Comments on: A la recherche …

By: jon kidd

jon kidd — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:50:23 +0000

I guess as long as we can keep government out of the university administration we should be in a position to clarify these things. Just think the government calls its own fantasy playground for its space and espionage toys in shirleys bay a “campus”

Bill, “insulted the employees” I just don’t get it at all, maybe you did miss the gist of John’s statement.

regards
jon

By: johnosborne

johnosborne — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:41:30 +0000

Hi Bill,

With respect, I think you have missed my point. If some cataclysm flattened the campus, and faculty members sat under trees in Vincent Massey Park and taught students, we would still have something that could justifiably be called a “university”. Yes, we need staff to maintain all the business and service functions that we expect in a modern institution, just as we need an administration branch; but they are not “the university” in the original sense of the word. They are of course vitally important to the functioning of a university … just as staff in hospitals are necessary for those to function also. I cannot imagine how we would operate without them! But they are not inherent to the definition.

By: Don

Don — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:18:13 +0000

There are actually two of us who have been vocally expousing this mantra about the constitution of the university, but you have stated it so much more forcefully. It was unionization that confirmed the employer-employee model, and once in place, we started living out the “fate” accompli as though a contractual obligation. We lost real ground in doing so, despite all the qualifiers that must also be put in place about the governance realities of the modern university, its need for regulation, and its financial complexities and realities. But faculties dead set against education for profit shouldn’t have to be plagued by this creeping phenomenon once they have said “no.” We are the university. I could get going too! So thanks for the antiquarian perspective; by rights it should still be the status quo. Cheers, Don

By: Bill Skidmore

Bill Skidmore — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:08:39 +0000

John, with this blog you’ve insulted the hundreds of non-academic staff who make an immense contribtuion to Carleton. Just try running your fantasy university without their presence and contributions.