Via the good graces of NZ Bear and his newly spiffed up Ecosystem, comes a new TTLB Community: The Academy. NZ set up the place at my request this morning (thanks for the quick work, NZ) and I have been inviting individual blogging academics to join up.

Now that the place is functioning, even though it is under construction, I wanted to make a public announcement concerning the place, which can be accessed here.

My goal: to aggregate as much as possible a sizeable and significant chunk of the Blogosphere, blogging professors. I hope to have profs from various fields and ideological/philosophical perspectives to provide 1) the chance for readers to find a variety of posts from bloggin’ profs aggregated in one place, and 2) to hopefully encourage and facilitate intelligent conversation amongst academics of all stripes.

The criteria for inclusion are simple: if you are a blogging professor, you are eligible. Discipline doesn’t matter, ideology is irrelevant. If you would like to be included, but have not yet received an invitation, just drop me a line.

As of right now, the following have accepted invitation to be included:

INDIVIDUAL SITES

• Ann Althouse, Robert W. & Irma M. Arthur-Bascom Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin Law School.

• Erin Buzuvis, visiting professor, University of Iowa School of Law.
• Norman Geras, Professor Emeritus, University of Manchester – Government, International Politics and Philosophy
• Mark Griffith, Professor of Political Science, University of West Alabama.
• Mark A. R. Kleiman, Professor of Public Policy, UCLA School of Public Affairs.
• Myself, Associate Professor of Political Science, Troy University.

GROUP BLOGS

• The Yin Blog (Tung Yin, University of Iowa School of Law and Kevin Jon Heller, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Georgia)
• The Volokh Conspiracy

I have long considered putting together an academics-specific blogroll, but this is far better. I look forward to the development of a healthy community of academic bloggers.

I have sent numerous invites, and hope to be adding to the community throughout the day and in the weeks ahead.