“Should the university serve or stand above the market?”

“Should the university serve or stand above the market?”

                Friday the 3^rd of March, 1:00-2:30pm
                Seminar Rooms 1 and 2, Chrystal Macmillan Building

For most of history universities have existed in relative autonomy from the societies in which they have been embedded. This was thought of as a condition of the entire project: scholars could only pursue knowledge outside of the imperatives of the economic and political spheres. Otherwise, the wrong objectives might prevail, and inquiry slowly degenerate. Recently, another view has taken hold, which looks upon the university as an archaic institution whose renewal can only be secured by its integration into the economy. In the UK, ongoing reforms are commercialising higher education: public teaching grants have largely been replaced by increased tuition fees, new providers have been introduced to simulate a competitive market, and university management has been corporatized.

What are universities for? Should these reforms be welcomed or resisted?

Speakers:

1. Dr. James Crowther, Senior Lecturer in Community Education
2. Patrick Garratt, Vice President for Academic Affairs
3. Dr. Richard Baxstrom, Reclaim the University
4. Dr. James MacAllister, Lecturer in the Philosophy of Education

There will be a brief presentation from each speaker, followed by a Q&A with the audience.