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CAUT President: "AUCC's statement an academic freedom wake-up call"
By Mark A. McCutcheon 1 March 2012 @ 1:07pm Comments (1)
http://www.cautbulletin.ca/en_article.asp?SectionID=1387&SectionName=President's%20Column&VolID=336&VolumeName=No%202&VolumeStartDate=2/10/2012&EditionID=36&EditionName=Vol%2059&EditionStartDate=1/19/2012&ArticleID=3404
AUCC’s new version of academic freedom dangerously conflates academic freedom with institutional autonomy. It suggests safeguarding the institution from outside powers will necessarily also defend academic freedom. While we must maintain institutional independence, this position completely discounts the very real, and all too common, threats to academic freedom from within our institutions. Of these, ironically, AUCC’s statement is a case in point. An argument for autonomy cannot be used to undermine academic freedom.
Mark A. McCutcheon
Professor of Literary Studies & Chair of Centre for Humanities, Athabasca U
Comments
Interesting post, a bit disappointing to see corporate-style governance justification being used. There are other types of corporate governance models, and I expect you would have a very good argument for "top-down" not being the most effective "business model" in the case of an academic institution because of the nature of the "products/services" provided. Actually, I would see the AUCC's pursuit of security through control to be counterproductive as well as a threat to academic freedom.
Eric von Stackelberg March 1, 2012 - 11:39pm