Is the university really a community?

When I joined my current department it was a community and within a few months, I knew everyone and met them in the tea room. Now, this is not the case since young, ambitious staff members do not like to be seen talking in such situations rather than "working". In some ways, I cannot blame them since our salaries have fallen so far behind inflation that promotion is on their minds from day one. At the age I joined the department as a lecturer (after some varied experience), it is now the expectation that one is already a full professor. Then there is the pension situation and the increasing bureaucracy around teaching (learning outcomes, moderation, data collection and managerialism). The job is fast becoming an unpleasant and poorly paid one for all but the highest of fliers. It attracts individuals who have been at or near the top of their cohorts as students and so should reward them appropriately or not be surprised when they choose other careers.

"....universities like Arizona State are now growing global teaching faculty, with the expertise of the university’s salaried academics enriched by offshore adjunct appointees, who can teach in other fields via digital delivery, producing a course menu for students way beyond that any university could have afforded alone." Great, let's off shore *all* teaching to cheaper economies, just think of the savings on pensions alone. Plus no pesky unions to contend with. Natch, senior admin must be based at the home campus. Triples all round!

As so very often, self-serving myths substitute for historical memory. These notes reflect that absence. Can't academics (especially if not suffering from fictitious "academania" :) ) of all people pay attention to our history?

‘community’ is aspirational in a university. We should be collegiate, kind and compassionate as humans; but in market economies the research-productive and the pliant gain reward….not the community minded. But I would rather help others and try to be a decent colleague than plough an individual Furrow up the greasy Pole

‘community’ is aspirational in a university. We should be collegiate, kind and compassionate as humans; but in market economies the research-productive and the pliant gain reward….not the community minded. But I would rather help others and try to be a decent colleague than plough an individual Furrow up the greasy Pole