The Long Road Home Blog

Two dolphins leap out of ocean waves near the shoreline on a sunny day, with white foam trailing behind them and distant buildings visible along the coast.
In the Wake of Disruption a New Reality is Possible

In the Wake of Disruption a New Reality is Possible

March 29, 2026
The threefold understanding of "wake," found in Christina Sharpe's book, In The Wake: On Blackness and Being, and the notion of the "slipstream," found in Norma Wong's When No Thing Works, have shaped my thinking about how to navigate this period of disruption in higher…
Athletes competing in the women’s 10,000 metres race at the 2022 World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Efforts to Turn This Disruptive Present into a Better Future

Efforts to Turn This Disruptive Present into a Better Future

February 12, 2026
Recently, I have been considering and speaking about three aspects of the theory of change that has come to inform my academic and administrative work during this intense period of disruption. In February I spoke with Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP) and in…
The entangled roots of a large tree with red leaves on the ground. The roots point to the web of relationships that influence authorship, shape collaboration, and enrich scholarship.
Love, Complexity, and Interconnection: the Heart of University Life

Love, Complexity, and Interconnection: the Heart of University Life

January 31, 2026
Earlier this week, I had coffee with my friend, Scott Pratt. Our conversation settled on questions of community, and specifically on how to cultivate and sustain academic community in this intense period of disruption, anger, and uncertainty. Afterwards, Scott shared with me a few pages…
Sunset over the distant snow-capped mountains of Sisters and Mt. Batchelor in Oregon with orange and yellow sky, dark forest in the middle ground, and the dry grassy hillside of Pine Mountain in the foreground.
Learning to be at Home in the World

Learning to be at Home in the World

October 3, 2025
In her essay, Understanding and Politics, Hannah Arendt describes understanding as "an unending activity by which, in constant change and variation, we come to terms with and reconcile ourselves to reality, that is, try to be at home in the world."Arendt, Hannah. Essays in Understanding.…
A group of sixteen adults, diverse in age and gender, pose together outside on a wooden deck in front of a building with large windows and trees reflected in the glass. All are smiling at the camera.
We Focused on Hope and Candor and Collaboration

We Focused on Hope and Candor and Collaboration

August 18, 2025
Not quite a year ago, we held the inaugural retreat of the University of Oregon's Provost's Council. It was early in my first year as Provost, and I didn't know what to expect when we gathered, Deans and Vice Provosts, to consider the values that…
A diverse group of people pose together on indoor steps, smiling and holding up peace signs, or "V" signs for VELI. Some stand, while others kneel or sit. The background shows a modern interior with wood accents and metal railings.
Integrity as an Expression of Value Enacted Excellence

Integrity as an Expression of Value Enacted Excellence

July 27, 2025
Before last week's inaugural meeting of the Values Enacted Leadership Institute (VELI) fades too far into memory, let me pause for a moment to capture the trace of a few reflections. They circle around the question of excellence that has haunted the HuMetricsHSS Initiative in…
A group of nine adults sit around a red outdoor table at a café, smiling at the camera. The table has drinks, mugs, and condiments, and the setting is sunny with greenery and other diners in the background.
Welcome to the Inaugural Values Enacted Leadership Institute

Welcome to the Inaugural Values Enacted Leadership Institute

July 14, 2025
On Sunday, July 13, on the University of Oregon's Portland campus, we welcomed the inaugural cohort of the Values Enacted Leadership Institute. Below are the remarks I made on to mark this important milestone in the evolution of HuMetricsHSS. Welcome.  Welcome to Oregon.  Welcome to…
Corrections in a manuscript
As Federal Funding for Research Breaks Down, New Possibilities Emerge

As Federal Funding for Research Breaks Down, New Possibilities Emerge

June 25, 2025
Periods of disruption, however unsettling, often open us to new possibilities. The current effort to dismantle the federal support for research in the United States is as cynical as it is misguided; cynical because it uses research infrastructure as a leverage of pure control, misguided…
Provost Long in academic regalia, including a black cap with a yellow tassel, speaks at a podium during a graduation ceremony.
The University is the Beating Heart of a Free Society

The University is the Beating Heart of a Free Society

June 14, 2025
On June 14, 2025, I was invited to give the keynote address at the induction of the 2025 cohort of the Alpha of Oregon chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society at the University of Oregon. Here is the text of my remarks. Good…
The Public Research University and the Hope of Democracy

The Public Research University and the Hope of Democracy

June 7, 2025
The following essay is based on remarks I made at the first Symposium on Public Research Universities Futures sponsored by the Center for Higher and Adult Education at Michigan State University on March 12, 2025. The question to which I was asked to respond was: How…
Provost Long with six University of Oregon leaders in advising in business attire smile for a group selfie in a meeting room with large windows, trees and water outside. Sticky notes cover part of the window, and a blank flip chart stands nearby.
Wholeheartedness in a Time of Fear and Uncertainty

Wholeheartedness in a Time of Fear and Uncertainty

May 17, 2025
On a Friday in early May, I joined a group of leaders at the University of Oregon whose work focuses on advising. They had gathered in Eugene, down along the Willamette River, to identify the shared values that would shape their work together in the…
Rapids on the Willamette River fill the frame of this image, taken from the South side of the river, looking North with evergreens and blue skies and wispy clouds in the background.
Finding New Modes of Communicating as Provost

Finding New Modes of Communicating as Provost

April 26, 2025
Since beginning my role as Provost at the University of Oregon, I have tried to communicate in ways that build trust and cultivate connection. The more fraught and unsettling our civic life in these United States becomes, the more important it is to find ways…
James Baldwin in a black suit with tie and a white shirt looks directly at us.
The Hideously Difficult Task Before Us

The Hideously Difficult Task Before Us

December 27, 2024
Tracing a path opened by an enigmatic reference in Reiner Schürmann’s dissertation to the symbol of water in James Baldwin’s Another Country, this essay follows the thinking of Schürmann and Baldwin to the tragic denial that perverts the ideals of the United States from the…
The view from Spencer's Butte above Eugene, Oregon. A grassy pathway leads to a bank of pine trees in the middle distance. Beyond the trees and far below lies Eugene, OR. In the distance are mountains, the blue sky filled with gray and white clouds.
A Pivotal Week in the Life of the Provost’s Office

A Pivotal Week in the Life of the Provost’s Office

August 20, 2024
Last week marked a pivotal moment in my transition to the role of Provost at the University of Oregon. We held two retreats, one early in the week for the Office of the Provost (OtP) staff, and one later in the week for the Provost's…
Looking up from the ground through the tall Redwoods of the Cathedral Grove in Muir Woods in California. The sky is seen refracted through the branches of the enormous redwoods.
A Touchstone Poem for Leadership by John O’Donohue

A Touchstone Poem for Leadership by John O’Donohue

June 1, 2024
Some years back, my friend Leigh Graves Wolf gave me John O'Donohue's book, To Bless the Space Between Us, when she left Michigan State University where we were working together at the time. Since then, I have returned to the poem "For a Leader" so…
BillHD makes a gesture to a whiteboard off camera. He is sitting around a table with people listening to the point he is making. Sonja is watching Bill with her hand to her face, thinking.
A Letter to Bill Hart-Davidson

A Letter to Bill Hart-Davidson

May 3, 2024
The spirit of your gifts are present all around us, they animate our relationships and illuminate a world broken without you and better because of you.
Looking up from the ground through the tall Redwoods of the Cathedral Grove in Muir Woods in California. The sky is seen refracted through the branches of the enormous redwoods.
Using Obsidian Notes to Create Context and Connection for Meaningful Productivity

Using Obsidian Notes to Create Context and Connection for Meaningful Productivity

January 19, 2024
As many of you know, I find joy in refining the system that shapes the way I work and in sharing my approach here on the Long Road blog. So let this be the latest in an ongoing series which I have tagged "Productivity," but…
A wooden gate framed by two columns of beige brick covered by green vines with red blossoms opens onto a tiered garden with a birdbath in the center. Off in the distance beyond the garden there are trees in full autumn folliage. The path leading to the bird bath is lined with purple flowers on this sunny November day in the Dumbarton Oaks gardens.
Coalition for the Future Academy

Coalition for the Future Academy

January 18, 2024
The metaphors we use shape the future we create. Upon entering the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, you are immediately confronted by four enormous Corinthian columns supporting a spacious atrium. There they stand, four strong individuals, each holding up their portion of the larger…
A diverse group of people of wide-ranging ages stand in a courtyard in front of a colorful mural of Grace Lee and James Boggs with young people. A young Grace Lee Boggs is in yellow, holding a megaphone to her mouth. Jimmie Boggs, on the right, is in a dark jacket, hands folded in front of me, listening. There is a diverse group of young people between them.
Ubuntu, Drawing, and A Pilgrimage to the Boggs Center

Ubuntu, Drawing, and A Pilgrimage to the Boggs Center

October 21, 2023
I am learning how to draw. It started during the pandemic, but if I am being honest, my practice has languished. Over the last few weeks, however, I have felt the need to redouble my efforts, so I turned to Google for suggestions about a…
A selfie with Chris Long in academic regalia to the right of Dr. Anthony Fauci in the Breslin Center before the 2023 MSU Doctoral graduation ceremony. The wall behind them has a Spartan helmet and images of Spartan Basketball players in action.
Joy and the Gift of Education

Joy and the Gift of Education

May 6, 2023
I’ve been a little quiet here lately as this very difficult semester comes to a close. It was healing yesterday to spend some time with Dr. Fauci before our MSU doctoral convocation. In his address he drew on lessons from the pandemic and encouraged graduates…
In the foreground in focus are white values cards with black letters laying on a dark wooden table with words like "Support for Failure," "Holistic," "Accessibility,"Excellence," "Appreciation," written on them. We read the cards upside-down as we look down the table, our perspective at table-level looking toward a woman in a black mask leaning over a computer pointing to something as participants around the table look toward the laptop on the table. The laptop and the people are out of focus at the depth of field is short and the focus is on the cards nearest us on the table.
Finding the Values in Committee Work

Finding the Values in Committee Work

March 16, 2023
The transformative power of values-enacted scholarship is only really felt in lived-experience. Just before spring break, and only two weeks after the mass shooting on the MSU campus, a small group of staff, directors, and chairs gathered in a conference room in Linton Hall to…
A dark wooden desktop has a bouquet of orange, white, and green flowers in a glass cylindrical vase on the left. In the middle is a multi-colored glass trophy in a double helix style on a black base on which the words are inscribed: "Michigan State University Institutional Champion Award for Community Engagement Scholarship Presented to Christopher P. Long, College of Arts and Letters and Honors College 2023." To the right, there is a small lavender bag of lavender with a yellow AAAS button on it. Blurred in the background on the right is an Apple MacBook Pro, the arm of a desk light and behind the trophy and flower are four fountain pens, a journal and a notepad.
Championing Community Engagement at the Heart of the Land-Grant Mission

Championing Community Engagement at the Heart of the Land-Grant Mission

March 4, 2023
On Thursday, March 2, 2023, I was honored to receive the 2023 MSU Institutional Champion Award for Community Engagement Scholarship. Below is the text of my remarks at the moving awards ceremony that took place in the Kellogg Center. Chris Long at the podium. Photo…
The Spartan Rock, painted white, with a green Spartan helmet, on the left and "Always a Spartan" painted on the front. The names of Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson, and Alexandria Verner, are written in green letters along the bottom. In front of the rock are piles of flowers and a green and white Spartans Will flag laying on mulch front and center of the image. There are three crosses with hearts and fish symbols to the right of the rock.
When Twilight Silence Falls

When Twilight Silence Falls

February 18, 2023
On Tuesday morning when I made my way to the sacred circle, past the resilient tree, to Linton Hall there was a silence such as I had never heard before. It was not the silence of a holiday break or of freshly fallen snow ...…
The entangled roots of a large tree with red leaves on the ground. The roots point to the web of relationships that influence authorship, shape collaboration, and enrich scholarship.
A Nightmare and A Dream

A Nightmare and A Dream

February 12, 2023
A week that began with a nightmare, ended with a dream. The Nightmare On Tuesday morning, I received the call from my wife I've long dreaded—she said there was a 911 call about an active shooter in the high school and that our daughter was…
This is an allegorical image. Against a beige background is the front of a building with pillars in slightly darker beige. Layered on top is a white image of the head, elongated neck, shoulders and upper torso of a person. The head is turned to the right with the outline of hair in a bun. Green, plant-like shapes grow behind the torso, in front of the building. A red heart-shaped heart is superimposed on the chest area of the torso. Three lines extend from the heart each connected to a beige rectangle. The rectangle on the left is almost square, with an icon of an open book in black. On the top right is a rectangle with a line graph with a single line going down and up. Middle right is a rectangle with black musical notes beginning with a treble clef. Five stylized human figures are in the foreground. Moving left to right, a Black woman with wavy black hair in a light pink sweater and dark pants with a red briefcase walks toward the heart. Sitting on the shoulder of the torso is a white woman with brown hair in a light brown top and brown pants reading a red book. There is a white man with brown hair in a white lab coat holding a clipboard in front of the heart. To his right is an Asian woman with shoulder length black hair with a stethoscope in a light brown top and dark brown pants listening to the heart. On the right is a Black man in a pink shirt and light brown pants and a dark brown pork pie hat. He has a conductor's baton and is pointing to the musical notes.
Wholeness in a Torn World

Wholeness in a Torn World

February 5, 2023
To reweave ourselves into community, reconnect ourselves with our purpose, and realign university values with institutional practice, we need to create structures and cultivate habits that reinforce the work that gives our personal and institutional lives meaning.
Two people sit in gray chairs with dark wooden legs on a small stage with wooden floors. There is a round coffee table made of dark and light wood between them on which is a microphone with a pop filter, papers to which the speakers are referring, and two bottles of water. Amy DeRogatis is on the left, speaking and smiling slightly as she looks down at her paper and talks into the microphone. On the right is Isaac Weiner, grinning broadly as if laughing. On the left of the stage is a fake white tree with cotton "snow" underneath and white lights on the branches. The wall behind the stage is white, broken up with gray/blue squares of fabric designed to dampen the sound. The microphone is attached by a wire that goes to an amplifier that is just visible on the right, behind Isaac. There is a blue light coming out of the bottom of the amplifier.
What Does Religion Sound Like?

What Does Religion Sound Like?

January 28, 2023
This question, What does religion sound like?, inspired the creation of a remarkable collaborative project on Religious Sounds between Amy Derogatis of Michigan State University and Isaac Weiner at The Ohio State University. Yesterday, I had the privilege of making welcoming remarks at the opening…
The Frederick Douglas statue on the University of Maryland campus depicts, as wikipedia puts it, "Douglass in the middle of a speech, with one arm outstretched, and a copy of his autobiography under the other arm." His mouth is open in a fiery speech. The statue is cast bronze on a black marble block with white text chiseled on front reading Frederick Douglas 1818-1895, on the side, white text is legible that reads: Abolitionist, Suffragist, Labor Leader. The figure is set off to the right of the image with a band of long, wheat colored grasses in the middle background, with three windows of the red brick colonial style building in the distant background.
The Intentional Work of Values-Enacted Change

The Intentional Work of Values-Enacted Change

January 22, 2023
The only way to ensure that transformative culture change takes root and grows across higher education is to build coalitions within and across institutions and organizations with colleagues who are structurally positioned and values-oriented and who have an extreme prejudice toward action.
Selfie on stage at the Kellogg Center after the 43rd MLK Dinner at which LeConté Dill gave the keynote. The selfie is taken by Chris Long, who is on the left, with, from left to right, Ruth Nicole Brown, LeConté Dill, Chamara Kwakye, Gianina Strother, and Yvonne Morris. In the background are rows of empty round tables with white tablecloths and black chairs around them.
Power, Love, Justice, and Joy

Power, Love, Justice, and Joy

January 14, 2023
Since Thursday, I have been reflecting on the powerful keynote address Professor LeConté Dill gave at the 43rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Unity Dinner. Drawing on King's insistence that "ower, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose,"King, Jr., Martin Luther, Vincent Harding,…
A page from Christopher P. Long's journal, illustrating his daily writing practice. Brown ink on dot grid paper, with a Sailor Realo pen out of focus on lying on the page. The word "Listen" is underlined and legible in his small cursive handwriting. Much of the text on the page is not legible.
Return to Blogging

Return to Blogging

January 7, 2023
A new year brings new calls for a return to personal blogging as an antidote to the toxic and extractive systems of social media. Giving our attention and creative content to major social media corporations has always been a dubious undertaking, although for a long…
The group is gathered around Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson who is on the right, with Toni Gordon leaning in next to her, Ural Grant on her right, Jessica Reed next to Ural, and in the back, Sharieka Botex and Marquis Taylor. They are in a conference room where the presentation on prioritizing joy in graduate education was given.
Ubuntu As Leadership Practice

Ubuntu As Leadership Practice

December 30, 2022
There are times when your life seems to be telling you a story. When this happens, it is wise to listen. In October 2022, my life began to speak the language of Ubuntu, the powerful African practice rooted in the idea that "a human being…
African and African American Studies students standing in a row, from left to right: Amber McAddley, Morgan Braswell, Jhala Martin, and Ayodele Uhuru. They are listening to Jhala read from a piece of paper with a microphone in her hand. Photo by Ryan Frederick.
A Place of Wholeness

A Place of Wholeness

November 21, 2022
Last week we celebrated the Ascension of the Department of African American and African Studies in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University. What follows are my remarks emphasizing the hope that the department will be a place of wholeness. This space,…
Waves of water caused by drops of water
Toward a More Just and Beautiful Future

Toward a More Just and Beautiful Future

August 16, 2022
As my eighth year at Michigan State University begins, I have been reflecting on the work we have done and the work that lies ahead. In many ways, this past semester and the next mark a liminal passage from a period in which the pandemic…
Richard Bernstein, in a black turtleneck, hands folded, with chairs, out of focus, in the background. Bernstein was a champion of democracy and democratic values.
Bernstein and the Future of Democracy

Bernstein and the Future of Democracy

July 16, 2022
The news came early on July 5 in a text message from my friend Rick Lee: Richard J. Bernstein, our beloved teacher, died on July 4, 2022. In life, Bernstein taught and embodied a commitment to creative democracy rooted in virtues of dialogue. "here is…
Field of wild flowers
Values-Enacted Leadership

Values-Enacted Leadership

March 20, 2022
The themes of the 2022 Honors Leadership Conference were: Building Community, Being a Scholar, and Presenting Yourself. In my opening remarks to our first-year honors students, I focused on values-enacted leadership and the importance of cultivating intentional habits of authenticity and wellness in leadership practice.…
The entangled roots of a large tree with red leaves on the ground. The roots point to the web of relationships that influence authorship, shape collaboration, and enrich scholarship.
Enacting Values of Co-Authorship

Enacting Values of Co-Authorship

March 9, 2022
The publication of the "Walking the Talk" report required intentional practices of co-authoring to enact the values of the HuMetricsHSS team.
Linton Hall at MSU
Revolutionary Dean

Revolutionary Dean

February 25, 2022
A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak to an amazing group of new deans at Michigan State University about the role of the dean in higher education during a period of intense transformation. In reflecting on how best to frame my remarks, I…
Ted Loder looking to his right with a joyful smile on his face, with Jan Filing, his wife looking on from behind and out of focus.
The Art of Procrastination

The Art of Procrastination

September 14, 2021
On September 12, 2021, we remembered the life and legacy of Ted Loder, my stepfather, and long-time Senior Minister at First United Methodist Church of Germantown. In collaboration with my step-siblings, we created the montage of slides presented here. The text of the remarks I…
Questions for the Class of 2025
To the Class of 2025: Let Us Begin Again Together

To the Class of 2025: Let Us Begin Again Together

August 31, 2021
To the Class of 2025, Welcome to Michigan State University, to the College of Arts & Letters, and to the MSU Honors College! You begin your MSU journey at a time like no other. As we continue to navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,…
Ted Loder making a point, and pointing his finger. Joy on his face.
Love One Another

Love One Another

April 4, 2021
Ted Loder, eloquent preacher, fierce advocate for justice, long-time minister of the First United Methodist Church in Germantown, and my beloved stepfather, died on Thursday, April 1, 2021. Ted always encouraged us to watch for the "sneakiness of God," to notice how the mysterious presence…
Red Cedar River in Winter, white snow covers the trees on both sides of the river which is beginning to ice over from the banks.
From Productivity to Meaningful Work

From Productivity to Meaningful Work

April 2, 2021
Six years have past since I wrote A Few Notes on Productivity, a post that outlined my approach to productivity in academic and administrative life. More than 11 years have somehow passed since I wrote about Time Management for Graduate Students. Over the past few…
"Hora Quasi Umbra" text on a Sundial
Imagining a Different Future

Imagining a Different Future

March 8, 2021
What follows was crafted for an MSU Honors College panel discussion entitled "Sharper Focus/Wider Lens" on March 8, 2021 focusing on culture change in higher education and at Michigan State University. A video of the event is available here. Engage with me in an exercise…
Compass with directions in the foreground with a distant and unfocused image of the White House in the distance.
The Promise and Perils of Democracy

The Promise and Perils of Democracy

January 7, 2021
Below is a message I sent to my colleagues in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University in the wake of the first turbulent days of 2021. Dear College of Arts & Letters Staff and Faculty,  We in the College of Arts…
Group fo Faculty
The Transformative Power of Values-Enacted Scholarship

The Transformative Power of Values-Enacted Scholarship

December 19, 2020
Agate, Nicky, Rebecca Kennison, Stacy Konkiel, Christopher P. Long, Jason Rhody, Simone Sacchi, and Penelope Weber. “The Transformative Power of Values-Enacted Scholarship.” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 7, no. 1 (December 7, 2020): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00647-z This article articulates the philosophical underpinnings of the HuMetricsHSS initiative…
On Ethical Candor

On Ethical Candor

November 28, 2020
There is a line from Seinfeld that cuts to the heart of the distinction between sincerity and ethical candor. In a desperate attempt to beat a polygraph machine, Jerry turns to George, a practiced liar, for advice. As Jerry gets up to leave, George offers…
American Flags lined up against a yellow building
Register to Vote

Register to Vote

September 22, 2020
On National Voter Registration Day, I sent the following message to students, staff, and faculty in the College of Arts & Letters. Dear College of Arts & Letters Students, Staff, and Faculty, As we navigate this challenging period of remote learning, it is important to…
Scales and weights
Indicators of Excellence in the Liberal Arts

Indicators of Excellence in the Liberal Arts

September 15, 2020
The following reflections are offered in the context of the opening colloquium of the College and Beyond II: Liberal Arts & Life series. #collegeandbeyondii The current pandemic is an apocalypse — an uncovering. It reveals at once our irreducible interconnectedness and the deep disparities that demonstrate our…
Header of MSU campus in the fall.
To the Class of 2024: Embarking on an Education for Action

To the Class of 2024: Embarking on an Education for Action

August 31, 2020
Dear MSU Class of 2024, Welcome to Michigan State University and to the College of Arts & Letters! You are embarking on an education that will forever shape the course of your life. At the very moment you begin this journey of personal transformation in…
James Baldwin - "I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do."
Open Letter to Our College of Arts & Letters Community

Open Letter to Our College of Arts & Letters Community

June 5, 2020
Dear College of Arts & Letters community,  “Anger,” Audre Lorde insists, “is an appropriate reaction to racist attitudes, as is fury when the actions arising from those attitudes do not change.”Lorde, Audre. “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism.” In Sister Outsider: Essays and…
Original HuMetrics Team sitting outside on a patio at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill, NC. From left to right is Jason Rhody, Nicky Agate, Chris Long (sitting in the back), Rebecca Kennison, Stacy Konkiel (standing in the back), and Simo Sacchi.
Syllabus as Locus of Intervention and Impact

Syllabus as Locus of Intervention and Impact

May 28, 2020
Agate, Nicky, Rebecca Kennison, Christoper P. Long, Jason Rhody, Simone Sacchi, and Penny Weber. “Syllabus as Locus of Intervention and Impact.” Syllabus 9, no. 1 (May 28, 2020). http://www.syllabusjournal.org/syllabus/article/view/300. This is a flash article related to our HuMetricsHSS work on how syllabi might become important…
To the Class of 2020

To the Class of 2020

May 7, 2020
There is nothing the world can now throw at you that you are unprepared to handle. You have harnessed the great power of a liberal arts education...
Field of wild flowers
Deepening Connection in a Time of Distancing

Deepening Connection in a Time of Distancing

April 29, 2020
As this disquieting semester comes to a close, it’s appropriate to pause for a moment to reflect on the distance we have traveled and the path that lies ahead.
"Hora Quasi Umbra" text on a Sundial
No Quality Without Equity

No Quality Without Equity

November 9, 2019
In October 2019, I attended a three-day workshop on Driving Institutional Change for Research Assessment Reform jointly convened by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) on the beautiful HHMI campus in Chevy Chase, Maryland. My time with the 60 or so participants in the workshop,…
Aerial view of the center of MSU campus with intersecting pathways and trees.
Catalyst of Collaboration

Catalyst of Collaboration

October 7, 2019
On September 26, 2019, I had the opportunity to address the Michigan State University President’s Council, which includes the Deans Council and the Executive Leadership of the University, about the values-based strategic planning process we have undertaken in the College of Arts & Letters. In…
Dean Long with a photo of himself
To the Class of 2023: Embrace the Adventure

To the Class of 2023: Embrace the Adventure

August 27, 2019
Dear Class of 2023, Welcome to Michigan State University! As we prepared our Welcome to MSU video this year, I found myself unexpectedly face-to-face with a picture of my past self as a first-year student at Wittenberg University. It brought me immediately back to a…
Saint Aubin Park
The Transformative Power of Publishing

The Transformative Power of Publishing

August 5, 2019
Earlier this summer, I had the honor of offering the closing keynote address of the 2019 Association of University Presses annual conference held in Detroit. The address was entitled The Transformative Power of Publishing, and it argued that the values that shape our publishing practices…
A grove of pine trees, looking up from ground level, with evening twilight in the background.
Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages the Focus of $2.5 Million Grant

Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages the Focus of $2.5 Million Grant

July 25, 2019
Michigan State University was awarded a four-year, $2.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support further development in the research and teaching of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), with an emphasis on Indigenous languages.   This is the second Mellon grant received by the LCTL…
Connected Ropes
Toward a Culture of Care

Toward a Culture of Care

April 24, 2019
In the summer of 2018, a group of MSU Deans came together to write an essay that was published in Inside Higher Education under the title: "Can Michigan State Recover and Chart a New Path for Higher Education?" In the essay, we wrote: Academe is…
Recognizing Peer Review

Recognizing Peer Review

March 13, 2019
In June of 2018, I held a short workshop about the HuMetricsHSS initiative with colleagues attending the 2018 Summer Seminar - East gathering of the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages that was meeting at Michigan State University. Paula Winke, Associate Professor in the Second…
Teal Ribbon on a Tree
Failures to Listen

Failures to Listen

January 24, 2019
One year ago today, Rachael Denhollander addressed the Ingham County court in Michigan, her abuser, and the institutions that failed to protect her and her #SisterSurvivors.  Listen again to part of what she said on January 24, 2018: This is what it looks like when…
Survivors names painted on the MSU Rock
Open Letter Regarding MSU Interim President Transition

Open Letter Regarding MSU Interim President Transition

January 17, 2019
Dear College of Arts & Letters Alumni, Students, Staff, and Faculty, One year ago this week, the courageous testimonies of the Sister Survivors began to sow the seeds of change at Michigan State University. Taking courage from their leadership, we in the College of Arts &…