What is an Academic Imperative? (Part 2: A Conflict of the Faculties?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilhelm von Humboldt

 

The Idea of the University

In my last post on the “Charge to the Academic Initiatives Committee,” I began to suggest that perhaps the first “academic imperative” the committee ought to identify is the task of providing a definition of an academic imperative.

After reading Alan Wolfe’s review of Michael Bérubé’s new book, What’s Liberal about the Liberal Arts?, in last Sunday’s New York Times, it finally struck me why the phrase “identify academic imperatives” in the committee’s charge seems to me so strange.

What is an Academic Imperative? (Part 1: Introducing a Question)

One of the things influencing my decision this past spring to apply for the position of Chair of the Senate Academic Initiatives Committee was the following statement included in the position’s advertisement describing the committee’s “charge.”

CHARGE TO THE ACADEMIC INITIATIVES COMMITTEE
The Academic Initiatives Committee will serve to identify academic imperatives, develop and/or review proposals for corresponding program initiatives, and assist in the approval and implementation process of those initiatives. Faculty and Chairs are encouraged to play an active role in the identification and examination of current academic imperatives, and to offer relevant proposals for committee consideration.

Save the Dates! Fall 2006 Schedule

The Fall 2006 AIC schedule has been finalized, with the committee’s first event taking-place on Monday, 25 September, from noon-2 pm in the Pratt Brooklyn Library Alumni Reading Room.  This first event will devote itself to exploring the question, “What is an Academic Imperative?”

Additional meetings and their themes will take-place as follows:

30 October — “What is Interdisciplinarity?”

20 November — “What is Problem Solving?”

07 December — “What is Criticality?”

Unless stated otherwise, the time and location for all events will be noon-2pm at the Pratt Brooklyn Library Alumni Reading Room.

All Pratt faculty, staff, and members of the administration are welcome.  Lunch will be served.

An extended description of the Academic Initiatives Committee’s program for 2006-2007 can be found here (be advised–opens a pdf document in a new window).