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Watching what is happening to PSE in AB (and across the US and UK) I am concerned that current strategies being employed to address financial concerns may be shortsighted and devastatingly costly in the long run. (a short thread) 1/7
As faculty adapt their teaching to include remote delivery, one of the things that stands out to me is that not unlike medieval and early modern universities, the development and deployment of tools and technology is giving impetus for the growth and expansion of PSE. 2/7
But, growth & expansion need to be measured and balanced to avoid an uneven drain on any University’s most vital asset and resource: its people. Universities have almost always been 'businesses' that seek to employ the best scholars and cater to the students as customers. 3/7
They also tend to view cost containment as a sign of success. And, while I might bristle at the notion of the student as 'consumer', if we include processes and services in this definition, the idea is slightly more palatable. 4/7
But, the take-away from all of this should be that people were, are, and always should be the lifeblood of any University. And, while economic downturns and political priorities shift over time, the 'University' has survived in the west for almost 900 years. 5/7
It has survived not because of buildings, or fixed property, or add-on services. It has survived because of people: scholars, staff, and students. Cost containment in Universities cannot come solely at the expense of its people. 6/7
Perhaps the key to ensuring that Universities don't sacrifice scholarship and pedagogy for the sake of an ideology that prioritises the bottom line is to maintain proper, shared, collegial governance! Faculty must be included in any decision making that impacts academic life. 7/7
