [The Overstory](. This year, I’ll be reading [Wayward]( chosen because several college classmates and I are again following (in a very abridged way) Colgate University’s [Living Writers]( course. Yes, this is the latest iteration of a creative, [inter]( educational offering I highlighted two years ago]( and it’s great to see it still going strong, even if my crew is only planning to tackle a fraction of the syllabus. I’m also excited to dive into the two new books just published by friends and colleagues: [Discredited]( by Andy Thomason, and [The State Must Provide]( by Adam Harris. But candidly, those may end up waiting until I’m back and a little less focused on taking a break from thinking about higher ed. All this talk about books is also a good reminder. I’m always eager to pass along your suggestions of nonfiction that could provide insight into higher-ed culture and innovation, especially books (or articles) that aren’t actually directly about higher ed. So please continue to share those with me (via the email address for me below) along with a sentence or two on why you’re recommending it. And in the meantime, if you’re really missing The Edge this week, I invite you to look back on past issues [here](. Or check out some of my own favorites from the past few months, including newsletters on [Christian-college students working to win over their vaccine-hesitant peers,]( an examination of [a much-hyped student-success contest that never gave out its]( an exploration of [what an $800-million deal for a MOOC company means for the future of online education]( and one that I especially enjoyed writing on [how higher ed can help repair our democracy](. Honestly, whether I’m on vacation or on the clock, that’s a concern that’s never far from my mind. I’ll be back in your inboxes with the next issue of The Edge on September 29. The road ahead for research. Here’s an upcoming Chronicle event: The nation’s research enterprise, along with the careers of scientists and humanists, has been upended by the pandemic. Fieldwork was canceled, research projects placed on indefinite pause, and scholarly production, particularly among female researchers, dropped. How does higher education move forward? To find out, [join a virtual forum]( with Alexander Kafka, a senior editor at The Chronicle, and a panel of experts on Thursday, September 23 at 2 p.m., ET. Got a tip you’d like to share or a question you’d like me to answer? Let me know, at goldie@chronicle.com. If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to see past issues, [find them here](. To receive your own copy, free, register [here](. If you want to follow me on Twitter, [@GoldieStandard]( is my handle. Goldie’s Weekly Picks DATA [3 Things New Federal Data Reveal About How Colleges Fared During the Pandemic]( By Audrey Williams June and Brian O’Leary [STORY IMAGE]( The data underscore what has trickled out about institutions over the last 18 months: indicators of plummeting enrollment with warning signs for equity, fears of colleges’ faltering finances, and signs of their shrinking academic work forces. SPONSOR CONTENT | SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE [SEC Uses Athletics Platform to Celebrate, Support Conference Member Faculty]( ADMISSIONS [The Will to Test in a Test-Optional Era]( By Eric Hoover [STORY IMAGE]( Hundreds of colleges have suspended their ACT and SAT requirements. Many students won’t let them go. SPONSOR CONTENT | uNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA [What Actually Happens When Your Mind Wanders?]( Learn how a combination of philosophy and cognitive science can help us better understand both ordinary thought processes and disordered thinking that can contribute to depression, anxiety or ADHD. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Managing the Unimaginable]( [Managing the Unimaginable]( Climate change and cyberattacks can seem so far off that they become low priorities on a day-to-day basis, but their impact on colleges' campuses and operations can be extensive. [Order your copy]( to learn strategies to help navigate these critical threats to the physical and virtual campus. JOB OPPORTUNITIES Apply for the top jobs in higher education and [search all our open positions](. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( | [It was ok]( | [Loved it]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2021 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037