Heidi Keller-Lapp, Ph.D.

In 2026, colleges must teach students that this is not the end of the world. We must teach hope. Current undergraduates can barely remember a time before the threats of climate change and authoritarianism loomed to catastrophic scale. Since 2010, the future depicted in TV, books, and games has been dystopian or apocalyptic, so for our current students the end of the world feels more familiar and realistic than a future with hope. Now we are asking them to choose majors and life paths when the desirability, indeed the very existence, of whole sectors of employment are in question, due to the overwhelming promises of LLMs and machine learning. As young people hear daily that vocation after vocation may vanish into automation’s maw, and that democracy, liberty, land, sea, and sky are all in jeopardy, despair is growing. Despair is very emotionally tempting. It means freedom from the responsibility to shape the future. This is a terrifying turning point, but many generations before us have faced such turning points, and met them. We can offer our students perspective. Only a few dozen institutions on Earth are more than 900 years old, and the vast majority are universities. The university system is not a house of straw to buckle in this storm: We are the rocks that have sheltered the knowledge, hope, and truth through tumults which have toppled kingdoms while classrooms endured. We can endure this, and be a guiding light through it, but only by recentering, by teaching citizens, not workers; power, not PowerPoint; aspiration, not apocalypse. Despair is how we lose. The classroom is where we battle it. All other battles flow from here. Ada Palmer is an associate professor of history at the University of Chicago.

This, from Ada Palmer as part of The Chronicle's survey of 11 scholars on the future of higher ed, is what I needed to end the week.

Thank you for reminding us!

Do you do this weekly?

Good advice. I’m thinking a lot about class norms and values in the age of AI. Will share out what I’m doing next semester when this one is over!

I’ve been thinking about small group/pair sharing. Students verbalize that they want an active, engaging seminar experience (so do I!), but getting them to trust that they won’t be hurt in the process is tough. It’s what I’m thinking about.

I’m teaching the undergraduate capstone research seminar next semester. What works best to encourage students to share their research in class?

Democratic politicians need to stop accepting Trump’s white nationalist premise that immigration is bad and proudly and loudly make a positive case for why America’s identity and history as a nation of immigrants is so important.

If you can’t make it to an independent bookshop to buy books for Christmas presents and have to buy online, buy them from @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social. Free shipping ends tomorrow. uk.bookshop.org

Thank you for sharing this everyone. I will have many things to share after the holiday.

I love your posts.

Where?

Mine is a medicinal recipe book. But we should connect. Maybe over the break?

I’m thinking about just this while currently translating an 18th century French recipe book.

Bravo! Jealous

Anyone else prepping for a Spring 26 senior historical methods seminar in the age of AI? Any ideas or success stories to share with us? I’m also in the market for articles/textbooks in migration/diaspora studies for the same class.

This is Idaho 💙

No Kings

On our way San Diego

Funny not funny

Class size matters. I’m managing in classes under 50

Im in!

I switched back to handouts this semester. It’s not so bad. I enjoy teaching so much more when they are actually reading and discussing the material!

Me, too!

Stay weird, Portland.

« Smoothness feels gross »

That hits.

I am so proud of you!

You’ll get em next time

Bon Courage!

Assistant Professor of Gender & Sexuality Studies (731) - HigherEdJobs Jobs in higher education. Faculty and administrative positions at colleges and universities. Updated daily. Free to job seekers.

The landscape in higher ed is bleak right now, but here's a bright light at my institution: there's a new tenure track position at @davidsoncollege.bsky.social in Gender & Sexuality Studies. Please share widely!

Can’t wait!

So distinguished