It's interesting to consider the UNT developments in light of another recent article from the Chronicle discussing the current obsession with measuring teaching effectiveness and why many faculty have been slow to buy in--not surprisingly, it's hard to get buy in when T/TT faculty are rewarded for scholarly productivity in the form of publications, not creating or "measuring" the outcomes learning objectives on a syllabus! Teaching faculty are blamed for not being team players on the edge of educational breakthroughs as a result of employing rational decision making processes.
     I worked my way through school as a bartender. One nice thing about the job was I was very clear about what I was supposed to do---make mass quantitites of error-free drinks quickly and collect money for them without making the customers mad, no matter what their blood alcohol readings might have been. Clean up, go home, count my cash. Period.
     If only it were so simple now. Both adjunct and T/TT faculty are facing multiple sets of competing goals that make it hard to know what to do! Use "new" interactive teaching strategies .  . . when the class size is determined by the Fire Marshall. Be on campus more, produce more (write?) on campus. . . even if one's office is substandard, dysfunctional or distracting. Take classes (on your own time) to learn how to use more educational technology . . . so you can wait for a landline to ring so someone can make an appointment to come in for a face to face meeting. (Most of my students prefer to phone, email or text me if they can't catch me before or after class. They are too busy trying to deal with their own competing goals issues to come visit!) 
    No wonder tensions are rising in Texas and elsewhere.

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From: Center for Theory [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Faris, Wendy B [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 12:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: why didn't we think of this?!

Someone said many years ago in response to a question about how many wonderful intellectual conversations there must be going on at Johns Hopkins, "Well, whaddya think the ivory tower is, a coffee shop?!" I was reminded of that by this discussion . . .
Wendy.


Wendy B. Faris
Professor and Chair
English Department
Box 19035
University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, Texas  76019
(817) 272-5484 or 2692
 FAX:  (817) 272-2718
-----Original Message-----
From: Center for Theory [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Shelton, Jason E
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 12:30 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: why didn't we think of this?!

Wow...this is very scary stuff. Between this email and one you send last week its becoming clear to me that the ivory tower is beginning to renovate. -- Jason

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From: Center for Theory [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Philp, Kenneth [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 11:45 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: why didn't we think of this?!

________________________________________
From: Center for Theory [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Agger, Ben [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 8:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: why didn't we think of this?!

http://chronicle.com/article/Professors-at-U-of-North/124308/

I'm preparing a short essay on academic time and motion (written largely at home).


--ben