Notes from today's @ASHEoffice webinar on "Resisting Disaster Academic Capitalism and White Supremacy" w/ @lesliedgonzales, @garyrhoades, @gblancoedd, @doctorkag, @trans_killjoy, & @HeatherShotton #ASHE2020 (a thread )

Disaster capitalism is an organizational theory about workplaces as well as organization practices and logics (accumulation, scarcity, austerity, hyper-competition) // @garyrhoades

In some ways, COVID further uncovers the inequities and oppressive structures/practices of institutions that existed pre-COVID. There is a continuity in this logic over time // @garyrhoades

If you haven't already read this story, take in what @DianSquire & @kevinrmcclure offer in this article! COVID-related furloughs and layoffs affect those with the least resources (most marginalized) to navigate this time https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/14/college-staff-face-layoffs-some-argue-against-budget-cuts

* @trans_killjoy has entered the chat *

Definitely get into @DianSquire, @trans_killjoy, & @rosiejperez's @RHE_ASHE article entitled "Institutional Response as Non-Performative: What University Communications (Don't) Say About Movements Toward Justice" https://muse.jhu.edu/article/724913/pdf

We are only "friends and family" at our higher education institutions when the institution needs us or needs to use us. This has yet again shown up in communications related to COVID // @trans_killjoy

In reality, these words for those of us in marooned populations remind us of our lack of connection to the institution to begin with // @trans_killjoy

We have framed this discourse around how unproductive faculty are and what higher education administrators will do since people can't produce in the ways they used to WHEN IN ACTUALITY people are working very hard and productivity looks different // @doctorkag

Those who identify as women, women of color, men of color are actually engaging in some of the more critical functions of the institution and keeping it moving forward at this moment when their productivity is framed as less // @doctorkag

How do we begin to discuss doing away with the idea of "production" - how do we move away from a numeric evaluation system and a more reflective, narrative approach to evaluate faculty work? These are difficult conversations yet absolutely necessary // @HeatherShotton

Some provinces in Australia have extended the general protections to their citizens concerning COVID to international students, exemplifying international solidarity for those within those borders while other countries have taken different measures // @gblancoedd

Austerity as an institutional strategy will actually prolong the conditions we are experiencing currently, actually exacerbating the effects we are all worried about // @gblancoedd

If higher education institutions do not change course on these logics of productivity, the scaled gains we have made to diversify tenure-track lines around race and gender will recede because of our inability to dream of different possibilities for evaluation // @lesliedgonzales

In the midst of all of this, it's nonsensical to think about college rankings when 200,000+ people have died in the U.S. and even more globally. How do we envision alternative ways of organizing our time and resources that are truly about care? // @garyrhoades

The language of "academic workforce" is v intentional. This term pulls in as many folks as possible, including those engaged in teaching, working with students, post-docs, graduate students // @lesliedgonzales

Might the work of solidarity look like leaving the university behind and not doing the work of (attempting to) reform a rotten, corrupted project? // @trans_killjoy

Y'all better hire @thequeerestfolk in a few years! Come on, brilliance!

From an Indigenous perspective, how are we entering into relationship with one another and continue the work of counter-mobilization from within and outside of the academy during and beyond this pandemic? How are we answerable to one another? // @HeatherShotton

Academics struggle with mental health and well-being all the time AND especially right now. Folks need a different level of care right now, and probably always have. How do we imbue care in our interactions, our policies intentionally? // @doctorkag

Dear @lesliedgonzales, @garyrhoades, @gblancoedd, @doctorkag, @trans_killjoy, & @HeatherShotton:
Thank you for your brilliance and spirits on today's webinar! This felt re-energizing even as the odds feel (and are) high.