[lit-ideas] Re: Pausing Philosophically for Coffee off the B9086, with Tammie Norries

  • From: Judith Evans <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:28:15 +0100 (BST)

The Institute of Education problem's an RAE one, I take it.  That -- the RAE -- 
has caused massive damage in some ways and in some places (and has massively 
increased the publication of rubbish).  The amount and type and timing of the 
damage did not, however, correlate with the number of faculty with tenure (NB, 
tenure was abolished *for new entrants to the profession and any others whose 
contract changed because they moved university and/or gained promotion).  Some 
universities, some departments, handled the RAE business reasonably well, 
others, in effect, made teaching a punishment; this did not correlate with 
tenure.


US academics with tenure who moved here, for, of course, non-tenured posts, 
have written critiques of the UK system.  Not one mentions a lack of academic 
freedom in the traditional sense of the term.  Not one -- that I have read -- 
mentions tenure. They do mention the administrative burden (British academics 
have to do work elsewhere done by administrators, and often have almost no 
administrative or secretarial backup), the checks on academics and the scrutiny 
of their work. (They also note the -- relatively recent: last two decades -- 
emergence of a hyperprivileged group of UK academics, almost all of whom, by 
the way, lack tenure, whose teaching duties are very light and arranged to suit 
their convenience, whose research leave is generous, who receive massive 
backup, whose publications or "publications", whose grant-attracting or 
potential for grant-attracting, whose reputation for, well, having a 
reputation, make them into a new race of demi-gods;
 people even more privileged than teir US counterparts.)  

I endorse their critiques.

I was tenured. I came to envy US academics with tenure.  Their life was 
nirvana, compared to mine.  But the difference lay in structures of governance, 
mores, and practical arrangements. My salary covered twelve months, I could be 
required to carry out administrative duties through the summer months.  I could 
not, as tenured US academics can, choose to write more slowly, forgoing 
promotion temporarily, without retribution. And so on.  

My London college had no research leave provisions.  Its "tenure" contracts 
didn't confer tenure.  It had -- as most universities did then -- permanent 
heads of department with massive power (but it also had vibrant faculties). I 
had an academic freedom there that I was never to know again.  York had the 
second strongest tenure contracts in the country and good research leave 
provisions.  Academic freedom?  Not so strong... .  Governance structure?  
(Never mind. It would take too long... . Suffice it to say, it was based on 
divide and rule, and it worked.)  Tenure in a snakepit doesn't change the 
snakepit. 

Here, universities have failed to stand up to governments, and 
faculties/schools/departments have failed to stand up to universities. (And 
some have failed more blatantly than others.) But tenure really has played a 
minor part in all of this, the US (and, it seems, Canadian) faculty system (for 
tenured faculty, yes) salary structure, and folkways, have made the difference. 

Have the courage to admit that it follows, as day
> follows night, that
> there is no academic freedom in Britain.

First, there is academic freedom here, still.  Second, the tendencies you 
lament do not even correlate fully with the abolition of tenure, as -- as I 
would agree -- the coming of the dawn correlates with night's ending, the dark, 
with the absence of light.

 
Judy Evans, Cardiff

--- On Wed, 17/8/11, Walter C. Okshevsky <wokshevs@xxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Walter C. Okshevsky <wokshevs@xxxxxx>
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Pausing Philosophically for Coffee off the B9086, 
> with Tammie Norries
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Donal McEvoy" <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Wednesday, 17 August, 2011, 22:55
> Quoting Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > --- On Wed, 17/8/11, Walter C. Okshevsky <wokshevs@xxxxxx>
> wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > > There is no academic freedom, either in research
> or
> > > teaching without it. [I.e. tenure].
> > 
> > It would seem to follow, given that tenure has
> virtually disappeared here as
> > Judy says, that there is "no academic freedom" in
> Britain. Hmm.
> > 
> > This is such a high horse to ride in defence in tenure
> that it think it might
> > be advisable to dismount.
> 
> Skipper's recent posting has definitely caused a decline in
> our capacities for
> rational argument; we are reduced to erecting 
> positions embedded only in 
> vivid and enticing sexual metaphors. 
> 
> Re "Hmm:" I strongly suggest that Donal rethink her
> criteria of "advisability."
> For it doesn't "seem" anything. Donal's position is surely
> part of the problem
> here. Have the courage to admit that it follows, as day
> follows night, that
> there is no academic freedom in Britain. There, it has been
> asserted. Do the
> planets continue in their orbits? 
> 
> When faculty at, zum beispiel, the Institute of
> Education, University of London, are assessed according to
> the degree to which
> their research bears "impact" on practical policy matters
> and when they are
> criticized in government sponsored audits of their
> departments for the  pursuit
> of "academic individualism" that fails to contribute to the
> coffers of silver
> of
> the University, you can be certain that Heather hasn't a
> prayer.
> 
> Sir Walter of O
> MUN
> 
> 
> > 
> > Donal
> > London
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >
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