The divisions that exist in higher education continue to be
strong, unrelenting, and constantly being reinforced. For example: a person may struggle hard and earn
a degree, but if that degree is not from a particular ‘list’ of schools, some people
may turn their nose down at that degree, even though it is 100% valid. There
are actual ads for business jobs requiring an “MBA from top tier school only”,
even though there is no guarantee that the top tier degree is going to make a
better candidate. Of course, there is still the never-ending dispute between
the various types of accreditation in higher education, even though they are
all valid accreditation. A lot of time, energy,
and money continues to be spent on slandering other institutions abilities rather
than on helping students. We seem to be wasting a lot of energy in
creating/reinforcing divisions, not solving them.
Today’s blog came after reading an article titled: “Visiting Professorships Take On
New Uses in Changing Market” (http://chronicle.com/article/Visiting-Professorships-How/136953/?cid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en).
This particular professor has worked hard all his life, has published, and has
been productive. However, because he is not on the tenure track people have said,
“he got typecast and couldn't get a real job”.
Who makes the determination as to
whether something is good or bad, real or not real, and superior or inferior,
in higher education? Who has the right to make that determination based upon esoteric
and non-quantifiable facts? Tradition is good, but at some point tradition has
to change (we would still be a colony of the British Empire if tradition did
not change).
These continuing divisions do not
help students at all; in fact, they could have severe detrimental effects in the
future. Let us try to go beyond just biting our tongues before expressing a
negative opinion. How about trying to have a truly open mind so that the negative
thought is not there in the first place?
It is
about the student right?
Dr Flavius A B Akerele III
The ETeam
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