I write a lot but I do not often post my core academic work on my blog. I especially do not often do it when the work is still very much in the formative stages. However, my recent unpacking of prestige and for-profit colleges needed some crowdsourcing. So, after a marathon writing session of a very rough sketch of my questions, methods and ideas I made the insane choice to post it here. I was immediately queasy, but I stood by it (admittedly, after adding a caveat about pedants and a mild threat of figurative violence).
I was stunned to see so many senior academics take my formative thoughts under sincere consideration. Kevin Kisner emailed me feedback and Matt Reed (aka Dead Dad at Inside Higher Education) engaged my ideas in his column. As much as I appreciate the substantive feedback and signal boost (and I do!), I am especially appreciative of the generosity they displayed. It was very encouraging.
So, thank you.