The members of the Reactivate the Berkeley Faculty Association endorse the "Week of Education" concerning the budget crisis. We encourage all faculty to find ways to participate in it. There are many possibilities, ranging from holding in-class discussions with students about the nature of the crisis and possible solutions to it, to taking part in walk outs, and attending the rallies, seminars, colloquiums, and other activities planned for this week.
In our view, these activities are not about disrupting classes or bringing the campus to a standstill. Rather, they are opportunities to educate our students, ourselves, and the public about the structural problems in state government and public culture that have undermined California's capacity to support broad student access to affordable, excellent public higher education. This week affords opportunities for us to examine and discuss these challenges and to debate the pros and cons of different ways to move the university to a more sustainable future.
We applaud our friends in SAVE and the Solidarity Working Group and all the other faculty, staff, and students involved in organizing the Week of Education.
Wendy Brown
Judith Butler
Tony Cascardi
Louise Fortmann
Waldo Martin
Chris Rosen
Alex Saragoza
Anne Wagner
Dick Walker
UC Health & Service Strike News
10 hours ago
6 comments:
Your view is shockingly passive. Do you not realize that if we don't "disrupt classes" on Sept 24, there may literally be fewer classes to disrupt in the near future? Do you not understand that this administration will dissolve departments and layoff faculty?
bronwen, maybe your disruptive intent is shockingly naive?
One of the problems with anonymous comments, as I have pointed out to Chris, is that civil discourse tends to suffer when commentators hide behind anonymity. This was the case with the snide comments made about Andrew Scull in an earlier post, and it is the case here. I may not agree with Bronwen's comment, but I don't think that snideness is a productive way to address her concerns.
I second Jack, and add that pseudonyms would be much appreciated so the anons don't blend into an undifferentiated mass
But wasn't it the Rowlands comment that first attacked the original post as "nor realizing" and "not understanding"?
As I understood it, the Rowlands comment (signed by a real person, mind you) was making the point that the moderate stance of the Berkeley Faculty Group was insufficient. Not in those terms, certainly, but that was the point Bronwen was making. There is a serious tactical point to debate here -- one that has been bracketed for the sake of faculty/student/staff unity. I may not agree with how Bronwen put it, but I understand what she is trying to say: namely, that a retreat from calling this "action" on 9/24 a walkout might harm the ultimate cause of demonstrating to UCOP and the state how these cutbacks affect the university campuses. Bronwen is commenting on tactics; your comment seems directed at Bronwen. With all respect, I think that the difference lies there.
I think we readers of this site are all concerned with the future of UC. I'd ask that commenting be an act of moving the argument forwards.
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