How to Save the University

On Friday, April 8, at 7 p.m., Cary Nelson, American Association of University Professors President, will give a keynote public speech at Duke University, “How to Save the University.”

If you’re not doing anything that night I’d bet it will be an interesting exchange so plan on attending.  It should also be a good opportunity to compare our actions here at NC State to those recommended by the AAUP.

The nationwide recession has exacerbated what was already a long-term trend in public higher education—declining state support has meant shifting the revenue stream from state appropriations to more burdensome student tuition rates.

Seduced by the lure of rapid profits, some institutions have made matters worse by opting for high-risk investments.

Meanwhile, a growing number of faculty members teaching contingently are not only underpaid but are also cut out of most campus governance activities.

But faculty members are not powerless.

Cary Nelson’s talk will address what we can do individually and collectively to save higher education. These steps involve reforming the campus, making common cause with all faculty, staff, and students — and increasing strategic public outreach.

The talk will take place in the Richard White Lecture Hall at Duke University. http://map.duke.edu/building/127. The Friday night lecture is open to the public, with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception to follow.

Cary Nelson, president of the AAUP, is English professor and Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

His most recent book “No University Is an Island: Saving Academic Freedom,” is a manifesto for change. It offers a comprehensive account of the social, political, and cultural forces undermining academic freedom. At once witty and devastating, it confronts these threats with exceptional frankness, then offers a prescription for higher education’s renewal.

He is author or editor of 25 books and more than 100 essays.

1 of Many

Passion Rules!