Academe Today: When Reading Is a Matter of Life and Death

Professor suspended for calling students "vectors of disease" is suing; priorities for campus space; a quagmire of digital recommendations; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. THE REVIEW | CONVERSATION [When Reading Is a Matter of Life and Death]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( The historian Chris Celenza discusses paranoia, philology, and the future of the university. ADVERTISEMENT BACKGROUNDER [The Groves of Academe Are Always on Fire]( By Merve Emre and Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( Crisis has been with the modern humanities since their inception. FACULTY [This Professor Was Suspended for Calling His Students ‘Vectors of Disease.’ Now He’s Suing.]( By Abbi Ross [STORY IMAGE]( Ferris State University placed Barry Mehler on administrative leave this month after the videotaped incident, which the institution’s president said had left him “shocked and appalled.” SPONSOR CONTENT | University of Birmingham [Learn how an established forest is responding to climate change.]( THE EDGE [This Year’s Priorities for Campus Space]( By Goldie Blumenstyk Tackling deferred maintenance, reframing sustainability as resilience planning, redesigning the learning environment, and other goals from guests on our latest podcast series. LIVE CORONAVIRUS UPDATES [Here’s a List of Colleges That Require Students or Employees to Be Vaccinated Against Covid-19]( By Andy Thomason and Brian O’Leary [STORY IMAGE]( Our comprehensive tracker now includes campuses that are requiring booster shots. Are You Feeling Disengaged From Your Work? A recent Review essay, “[The Great Faculty Disengagement]( describes a growing number of professors as having checked out emotionally and mentally from their jobs. Has your relationship to your work and institution changed since the pandemic started? [Share your thoughts]( and we may feature your response in a future article. Virtual Events: Tune In Live ENROLLMENT [The Covid Crisis: Helping First-Gen Men]( [STORY IMAGE]( Upcoming: January 27 at 2 p.m., ET. Male student enrollment, particularly among low-income males, is on a downward trend. A panel of experts on access and retention gathers to examine the pandemic’s impact on this student population and offer ideas to help solve their challenges. With Support From Ascendium. [Register here.]( SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access and save 50% for the first year with this limited-time offer. Views ADVICE [Trapped in the Quagmire of Digital Recommendation Letters]( By Jane S. Halonen and Dana S. Dunn [STORY IMAGE]( Technology was supposed to make it easier to recommend a student for graduate admission. So why is it more time consuming than ever? A Paid Message from | Ascendium [What does it take to be a student-centric institution?]( Explore a new resource center to help your students succeed. [Learn More.]( ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Building Students' Resilience]( [Building Students' Resilience]( Colleges are under pressure to meet the mental-health needs of students. Leaders also need to understand when to intervene. [Order your copy]( to explore strategies to address student mental health, and get guidance for how your staff and faculty can best support resilience and well-being. JOB OPPORTUNITIES Apply for the top jobs in higher education and [search all our open positions](. [Postdoctoral Fellows/Research Associates - Interactive Histories- Judaism, Christianity and Islam]( Institute for Advanced Study and University of Bern [Executive Director, CCSRE]( Stanford University [Faculty Openings: Department Chairs, Anatomy & Pathology, Primary Care & OMM]( Kansas City University [Explore Wartburg Faculty Positions]( Wartburg College [Director of Reunions, Alumni Recognition, & Special Projects]( Trinity University [University of Michigan - Howard R. Marsh Visiting Professorship in Journalism]( University of Michigan [Enrollment Management]( Ohio University - Athens [Faculty Fellow Position, Department of Classics, New York University Arts and Science]( New York University Arts and Science [Full-Time ASL Lecturer]( Case Western Reserve University [Director of the UVM Career Center]( University of Vermont [Vice President of Enrollment Management]( Olivet Nazarene University [Myron and Margaret Winegarden Endowed Professor of Innovation and Technology]( University of Michigan-Flint [Search other jobs.]( 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. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037