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April 27, 2006
Academia: Beyond Ridicule
Even the Gray Lady is starting to notice that you need tall boots to wade through the hallowed halls of academia these days. NY Times op-ed contributor Stephen Budiansky laments that college satire just isn't possible anymore, since nothing you could make up would be more ludicrous than reality.
For example, Case — formerly less dashingly known as Case Western Reserve University — features a new showcase undergraduate seminar program called SAGES (the justification for this catchy acronym is Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship), integral to which is an upscale cafe promised to be "staffed by baristas whose expertise in preparing espresso is matched only by their authoritative knowledge of all things SAGES."
A 92-page guide for teachers participating in SAGES highlights the futility of trying to make fun of Case's self-ridiculing educrats. When students are disruptive in class, instructors are to explore underlying causes, rather than attempting to "manage" the behavior. The rigid objectivity of grading scales is to be avoided. If students fail to participate in discussions, teachers should "make space for silence." As Budiansky puts it:
Instructors must remember that to such characteristically American cultural beliefs as the importance of morality, rationality and personal responsibility, there are equally valid alternatives that must be respected.
If only it weren't just the allegedly valid alternatives but morality, rationality, and personal responsibility themselves that were offered respect on college campuses, it might be easier to take academia seriously.
Hat tip: Harry
Posted by Van Helsing at April 27, 2006 12:10 PM
Comments
Have a manual trackback.
Posted by: rightwingprof at April 27, 2006 1:25 PM
Am I the only one who, reading that guy's name, heard "Buttinsky" in my brain?
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin at April 28, 2006 4:00 PM
Geez, I'd hate to hear about the "invalid alternatives." Anybody out there remember Richard Mitchell, "the Underground Grammarian?" He would have a field day with this thing.
Posted by: phil at April 29, 2006 3:31 AM
