Killing -- And Reviving -- The American University in Five Easy Steps - Forbes

Debra's Famous #5Steps Makes Forbes! How often does an academic from a discipline other than business, economics or IT, an adjunct, especially one in the arts and humanities, manage that? 

Opening with HG Wells quote,"History is becoming more and more a race between education and catastrophe" (the same as Lingenfelter's report), Steve Denning (Forbes Contributor, Radical Management: Rethinking leadership and innovation) writes,

Debra Leigh Scott has written an insightful article about the decline and death of the American university. Even more important is to think through how we revive it. 

Ms. Scott starts from the period post World War II, i.e. the 1950s when the GI bill, and the affordability — and sometimes free access — to universities created an upsurge of college students across the country. This surge continued for a time. Colleges had a thriving professoriate, and students were given access to a variety of subject areas, and the possibility of broad learning. Then something went wrong. 

It happened, she says, in five easy steps.

Read the rest and commentary at Killing -- And Reviving -- The American University in Five Easy Steps - Forbes

On the Road with JunctRebellion

#JunctTour is coming! Remember the story of JunctRebellion at Left Forum? Well, our intrepid Road Scholars Debra Leigh Scott and Chris Labree are getting ready to take their show on the road. Help us get the word out about the Homeless Adjunct Tour. 


I'll be following them from here, blogging, tweeting, Facebook updating. Making it happen will take a group effort: we need your help too. Spread the word. Share ideas. This is adjunct taking matters into their own hands ~ talking back, taking action, reaching out to adjuncts, contingent faculty, precarious academic knowledge workers everywhere. 

Debra writes, 

#OccupyColleges: #LeftForum footage, hooray?

So much going on or about to that I have been covering on Facebook ~ our page and others ~ or @NewFacMajority, plus working up into posts. There is more on CCCC 2012, upcoming conferences, assembling the team (or posse) for an NFM panel for MLA 2013 (no it's not too early to be working on that), more Virtual Meet & Greet, our counterparts in other countries, another set Joe's Updates to edit and format (which can takes longer than most posts) and more. Almost too much to think about let alone get to.

So with all that, when this came in, I couldn't resist. That's part of the story. The other part is the hour and the day's coherence fading fast. Embedding a video clip and writing a few paragraphs will use it all. Hooray for the rescue! Tomorrow is another day.

No, this not the polished, exquisitely edited footage we'll be seeing in the final cut of 'Junct: the Trashing of Higher Education. Rougher than rough cut but still exciting and enough to show you some of Chris LaBree's and Debra Leigh Scott's Left Forum session, hear from participants (Brianne, Nathan and Monica) and give you a sense of what to expect. 

As Chris explains, a friend shot some footage with a small mobile "flip cam," like what I'd been hoping someone would show up with at the Summit. The above clip below is only about 14 minutes of speakers talking about their causes.

#Junct at #LeftForum

The continuing adventures of intrepid filmmakers, Chris the Nomad and Debra the Homeless Adjunct, as they traverse the wilds of campuses, conferences and other treacherous corners of the uncharted adjunctiverse...

Storified by · Vanessa, Mon, Mar 19 2012 01:24:16

Video will be posted sometime this week: #LeftForum #OccupyColleges #Junct http://t.co/3yRk7rld

— Chris · Mon, Mar 19 2012 00:12:42

My friend Scott shot some footage of the  OccupyColleges panel at the @LeftForum yesterday. Currently rendering it out. Post will follow.

— Chris · Mon, Mar 19 2012 00:08:05

Liberal Scholars and Activists Take On the Corporatization of Academe - The Chronicle of Higher Education

In the shadow of marches and small pockets of Occupy Wall Street activities that have continued despite the protestors' eviction from Zuc...

2255 FILMS: It’s good to be a panelist

This year's panel went much better than last's. I should have known it was going to be a good day between the impeccable weather...

2255 FILMS: It’s good to be a panelist http://t.co/Onw2QqBI #LeftForum

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 23:17:48

But back to the beginning...

Left Forum

A unique phenomenon in the U.S. and the world, Left Forum convenes the largest annual conference of a broad spectrum of left and progress...

Last Call: @LeftForum #OccupyColleges: Rescuing #HigherEd from Corporatized Uni. Mar17, 12PM Room E323. http://t.co/uLqq1V1V #Junct

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 10:23:47

Waiting on my partner in crime @DebraLeighScott to review the 30 minutes I have of #junct. Need to trim down to 10 for the #LeftForum

— Chris · Mon, Mar 12 2012 23:57:42

Here at @LeftForum 30 minutes until our panel #OccupyColleges room E323 at noon. #Junct #2255Films

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 11:23:09

This is us looking official @LeftForum http://t.co/as5kYIII

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 11:59:27

Lockerz

Occupy Colleges: Rescuing Higher Education from the Corporatized University | Left Forum

The panel will investigate some of the many ways we are pushing back against the corporate colonization of academic culture. Fighting to ...

Panel @LeftForum http://t.co/Q2JwESlX

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 12:06:12

Audience @LeftForum #Junct #OccupyColleges http://t.co/K5rktbR8

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 12:06:58

First up Brianne. Student from temple university http://t.co/VOWov6qR

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 12:09:13

edudebtorsunion.org

Click to Listen - Student Debt, A Necessary Evil The sun was shining all day as folks came out to Occupy Wall Street NYC to discuss and d...

Got a packed house! #LeftForum #OccupyColleges http://t.co/xt38NOOq

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 12:22:55

Brianne talking about the point of solidarity amongst the students #LeftForum #OccupyColleges #Junct

— Chris · Sat, Mar 17 2012 12:21:28

There's more! Read the rest at #Junct at #LeftForum on Storify

NFM members on #LeftForum Panels

There may be other NFM members presenting in addition to Debra Leigh Scott and Joe Berry. If so, please let me know. Looking for panels to follow? A number of the Education track panels should be interest. The Left Forum page also has search for tracking down topics and speakers. For those not in attendance, I'll be following as best I can on twitter, hoping for both good turn out reporting back and presentations being available post-conference. 

 

Occupy Colleges: Rescuing Higher Education from the Corporatized University. Featuring: Debra Leigh Scott, Chris LaBree, Nathan Kleinman, Kyle McCarthy. Session 2, E323, Sat 12:00pm - 01:50pm

The panel will investigate some of the many ways we are pushing back against the corporate colonization of academic culture. Fighting to raise awareness of the issues through documentaries and art-making will be discussed by the writers and filmmakers on the panel. Working to return professional stature, governance and economic justice to the migrant adjunct faculty within traditional academic institutions will be discussed by members of NFM. Creating new models of higher education - like the free university movement, open sourceware opportunities and peer-to-peer educating - will be examined for its benefits and game-changing possibilities. 

About panelists: Debra Leigh Scott and Chris LaBree Co-Producer of 'Junct: The Trashing of Higher Ed. in America, will talk about the 'Junct project, our goals and intentions in the making of the film. Nathan Kleinman, The Free University of Philadelphia Working Group, and candidate for U.S. Congress, in Pennsylvania's 13th District. Kyle McCarthy, Producer of Default: The Student Loan Documentary.

For-Profit Universities: The Corporatization of Higher Ed. Featuring: Susan O'Malley, Joe Berry, Richard Ohmann. Session 4, E321, Sat 05:00pm - 06:40pm

For-profit universities have been in the news a lot recently, chiefly for sleazy and sometimes illegal practices. Since they now enroll more than 10% of college students in the U.S., since their rapid growth parallels the commercialization of traditional universities, and since their competition is hastening that process, they should be understood as one thread in the fabric of gonzo capitalism, not a marginal aberration. 

The Spring 2012 issue of Radical Teacher is about the commercializing of higher education. Susan O'Malley and Richard Ohmann edited the issue and Joe Berry, who has taught at a for-profit and is involved in organizing for-profit faculty, wrote for the issue. Confirmed speakers will be Joe Berry, Richard Ohmann with Susan O'Malley chairing the panel.

Peter Fettner recommends two panels hosted by Dissent Magazine on debt serfdom (Friday night, Schimmel, Opening Plenary) and organizing precarious labor (Session 2, E307, Sat 12:00pm - 01:50pm; co-hosted by Verso Books). 

  

Work in the 21st century has been described as unstable, decentralized, precarious. How can workers organize under conditions of "flexible" employment, or gain leverage against an ever-changing boss? What will organizing look like in the face of massive shifts in risk to the backs of workers? All kinds of workers face these conditions, from home care workers, whose recent victories in New York State have challenged the impossibility of rallying those particularly vulnerable to hidden exploitation, to the "knowledge workers" who make up the Freelancers Union. These panelists will discuss the changing face of organizing in the face of the changing nature of work.

Coalition of Academic Labor: Third Annual Forum on Part Time Faculty Unions

Saturday, Nov 19, 9am-1pm, Washington DC. See below for details on topics and calls for presentations. This is late getting this out (my bad), so contact Anne McLeer to make sure the Forum is still accepting presentations.