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« on: February 02, 2009, 11:17:46 PM » |
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Yet another uplifting article in the Chron today.
Scholars under Seige. By ROBIN WILSON Professors are losing their grip. Tough economic times are leading administrators to propose swift changes that short-circuit faculty governance, long a prized principle that gives professors wide-ranging authority over educational matters. .... TENNESSEE CONSIDERS SHRINKING FACULTY ROLES The chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents has offered a plan that redefines professors' responsibilities. Here are some features: * "Discounted tuition to students who expect to work online with no direct support from a faculty member. ... " * "Formalize a system that anticipates even greater use of adjuncts. ... " * "Build into students' curriculum and into financial aid that advanced students are expected to assist beginning students. ... " * "Reconceptualize faculty workload, moving away from defining it in terms of numbers of courses taught. ... " |
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« Last Edit: February 03, 2009, 02:11:13 PM by moderator »
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Who looks for God in the Bible? That's pretty dumb.
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systeme_d_
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« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2009, 11:22:26 PM » |
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Wow.
And they've got quite the Provost at OU. Goodness.
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Systeme_D is right. <rah rah RESEARCH!> |
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concordancia
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« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2009, 11:30:18 PM » |
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Why are these professors being referred to as "Mr."?
Who is going to create all these online Professor bots for classes with no direct support?
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I like money. I like to buy stuff and experiences with money.
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yellowtractor
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« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2009, 11:32:26 PM » |
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Why are these professors being referred to as "Mr."?
Who is going to create all these online Professor bots for classes with no direct support?
Well, adjuncts, if I read aright--and from the wording graduate students, perhaps even advanced undergraduates. My major question about this article is what the various accrediting organizations will say to these sorts of changes. Not much, probably, but I thought the cry for years was more direct faculty-student contact, rather than less. |
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i think is good for every one only the think is that we will always scares about that. |
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merce
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« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2009, 11:33:11 PM » |
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Why are these professors being referred to as "Mr."?
...
I believe the Chronicle always uses Mr. for professors. Isn't it a scary article a la 1984? I'm really never going to land a TT job. And kids are never going to feel the way we did about our education or fields. |
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Who looks for God in the Bible? That's pretty dumb.
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concordancia
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« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2009, 11:37:12 PM » |
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Adjuncts are still faculty. It sounds like this guy believes that online classes are just a bunch of powerpoints and multiple choice tests that can be supported by a tech guy and maybe an undergrad tutor hidden in the lower levels of the dungeon.
I don't have a problem with undergrads tutoring, or even teaching, with proper supervision, lower levels than what they have achieved. I have a huge problem with it being the expectation, as that will affect the weeding out process.
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I like money. I like to buy stuff and experiences with money.
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the_honey_badger
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« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2009, 11:43:44 PM » |
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Oh, wonderful, Tennessee is going back to the 19th century "monitorial" system where more advanced students "help" new ones. Will there be recitation by rote memorization of the text too? Will all levels be in one room as well to get that full "old timey" feel to the whole thing?
I wonder if UTenn is in SACS. I cannot wait to see how "learning objectives" etc. are going to work with undergrads "helping" each other or the on-line "no Prof" courses. Who will be "accountable?" As the whole assessment scheme gets more complicated in accreditation circles, they want to dilute instruction. Personally, I wouldn't want most of my upper division students to be unsupervised with freshmen instruction. We have enough problems with under-read grad students instructing.
Having done on-line versions of my courses for my U, I can say that my distance ed students often wanted a *lot* of attention via email. Many want extended conversation about material and ask complicated questions that most of our grad instructors in general survey (frankly) don't have the knowledge to answer. Wonder if the Robots Army they must ultimately envision can also write Letters of Rec for grad school---those of temporary adjuncts and grad instructors aren't prized even by my R-2 grad admission committees. Those of undergrad tutors and "helpers" aren't likely to get more respect.
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« Last Edit: February 02, 2009, 11:45:53 PM by belowtheradar »
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_____________________________________
"Honey badger don't care."
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yellowtractor
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« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2009, 11:47:37 PM » |
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Oh, wonderful, Tennessee is going back to the 19th century "monitorial" system where more advanced students "help" new ones. Will there be recitation by rote memorization of the text too? Will all levels be in one room as well to get that full "old timey" feel to the whole thing?
I wonder if UTenn is in SACS. I cannot wait to see how "learning objectives" etc. are going to work with undergrads "helping" each other or the on-line "no Prof" courses. Who will be "accountable?" As the whole assessment scheme gets more complicated in accreditation circles, they want to dilute instruction. Personally, I wouldn't want most of my upper division students to be unsupervised with freshmen instruction. We have enough problems with under-read grad students instructing.
Having done on-line versions of my courses for my U, I can say that my distance ed students often wanted a *lot* of attention via email. Many want extended conversation about material and ask complicated questions that most of our grad instructors in general survey (frankly) don't have the knowledge to answer. Wonder if the Robots Army they must ultimately envision can also write Letters of Rec for grad school---those of temporary adjuncts and grad instructors aren't prized even by my R-2 grad admission committees. Those of undergrad tutors and "helpers" aren't likely to get more respect.
If they bring back those old-timey desks with personal inkwells I won't complain. Seriously: I've also taught on-line courses in my field, and my experience parallels yours. Other than the fact that I don't have to leave my house to teach them, and that they don't seem to engender quite as much committee work, they're the same, in terms of work required on my end. |
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i think is good for every one only the think is that we will always scares about that. |
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takapa
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« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2009, 08:20:52 AM » |
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Wow.
And they've got quite the Provost at OU. Goodness.
Roderick McDavis? I hope this is in jest. He's no help to those at OU. I have felt for them since he left here. Totally unprepared for that kind of situation. He is at best a decent administrator, and is no way a good, let alone a decisive, leader. When he left VCU, faculty from both campuses popped open the champaign... But, to the article, grim doesn't even begin to describe these things. |
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takapa
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« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2009, 08:56:05 AM » |
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Wow.
And they've got quite the Provost at OU. Goodness.
Roderick McDavis? I hope this is in jest. He's no help to those at OU. I have felt for them since he left here. Totally unprepared for that kind of situation. He is at best a decent administrator, and is no way a good, let alone a decisive, leader. When he left VCU, faculty from both campuses popped open the champaign... But, to the article, grim doesn't even begin to describe these things. Whoops, my mistake. You said Provost, not President. |
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sirrah
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« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2009, 09:32:55 AM » |
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Who is going to create all these online Professor bots for classes with no direct support? A couple of years ago I had a friend who got this job: she was in charge of creating and maintaining all the online classes in the social sciences at a community college. Once she had created the "shell" of the classes, she would get adjuncts to just run the class. At the time I was happy for her because she found a job closer to her family, but I always thought in the back of my mind that she was helping put the rest of us, and eventually, herself, out of of a job one day. |
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daurousseau
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« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2009, 12:44:38 PM » |
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We need a policy of never putting a politician or administrator from Tennessee in charge of anything outside Tennessee.
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merce
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« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2009, 12:46:12 PM » |
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We need a policy of never putting a politician or administrator from Tennessee in charge of anything outside Tennessee.
ROFL Of course, I am from Tennessee myself actually. But still, IŽd kinda like to agree. |
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Who looks for God in the Bible? That's pretty dumb.
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kedves
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« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2009, 01:08:54 PM » |
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"Things are trending downward," as Tony Soprano observed about a different social institution.
These patterns--adoption of a market model, centralization of authority, increased division of labor, deskilling--have been in place for some time. Current economic conditions are accelerating changes and creating conditions in which fights are more urgent.
Or I'm just gloomy today.
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yellowtractor
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« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2009, 01:10:25 PM » |
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"Things are trending downward," as Tony Soprano observed about a different social institution.
These patterns--adoption of a market model, centralization of authority, increased division of labor, deskilling--have been in place for some time. Current economic conditions are accelerating changes and creating conditions in which fights are more urgent.
Or I'm just gloomy today.
It's the killing of desks that really pains me. The slaughter. The slaughter. |
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i think is good for every one only the think is that we will always scares about that. |
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