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

James Ma jamesma320@gmail.com
Thu Nov 30 13:11:28 PST 2017 

So, knowledge is produced in order to be sold!  Mike, do you have "buy one
get ne free" degrees in America?

https://www.theguardian.com/education/shortcuts/2016/aug/08/buy-one-get-one-free-degrees-higher-education-discount-pricing

James

On 30 November 2017 at 19:48, mike cole <mcole@ucsd.edu> wrote:

> 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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