Administrative Correctness?

Mark Graber

Lost in the debate over so-called "political correctness" is the new trend toward administrative correctness that is sweeping the university. Political correctness, in many forms, is actually intellectually interesting. While at the end of the day, I concluded that the standard restrictions on certain forms of invective would, particularly as applied, be likely to be inconsistent with the university's mission, I think their leading proponents fostered important debates on the meaning of free speech, equality, and intellectual life. The true threats to intellectual life on campus are a new generation of academic administrators, who seem to have little interest in the value of debate, some interest in pacifying constituents, and a great deal of interest in raising money. One example is the obsession with grant-funded research, even in disciplines (English) and fields (political theory) where grants are hard to come by. I stunned a prominent figure at the University of Maryland when I indicated that reputation in law did not correspond to dollars raised in funding. he literally could not conceive of any other objective grounds for merit.

Consider also the increasing use of adjuncts that, at many campuses, does not correspond to decreasing size of faculty (the main currency for rewarding faculty has increasingly become getting courses off). And too often, these adjuncts (for very good reasons) have little commitment to the institution. They do not advise undergraduates, they often cannot present the most recent scholarship because all they know is what their adviser has taught them or because, not being active participants in the scholarly universe, they are not fully aware of what is going on.

For those of you in college or law school being asked to help raise money, find out how much of that money will be put to having professors in your classes. For those of you making college or law school decisions in the near future, do not just look at who is on the faculty roster. Look who actually teaches the courses. Visit the school. See who is actually in their office. There are a great many first rate academics who enjoy teaching and advising students. There are also a great many who are largely names on doors.
Posted 7:53 AM by Mark Graber [link]