Author Topic: Academic Culture  (Read 122 times)

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Academic Culture
« on: November 05, 2021, 12:56:29 pm »
University of Regina prof Shannon Dea says:

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I sometimes think of academic freedom as a set of sliders that range from “minimum” to “maximum.” On this model, tenured professors who do not hold senior administrative appointments, typically (but this can vary for a number of reasons) have all of the sliders set on “maximum,” whereas other university personnel have different settings, many of them lower.

That paragraph is a good overall explanation of what academic freedom "means" in Canada, or how it equips various levels of instructors for fighting constraints on expressing themselves.  The term 'academic freedom' is sometimes overused, as everything becomes something you can throw at the other side in a culture war.

Anyway - your freedom to express yourself without getting fired as a prof is what you get.  You don't get to teach classes, necessarily, to be a dean or to administer the coffee fund or to speak ... anywhere.  If you harass a student, then you still can't be fired but you can get removed from those other things.

More articles:
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/dispatches-academic-freedom/the-price-of-academic-freedom/
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/dispatches-academic-freedom/academic-freedom-in-a-non-ideal-world/
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/dispatches-academic-freedom/on-the-uses-and-abuses-of-academic-freedom/
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/what-do-we-mean-when-we-talk-about-academic-freedom/

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Academic Culture
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2021, 11:59:36 pm »
Academic freedom means a rightwing prof can say or teach whatever nutjob theories they want, and also means a leftwing prof can say or teach whatever nutjob theories they want.

Universities are the place where people discuss ideas and it's been this way since ancient Greece.  In ancient Greece they didn't have "academic freedom" and Socrates was put to death by the city-state for "corrupting the youth".

Academic freedom is vital because NOBODY, including students or university admin, are the arbiter of what is true.  Truth stands on its own merits, because it's either backed by evidence and logic or it isn't.  So i say let all the wackjob rightwing and leftwing profs teach whatever they want, because just because they teach it that doesn't mean it's correct.
"Nipples is one of the great minds of our time!" - Bubbermiley

Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Academic Culture
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2021, 12:09:09 am »
And this

https://academicmatters.ca/free-speech-and-the-battle-for-the-university/

Faith Goldy is a wackjob.  However, i think she and anyone else should be allowed to speak at a university event.  If Goldy says something illegal at that event then they should charge her with a crime.  Otherwise they should be 100% free to speak there, because NOBODY should be the arbiter of who should or shouldn't be allowed to speak on campus.  That is a vile authoritarian thing to do, it's just beyond disgusting, not to mention arrogant and self-righteous.

Students should be allowed to protest speakers within the law as is their legal human right.  But nothing illegal, meaning no intimidation, no threats, no violence, and no disturbing the peace.  Voice your opinion but let the speech proceed.  Anything else is authoritarian nonsense by wannabe dictators.

If the law is followed everything will work out fine.  I don't understand how this is such a big issue.
"Nipples is one of the great minds of our time!" - Bubbermiley

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Academic Culture
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2021, 05:56:54 am »
1. Academic freedom means a rightwing prof can say or teach whatever nutjob theories they want, and also means a leftwing prof can say or teach whatever nutjob theories they want.

2. So i say let all the wackjob rightwing and leftwing profs teach whatever they want, because just because they teach it that doesn't mean it's correct.
1. Incorrect.  That's incorrect for pretty much anybody - you can't ever express hate incitement without consequence, for example.

2. It's not about teaching - you don't have the 'freedom to teach'.  Peterson doesn't teach anymore, but he can't be "fired", ie. he will be employed and can publish.