Last entry on the AAUP conference. Yesterday morning, my presentation went pretty well I think. I ended up having the audience and other panel members participate in a podcast recording, so I will include that segment in Episode 11, which is LONG overdue, it seems. Sorry about that, people.
I went to a panel yesterday with folks from Inside Higher Ed. and Academe, the magazine of the AAUP. I learned a great deal about media perceptions of faculty and how we can better assert ourselves in the public discourse. Actually, I was also quite pleased to learn that this blog and podcast are items that rarely come out of academia, that professors are reluctant to have their voices heard, let alone matching their name to that voice. I’ve never been ashamed or afraid to speak my mind. I don’t do too well with authority figures and certainly have instances of passive-aggression when I’m told to do something. Hey, just being honest here. But I am increasingly every week attracted to the public face of this profession, reaching out to those who don’t hear from faculty members often.
The other great takeaway from the AAUP gathering was the ability to mix and mingle with professionals in other discipline areas. It’s easy to get cloistered within one’s unique discipline or area of expertise, especially when you attend and present at meetings tailored to your interests. You end up seeing the same people over and over again. But I’m interdisciplinary in my nature as an intellectual, and it is perhaps education that forces me to do so to some extent. I do feel strongly that teaching and education are worthy of unique discipline status, yet there is also a strong overlap with other humanities and sciences that integrate with education, make it more meaningful and stronger. So, meetings like this, although not completely relevant to my specific discipline, I think are essential to my personal growth as a scholar.
I agree with you that teaching and education are worthy of unique discipline status. Your articles are well-written.