We Have To Be Flexible: An Interview with Temple Police Chief Jennifer Griffin

The following interview was conducted in person on October 9, 2025. Chief Griffin spoke with me about her decision to head Temple’s Public Safety department, the changes she’s implemented, including the use of surveillance technologies, her own academic background in sociology, and how Temple Public Safety might respond to the deployment of any federal forces to Philadelphia. The interview has been edited and condensed for … Continue reading We Have To Be Flexible: An Interview with Temple Police Chief Jennifer Griffin

Uniformity, Inequality And Exclusion: Why Russell Conwell Founded Temple University

At Temple, we like to talk about our mission. We sum it up as “serving the underserved.” This is a legacy that dates to our founding in 1884. The Trump administration believes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts punish historically privileged groups (white men) and sacrifice merit when we pay attention to those previously excluded. Our founder, Russell Conwell, is rolling in his grave. Temple … Continue reading Uniformity, Inequality And Exclusion: Why Russell Conwell Founded Temple University

Called To This Work: An Interview with President John Fry

This interview was conducted in person on January 9, and then via email for follow-up questions. _______________________________ The Faculty Herald: You’ve spent many years working in this pocket of Pennsylvania. You served as the President of Drexel University and Franklin & Marshall College. Before those positions, you served in a high-level administrative role at the University of Pennsylvania. Many of our readers would be interested … Continue reading Called To This Work: An Interview with President John Fry

NIH Funding Cuts Aren’t Just Anti-Science

When the federal funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health were first announced in February, Swati Nagar, a professor in the School of Pharmacy at Temple University, felt it as “a gut punch to the research enterprise of universities in America.” For now, these cuts are on hold after Federal Judge Angel Kelly extended the initial injunction issued on February 10. The devastation of … Continue reading NIH Funding Cuts Aren’t Just Anti-Science

We Must Defend Our Educational Mission

The mission of the Temple University faculty is to educate working people. Our 1888 charter declares: “The purpose for which the Corporation is formed is the Support of an Educational Institution intended primarily for the benefit of Working Men.”  Russell Conwell, the founder, aimed to provide a third-level education to those who had neither the money nor the freedom to pursue it as the more … Continue reading We Must Defend Our Educational Mission

Political Science Professor on the Potential Impact of 2024 Election on the Temple Community

Compared to 2016, the mood among Democrats was much more subdued in the days following the 2024 election. Whatever complaints we might have about polling, this is in no small part due to the relative success of public opinion polls this year relative to eight years ago. In 2016, the forecasting site 538, which generates its predictions by aggregating many polls, predicted Trump would lose … Continue reading Political Science Professor on the Potential Impact of 2024 Election on the Temple Community

Teaching Climate Change and Sustainability for the Future of Work and the World

Temple University’s strategic plan seeks to establish itself as a leader in higher education by integrating sustainability and climate change into its curriculum. Reports highlight the necessity for sustainability fluency in future jobs, yet Temple has fallen short on its curricular commitments. Emphasizing student demand, the authors propose actionable recommendations for improvement. Continue reading Teaching Climate Change and Sustainability for the Future of Work and the World

Op-Ed: Calling for a Transformation in Temple’s Leadership

Editor’s note: This is a jointly written op-ed expressing the concerns of numerous faculty across campus. It follows this PowerPoint presentation to the Faculty Senate on February 26, 2024. The authors and other signatories of the letter are listed below. I am not one of the authors. As editor, I chose to publish it because The Faculty Herald should provide opportunities for faculty and librarians … Continue reading Op-Ed: Calling for a Transformation in Temple’s Leadership