From Renegade Writer to Policy Fighter, My New Chapter with NAS
Taking the work of exposing academia’s failures into the halls of power—without abandoning this space.
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It’s only a few days into September and the shift in temperature is undeniable. Change is coming. And so it is that I also have a big change on a short horizon. This passed week I accepted an offer to work for the National Association of Scholars acting as their external relations coordinator, a position that will allow me to work on changing education policy both here in Tennessee and across the country.
To say that I am excited would be an understatement.
I will be learning more about various issues across academia, and work with people who have been focused on remediating these problems for years. It is a perfect position, just for me. It will allow me to continue what I’m doing in terms of reforming academia, and I’ll be able to keep my jar (living arrangements for those new to Diogenes.) I might even be able to get new drapes.
And there is so much work to be done! It is September, and this is prime season to reach out to state legislators. On my own I have been gearing up for exactly that, but now I will have the insights of others and the ability to travel and meet people in person.
Naturally this change will involve rearranging my schedule, including what I do here at Diogenes In Exile.
First I want to reassure you that I will not be going away.
I will however be changing my schedule to allow for this new work. To begin, My writing will be limited to one post a week on Monday. That will allow me the flexibility to learn new routines, tools and tasks.
Here at Diogenes in Exile, there is still a lot to explore on the pedagogy of discomfort, and the state of research at our universities. Another subject that contributes to research problems is the incredibly corrupt process by which academic journals function, raking in money hand over fist. That subject needs a lot more conversation.
If time and inspiration allow, I will still post some humor or reflections on Friday, but it will be dependent on other factors. It may be that quick videos will work better, but I won’t know until I get there, so expect a period of experimentation.
After a full year making two posts a week, rain or shine, holiday’s included, I will take a few holiday’s off to recharge myself. I’m super proud of maintaining this schedule, and I was prepared to continue through the last four months of this year, but I would be lying if I didn’t say it has come at a cost.
To pull this off I have been working everyday, with few breaks. While I can’t really complain, I also haven’t allowed myself the opportunity to let off tension. I need to do that, not only so that I sleep better, but also so that I can maintain my endurance. Persevere at this level of effort was always a limited window. Since I want to continue Diogenes In Exile indefinitely, that means I also need to catch up on some rest.
I’ll try to keep to just a smidge. A drop.
These are all of my good and happy changes as we move into the autumn season. But I have had another big change that strikes a sad note.
I learned earlier this week that my former mother-in-law passed away.
It was not entirely unexpected. Like many late in life she suffered declines in cognition and function that curtailed her life to a small managed routine. Being divorced creates grey areas in families that are difficult to manage, and I had not seen her over these last few years. Nevertheless, she was the grandmother to all of my children, and that matters to me.
So I will be paying my respects to her as soon as I can. These are complexities that go under appreciated and almost never talked about and I find that quite sad. Necessary though it is at times, when the people we count as family can be easily changed with a contract, it can’t help but cheapen the meaning, and the strength of emotional bonds necessary to hold them together.
It also strikes me that joys and sorrows are frequent traveling partners.
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On the Bookshelf
I read that Whitelash study carefully several times. It was rough, but I made it through, but I had no gas left for these.
Accreditation on the Edge: Challenging Quality Assurance in Higher Education by Susan D. Phillips
The Case Against Education by Bryan Caplan
The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong by Rebecca Haw Allensworth
Moral Calculations: Game Theory, Logic and Human Frailty by Laszlo Mero
The New Know-nothings: The Political Foes of the Scientific Study of Human Nature by Morton Hunt
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard by Marc Brettler, Carol Newsom, Pheme Perkins
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman
We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of the New Elite by Musa al-Gharbi
“Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education by Brian Rosenberg
Your Consent Is Not Required by Rob Wipond. ←— READ THIS BOOK!
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About
Diogenes in Exile began after I returned to grad school to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Tennessee. What I found instead was a program saturated in Critical Theories ideology—where my Buddhist practice was treated as invalidating and where dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy was met with hostility. After witnessing how this ideology undermined both ethics and the foundations of good clinical practice, I made the difficult decision to walk away.
Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to exposing the ideological capture of psychology, higher education, and related institutions. My investigative writing has appeared in Real Clear Education, Minding the Campus, The College Fix, and has been republished by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. I also speak and consult on policy reform to help rebuild public trust in once-respected professions.
Occasionally, I’m accused of being funny.
When I’m not writing or digging into documents, you’ll find me in the garden, making art, or walking my dog.
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