May 16, 2005
Engaged Scholarship
Back Burner, List #1, Item #5
(Background, from my online CV. And remember that I welcome comments, suggestions, critiques!)
Random thoughts and questions about my desire to integrate engaged scholarship in my future academic career:
1) Is this a realistic goal for a new faculty member in higher ed? It seems the folks who do this kind of work who I respect are all tenured. They already have plenty of experience--and respect--in "traditional" scholarship and the engaged part comes as a sort of crown to their achievements.
I know that in our CHE task force report we tried to outline an agenda for incorporating such work throughout the professional life course. I know and LOVE Boyers work on this topic. (See, for example Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate.)
But is this a realistic movement to buy into? And at this stage of my career?
2) Will the current climate in higher ed away from land-grant ideals and towards corporate values make it less likely that this goal will (a) be a selling point as I try to secure an appointment, and (b) help lead to tenure even once I do land a position somewhere?
And forget Extension--I wouldn't be surprised if Extension eventually whittles away to next to nothing most places. I hope not. But I wouldn't be surprised if it does.
3) Now. Maybe there are opportunities to take advantage of the corporatization of higher ed in order to create engaged scholarship opportunities. One of my profs talks about his dream study in which he partners with Target to study various family spending issues.
And of course there is my dream: Opening up a full service branch of the University of Minnesota at the Mall of America.
I mean, you can ride a roller coaster at MOA. You can have an all-night slumber party in an aquarium. You can see a movie, drink a glass of wine, have generously endowed women in tight t-shirts serve you beer and hot wings. Buy an engagement ring, choose a wedding dress, rent a tuxedo, get married, have wedding portraits taken, buy luggage, book a honeymoon vacation. Take courses at a for-profit college, buy books, buy all manner of college sports team paraphenalia. Get a manicure, get your hair done, buy shoesclotheshatseyeglasses. Buy an iPod, Bose speakers, cell phone, video game system--
All at MOA.
And much much much much more.
But what you can't do at MOA is pick up a copy of of the Extension publication Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate? You can't take a summer U of M course in African Cinema or Beginning German.
Anyway, I have mentioned this dream many times in various contexts, but I think people think it's a silly idea.
4) How will the general higher ed retreat from diversity initiatives impact my desires to continue with service and engagement efforts in this area? Just in my time from undergrad to now I've seen a move from "affirmative action" to "multiculturalism" to "diversity" to "non-traditional student" access. This last term I have seen applied to widely that virtually anyone can be considered "non-traditional" in some respect.
A worthy goal, increasing access for "all." Except that most of these efforts have seemed to involve further dividing the already-small slice of pie already allocated for "diversity" (or whatever previous term was used) to meet this goal...
Related to this, how will I balance my service and advising commitments so that they do not prevent me from doing the things I need to in order to have a strong tenure review package--While at the same time being true to my commitment to providing a different voice to committees I care about as well as being a mentor to students who look like me?
5) How might I take advantage of technology in order to help meet my outreach/engagement goals? I am really excited about the possibilities here: blogs such as this one, WebCT Vista course sites, using on-line games and simulations to illustrate and disseminate research findings...
I'll have to keep my eyes open for opportunities to explore these and similar possibilities further.
Posted by perry032 at May 16, 2005 11:03 AM | TrackBack| Printer-friendly version