Category Archives: Academia

M is for Mandarin

Posted on June 17, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Via 11D, here’s an article by William Deresiewicz that I like considerably more than his recent standard-issue world-we-have-lost complaint about contemporary English Departments. Deresiewicz is concerned about the particular character of meritocratic elitism in contemporary higher education, and about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | 17 Comments

Walk This Way

Posted on June 1, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Swarthmore had its commencement this morning, on a very pleasant late spring day. I like to sit closer to the front so I can see the graduates and the audience, but it does mean you have to pay attention as … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | 6 Comments

When Do You Shelve a Course?

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Timothy Burke

One of my courses this semester felt slightly off. I’ve taught this course enough times to see some variations in how and when the students are engaged by this material. This group seemed the least engaged I’ve seen. There were … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 2 Comments

Letting Go and Keeping Weird

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I’ve had my finger hovering over the send button of an irritated email addressed to the Alumni Office at my alma mater, Wesleyan University, for about two weeks now. The main reason I don’t send it is that I would … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | 9 Comments

In My Day…

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I seriously hate declension narratives. Anything that starts out with, “Once upon a time, there was a golden age, and then the barbarians came and wrecked it all…” gets me going for my guns. Even when it’s a reasonable enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 43 Comments

Slides and Chalkboards

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I have two questions, both in reaction to Margaret Soltan’s insistent complaints about PowerPoint usage in university classrooms. 1. How common is repeated, regular PowerPoint usage by professors in higher ed classrooms? (E.g., not the occasional usage to show visual … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 22 Comments

I Agree!

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I don’t usually post simple applause entries, but Patricia Nelson Limerick pretty much speaks for me in every respect in this column for the Chronicle of Higher Education. I think she’s particularly correct when she argues that the “lament of … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 1 Comment

The Wrong End?

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Timothy Burke

One of the basic problems with Culture War 2.0 as it involves higher education is that both the critics and defenders of academia spend so much time focused on a small number of elite and well-resourced institutions. There are questions … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 5 Comments

Brains in Maine

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I just got back from an engaging visit to the College of the Atlantic. Even though its curricular project and general atmosphere are 180 degrees opposite from St. John’s College, I think it occupies a similar place in the universe … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 6 Comments

Porcupine

Posted on May 3, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Students should feel free to experiment with ideas, and to get them wrong. It’s ok to throw out an interpretation that is flawed, an argument that’s an experiment. An undergraduate shouldn’t feel that there’s a mob armed with rotten fruit … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 16 Comments