Academic politics in the university

Audio file
Contributors
Date Recorded
1980-02-22
Date Digitized
2023
Genre
Rights
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Physical Location
Original cassette held by UPEI Archives and Special Collections
Duration
01:39:35
Model
1 1 Item in Collection
Transcript
00:00 Introduction from Smitheram

01:00 Beginning of lecture from Dasgupta

02:30 Discussion of the beginning of Dasgupta's academic career in 1969

04:30 Discussion of the development of UPEI between 1969-1971

05:30 Discussion of faculty involvement in university affairs

06:30 Discussion of the merger between St. Dunstan's and Prince of Wales

08:30 Discussion of changes to UPEI between 1969-1975

09:30 Discussion of the Goals and Objectives committee in 1975

10:00 Discussion of the reception of the report from the Goals and Objectives committee

10:30 Discussion of other reports on reorganising the structure of UPEI; one from the Academic Planning council

11:30 Discussion of the presidential report on the structure of UPEI

12:00 Discussion of the relative inaction in relation to the reports; faculty insecurity from the findings in the reports

15:00 Discussion of ameliorating the insecurity among the faculty in relation to the reports

16:00 Beginning of lecture from Baker

17:00 Discussion of the nature of faculty meetings

18:00 Discussion of the book "Microcosmographia Academia"

19:00 Discussion of the relative inexperience of the early UPEI faculty

20:00 Discussion of factionalism among the UPEI faculty

21:00 Discussion of the lack of change common to universities

22:00 Discussion of the improvements to university politics during the 20th century

24:00 Discussion of the benefits to the lack of change common to universities

25:00 Discussion of the effects of age on university faculty

28:00 Discussion of ambition among university faculty; discussion of what a coherent plan for academic reform would look like

30:00 Discussion of the argument for doing something as opposed to doing nothing

33:00 Discussion of character traits common to university faculty

34:00 Question period begins; question regarding faculty insecurity

35:00 Discussion of faculty focussing on quality over quantity as a benefit of UPEI's size

37:00 Question regarding the extent to which universities have autonomy, effects of outside pressure to change

44:00 Comment on the quick rate at which the Faculty of Arts developed its program

50:00 Question regarding the structure of universities with regards to faculty; faculty insecurity

58:30 Comment that universities behave the same regardless of structure; effects of capitalism on universities; discussion of universities in socialist nations

1:05:00 Comment on the "microfeatures" of the faculty at UPEI; discussion of factionalism

1:10:00 Lengthy comment on the nature of the faculty at UPEI; discussion of the Goals and Objectives committee

1:15:00 Comment on committees that produce reports that do not advocate for meaningful change

1:20:00 Comment on the difference between reports and policies

1:25:00 Comment regarding mechanisms for producing reports and implementing changes

1:27:00 Comment on committees, semi-facetious remark about a "natural selection committee"; discussion of evolutionary theory as analogous to academia

1:30:00 Comment on the UPEI senate as an 'ad hoc' committee; comparison of university structures to athletics, namely hockey and soccer

1:39:00 Conclusion