[Xmca-l] Re: WaPo article on higher ed: "Elitists, crybabies and junky degrees"

mike cole mcole@ucsd.edu
Thu Nov 30 11:48:56 PST 2017 

At UCSD, an R1 university, there is now a position of "teaching
professorship" which is a 9 course load, including a lot of big courses.
The unmarked (regular?) faculty teach varying numbers of course from only
1-2 up to 4-5 depending upon their department and the amount of money they
bring to the campus.

All departments at this "public" university are being urged to create
revenue-generating programs.

The US congress appears to be poised to slam graduate training through its
new tax policies and ditto university endowments.

etc.

mike


On Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 4:14 AM, James Ma <jamesma320@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you Alfredo!
> James
>
> 2017年11月30日 下午12:07，"Alfredo Jornet Gil" <a.j.gil@iped.uio.no>写道：
>
> Hi James, thanks for the relevant comments and for keeping the thread
> alive. Before I can add more to the topic of education itself and what our
> role as educators and learners may be in this time of corporative
> capitalist knowledge production, I wanted to just note that threads do not
> fade away; WE let them fade. So it is up to all (and any) of us to keep
> them awake, or to re-awake them anytime after they had seemed to have
> completely disappeared.
>
> Alfredo
> ________________________________________
> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on
> behalf of James Ma <jamesma320@gmail.com>
> Sent: 30 November 2017 12:12
> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: WaPo article on higher ed: "Elitists, crybabies and
> junky degrees"
>
> This thread of emails seems to be fading away. I’ve been quietly following
> it because the "Elitists, crybabies and junky degrees" heading catches my
> eyes and resonates within me in many ways. Here, I’d just like to say
> perhaps one thing before this thread finally disappears!
>
>
> Higher education in the UK is increasingly becoming rampant due to widening
> participation. This has created a distinction between research-intensive
> universities (the Russell Group institutions) and teaching-intensive
> universities (the post-1992 institutions, i.e. former polytechnics or
> colleges of higher education that were given university status in 1992 or
> thereafter). It seems that, when it comes to theory, the road begins to
> fork: in one direction, theory-laden and academic; in the other,
> practice-driven and vocational, coupled with (what can be) a resistance to
> thinking endowed with philosophy and reasoning. These two directions can
> contrast sharply, almost to the point of mutual exclusion, given their
> differing ontological and epistemological positions.
>
>
> For me, learner autonomy and the potential for transformation must be
> deemed vital to the student experience. Knowledge and scholarship is to be
> situated at the core of teaching and learning. However, a utilitarianist
> approach to British higher education is seemingly looming up especially in
> an environment where *how-you-are-smart* predominates *how-smart-you-are*;
> this may have deepened an existing ontological chasm between what might be
> termed traditional and non-traditional academic staff. Might such an
> approach create psychological conflicts within a practice-dominant
> orientation – in particular, when the contradicting ego state struggles to
> find a balance between the existing self and compliance with what is,
> supposedly, an academic norm?
>
>
> As far as academism is concerned, theoretical knowledge is of universally
> crucial importance, albeit variably constructed in different cultures.
> However sharply critical or critically sharp an individual mind may be
> (either in learning or in teaching), with an absence of theoretical
> engagement, the university world – here I like to quote what Charlotte
> Bloch says in her book *Passion and Paranoia: Emotions and the Culture of
> Emotion in Academia*: “generally associated with rationality,
> methodological principles, objectivity and logical argument” – can
> represent a dead end.
>
>
> Last year I wrote an article for *Social Semiotics*: “Semiotising the
> student perception of learning outcomes in British higher education”
> https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2016.1189234, in which I argue for
> intellectualism as central to the ethnography of university life.
>
>
> Finally, on a different note, I hope Vera is getting better soon. I still
> remember her talking with me about my PhD in 2001 during her visit to
> Bristol University and how much I benefited from her 10 lectures on
> Vygotsky.
>
>
> James
>
>
> *_____________________________________*
>
> *James Ma*  *https://oxford.academia.edu/JamesMa
> <https://oxford.academia.edu/JamesMa>   *
>
>
> On 27 November 2017 at 05:58, Goncu, Artin <goncu@uic.edu> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Dear Vera,
> >
> > One of the paths of influence goes through here, the city of Istanbul.  I
> > just talked with hundreds of young people in Turkey about the
> significance
> > of supportive childhood environment in the later development of
> creativity
> > in arts and sciences.  "Notebooks," are in our minds..  Thinking of you
> > and missing you, Artin
> >
> > Artin Goncu, Ph.D
> > http://www.artingoncu.com/
> > Professor Emeritus,
> > University of Illinois at Chicago
> > College of Education M/C 147
> > 1040 W. Harrison St.
> > Chicago, IL 60607
> >
> >
> > On Sun, November 26, 2017 4:43 pm, Kris Gutierrez wrote:
> > > “We are all Vera” as they say; as your influence, Vera, continues to
> > > be profound and wide.   We are all indebted to you.  Thinking of you,
> > > Abrazos, Kris
> > >
> > > Kris D. Gutiérrez
> > > Carol Liu Professor
> > > Graduate School of Education
> > > Prolepsis Design Collaborative
> > > Member, National Academy of Education
> > > University of California, Berkeley
> > > 5629 Tolman Hall
> > > Berkeley, CA 94720-1670
> > > gutierrkd@berkeley.edu
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >> On Nov 26, 2017, at 8:07 AM, mike cole <mcole@ucsd.edu> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> A LOT of people are thinking of you Vera. Generations of scholars are
> in
> > >> your debt, and
> > >> Working to continue along the paths you have us to.
> > >>
> > >> Mike
> > >>
> > >> On Sun, Nov 26, 2017 at 4:38 AM Peter Smagorinsky <smago@uga.edu>
> > wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> I second that emotion!
> > >>>
> > >>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:
> > >>> xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Alfredo Jornet Gil
> > >>> Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2017 6:24 AM
> > >>> To: 'eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity' <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>;
> > >>> vygotsky@unm.edu
> > >>> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: WaPo article on higher ed: "Elitists, crybabies
> > >>> and
> > >>> junky degrees"
> > >>>
> > >>> Best wishes for you, Vera; for many of us seeing your name in a
> message
> > >>> is
> > >>> also always a joy.
> > >>> Alfredo
> > >>> ________________________________________
> > >>> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.
> edu
> > >
> > >>> on behalf of Vera John-Steiner <vygotsky@unm.edu>
> > >>> Sent: 26 November 2017 07:59
> > >>> To: 'eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity'
> > >>> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: WaPo article on higher ed: "Elitists,
> > >>> crybabies
> > >>> and junky degrees"
> > >>>
> > >>> Annalisa,
> > >>>
> > >>> I was glad to see your name on a message. I have been doing very
> > >>> poorly, I
> > >>> am now in hospice. They are very kind. Cathrene just visited, and I
> am
> > >>> particularly tired. He has recovered well.
> > >>>
> > >>> I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you.
> > >>>
> > >>> Do let me know what is new with you.
> > >>>
> > >>> Love,
> > >>>
> > >>> Vera
> > >>>
> > >>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:
> > >>> xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Annalisa Aguilar
> > >>> Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2017 3:39 PM
> > >>> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >>> Subject: [Xmca-l] WaPo article on higher ed: "Elitists, crybabies and
> > >>> junky degrees"
> > >>>
> > >>> Hi fellow Xmcats,
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Saw this in the Washington Post. It's not a short read.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Basically encapsulates the conservative mentality that is shaping the
> > >>> future of US universities these days.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2017/11/25/
> > elitists-crybabies-and-junky-degrees/
> > >>> <
> > >>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2017/11/25/
> > elitists-crybabies-and-junky-degrees/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-
> > main_rigged-college-131pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstor
> > >>>>
> > >>> <
> > >>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2017/11/25/
> > elitists-crybabies-and-junky-degrees/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-
> > main_rigged-college-131pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstor
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> <
> > >>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2017/11/25/
> > elitists-crybabies-and-junky-degrees/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-
> > main_rigged-college-131pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstor
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> > >>> What safeguards are in place to secure liberal arts education? Why
> must
> > >>> everything be centered around creating revenue? Ugh.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> There is also mention of a Pew study here:
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/
> > 2017/07/11101505/07-10-17-Institutions-release.pdf
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> (Though I figure that you likely have already seen it from last July,
> > >>> given how connected everyone is on this list! 😊)
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> And also mentioned:
> > >>> http://news.gallup.com/poll/216278/why-republicans-down-higher.aspx
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> If you haven't seen these, forewarned is forearmed? At least in terms
> > >>> of
> > >>> the soundbytes, you may want to get used to hearing them so the shock
> > >>> wears
> > >>> off and you can then get behind the mule and plow.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Just I thought I would pass this on.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Kind regards,
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Annalisa
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>



-- 
"The past isn't dead, it isn't even past."
- William Faulkner

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