Experienced community college administrator. Writer. Dad of two. Pursuing justice, wisdom, and good pizza.https://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mtfcjv6jw227Remember when it was rare to see the word “existential” in the news?18 Aug 2026 22:51 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtfcjv6jw227https://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mtbizsi6ts2b"It became clear (through some admittedly awkward trial and error) that reaching the students required starting with “Have you ever noticed …” and working my way up." https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/confessions-community-college-dean/2026/08/17/have-you-ever-noticed17 Aug 2026 10:36 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbizsi6ts2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mszxdbqu322jPrecarity rolls downhill: inside the small-section cut session https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/confessions-community-college-dean/2026/08/14/small-section-cut-session14 Aug 2026 10:31 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mszxdbqu322jhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mspvo7y75s2u"But have you tried trying?" Aphorisms submitted by readers https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/confessions-community-college-dean/2026/08/10/favorite-aphorisms-readers10 Aug 2026 10:35 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mspvo7y75s2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3msouccaouc2bIt turns out that putting a screen protector on your iPad blocks the microphone, making you inaudible on FaceTime. Ask me how I know…10 Aug 2026 00:37 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3msouccaouc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3ms6ckwmofk2rThe challenges of inheriting disenchanted employees (h/t @christinenowik.bsky.social ) https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/confessions-community-college-dean/2026/08/03/inheriting-disenchanted03 Aug 2026 10:37 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6ckwmofk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mqcdhcc5kk2bI'm old enough to remember when conservatives wanted colleges to teach Plato's Republic. Now it's too "woke." Echo chambers are kind of like caves, now that I think about it. https://www.chronicle.com/article/at-texas-tech-a-bombshell-lawsuit-points-to-an-extraordinary-system-of-censorship?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_18920201_nl_Academe-Today_date_2026071010 Jul 2026 14:14 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcdhcc5kk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mpyc2recf222"The lengthy and rather miserable history of almost all human existence will be briefly explored." That's...something... [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Jul 2026 14:22 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpyc2recf222https://bsky.app/profile/deandad.bsky.social/post/3mpxu2svzq22kCommunity colleges would be natural homes for three-year bachelor's degrees https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/confessions-community-college-dean/2026/07/06/two-plus-one-equals-four-minus-one06 Jul 2026 10:12 +0000at://did:plc:nnrdnxo7zmfmlrixlsm2afw2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpxu2svzq22k