BENCH MARKER
Need for collegial approach
|
The hallmark of a university lies in ensuring continuity and change. At the same time it has to safeguard old values.
|
OLD NEED NOT BE GOLD, ALWAYS: The trappings and rituals of universities have not changed much over the years. Photo: Sandeep Saxena
OLD IS gold is a well-known proverb. An equally well-known opposite view is all that is old need not necessarily be gold. Take the case of one of the oldest institutions surviving without much of a change.
If you have not already guessed, it is the university whose trappings, rites and rituals have not changed in any significant way over the years. This venerable institution is now under extreme pressure to change, to fall in line and come to terms with the march of time.
Of late we have been hearing phrases like "university on the decline," "university on the death bed," etc. Well-meaning suggestions and advice are offered from all sides on revival/survival of the institution as we know it.
The hallmark of a university as an institution, we are told, lies in embodying continuity and change. It is entrusted with the task not only of preserving old values but also of welcoming the novel and the new.
In fact one would go to the extent of suggesting that the university should be an avant-garde institution. It is from this angle that the questions raised by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, at the recent Science Congress are meaningful and relevant.
Bureaucratic shackles
Are we creating the required environment for innovation and creativity in our institutions -- be they universities or national laboratories? Or have we allowed bureaucratic systems and patron-client relationship to stifle creativity? Dr. Singh asked and assured the academic community that he was committed to liberating academic institutions from bureaucratic shackles.
Coming as it does from the Prime Minister himself, it is music to the ears of all those who crave for an academic ethos which will promote free and unfettered pursuit of excellence in institutions of higher learning and research.
While a bureaucratic approach stifles creativity, a managerial approach, although fancied by some as a panacea for all the ills afflicting the academy, is equally counter-productive. It is tempting to adopt a managerial approach because it permits a quantitative analysis with cost-benefit computation, deliverables and timeframes.
But it is unlikely to create a tension-free environment where true scholarship and research can flourish. In this context, experience of quality assurance agencies of Western universities and the controversy surrounding quality and quantity will be relevant.
If you want to promote the right kind of academic atmosphere, you would do well adopt a `collegial' approach where the young and old, senior and junior stand on a footing of equality. The head of the institution, regarded as first among equals, should provide academic leadership inspiring everyone to work for the common good.
Incentives and rewards for quality and excellence in teaching and research are to be scrupulously selected by peer review based on objective criteria.
Fostering learning
What we are seeking is a learning university for the creation of a community in which professors and students are engaged in rich intellectual conversations in a collegial environment. This search implies that we value students and their worth.
It is also recognition of the fact that by fostering learning in others we can stimulate and enhance our own understanding.
In short it is a commitment on the part of both teachers and students to build and sustain a community of learners.
By Prof. C. Subba Rao
(c.subbarao@gmail.com)
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Education Plus
Karnataka
Chennai
Coimbatore
Hyderabad
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
