{"id":162,"date":"2018-05-18T14:51:48","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T18:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/?p=162"},"modified":"2018-05-18T15:08:03","modified_gmt":"2018-05-18T19:08:03","slug":"the-slow-professor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/2018\/05\/18\/the-slow-professor\/","title":{"rendered":"the Slow Professor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berg, M., & Seeber, B. K. (2016).\u00a0The slow professor: Challenging the culture of speed in the academy<\/em>.<\/a> Toronto: University of Toronto Press.<\/p>\n

\"\"Two Canadian faculty members in the humanities take inspiration from the \u201cslow food\u201d movement and apply a similar concept of resisting corporatization to academia. \u00a0The \u201cslow professor manifesto \u2026 challenges the frantic pace and standardization of contemporary culture\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This book is a \u201cmust read\u201d for faculty and administrators.<\/p>\n

The goal of the Slow movement is to relieve the tyranny of time pressure and the associated health and social problems, not through better \u201ctime management\u201d (which usually involves multi-tasking and micro-scheduling tasks into small, fragmented blocks of time) but by faculty using our \u201cagency\u201d in advocating for \u201cdeliberation over acceleration \u2026 acting purposefully [and] cultivating emotional and intellectual resistance\u201d (x).<\/p>\n

Berg & Seeger make pertinent comments on the corporatization of higher education (including frequent references to Collini\u2019s \u201cWhat are Universities for<\/em>\u201d – included in this bibliography), but note that \u201cits effect on time begs further attention\u201d).\u00a0 They observe that \u201cthe [market] values of productivity, efficiency and competition have time as the common factor\u201d and that \u201ccorporatization has sped up the clock\u201d (p. 8).\u00a0 However, they resist the \u201clanguage of crisis\u201d in regard to higher education, which embraces this sense of urgent and immediate action.\u00a0 Instead, they explain the \u201cslow movement\u201d as way to reinvigorate and re-politicize academic life, not through taking things \u201cin slow motion\u201d but approaching all aspects of life \u201cwith care and attention\u201d (p. 11). The book focuses on tenured faculty as best-placed to affect change that (they hope) will gradually \u201ctrickle down\u201d to the academy as a whole.<\/p>\n

The authors observe that teachers who feel stressed, anxious and rushed negatively affect students as well as themselves. They offer suggestions for \u201cenjoying teaching\u201d and overcoming negative emotions in the classroom, noting that students are far more likely to learn when they enjoy a class.\u00a0 They particularly note the positive power of \u201cnarration\u201d, not just telling stories in a course, but telling \u201cthe course as a story\u201d (p. 48).\u00a0 They strongly favor face-to-face classes with direct interaction over online courses, and deplore the distraction of phones and multi-tasking on laptops during class.<\/p>\n

The chapter \u201cresearch and understanding\u201d stresses that (good) research takes time and should not be limited to questions that are easily answered and \u201cmarketable\u201d, and contrast \u201cknowledge\u201d with \u201cunderstanding\u201d.\u00a0 In addition \u201cthe emphasis on the quantifiable, applied and profitable compromises intellectual community (pitting individuals, departments, faculties and universities in ever-stiffer competition) and intellectual diversity\u201d (p. 58). \u00a0The culture of speed and competitiveness negatively affects personal relationships and compassion for \u2018the other\u2019 while \u201cslowing down \u2026 is an ethical choice [it is] taking time for the self and time for the other\u201d (p. 58-9).<\/p>\n

This leads to the authors\u2019 discussion of declining \u201ccollegiality and community\u201d in academia resulting from corporatization and time pressure.\u00a0 The culture of speed, competition and trying to \u201cget ahead\u201d (as well as the myriad of administrative and \u201cbusy-work\u201d tasks that are increasingly falling to faculty) create a negative environment in which faculty feel they cannot take time to \u201cstop and talk to one another\u201d or help one another (p. 73).\u00a0 This often results in a sense of loneliness and isolation which is actually counter-productive.\u00a0 Social interaction (which can often help resolve problems in teaching or research and stimulate ideas) falls by the wayside as being \u201cnon-measurable\u201d on reports. This is exacerbated by reliance on electronic communication and \u201cweb forums\u201d [also the ubiquitous \u201cwebinars\u201d].\u00a0 Ironically, surveys report \u201ccollegiality\u201d as the most important factor for faculty development.\u00a0 Offering seminars, retreats, events etc. does not necessarily help because they require \u201ctime and energy, when those are precisely what we are running low on\u201d (p. 77).<\/p>\n

Unfortunately \u201ccollegiality\u201d itself has entered the realm of \u201cmeasurable\u201d in terms of faculty reviews and even tenure decisions, and there is a growing danger of \u201cturning collegiality into the exchange of marketable skills\u201d (p. 79) by \u201csocial networking\u201d – conversing and collaborating only with those who can help one advance professionally.\u00a0 The slow movement offers to overcome this by recognizing that social interactions and supportive colleagues are important and require time, and that feelings and emotions are critical to well-being \u2013 or rather \u201cwell be-coming\u201d (p. 82). \u00a0The authors speak of creating a work place that is a \u201cholding environment\u201d or \u201csupporting net\u201d in which colleagues respect and encourage each other, share emotional burdens, know each other as a person, and solve emotional problems together (p. 82).\u00a0 They stress building community that reduces stress instead of \u201cdisavow[ing] emotion in pursuit of hyper-rational and economic goals\u201d (p. 83).\u00a0 In concluding, the authors describe their own collaboration on the book, which began with simple conversation and recognition of a pervasive problem.<\/p>\n

A few notes before \u201cquestions\u201d.<\/p>\n

First, this book has provoked both praise (the leader of our Faculty Development Center and chair of the English Department described it as \u201cfabulous\u201d) and scorn.\u00a0 Take a look at the \u201ccomments\u201d on the \u201cInside Higher Ed.\u201d Review<\/a> that criticize the book as elitist (written by and for lazy, privileged tenured faculty whining about their workload) and ridiculously impractical. Many are from clearly frustrated adjuncts and recent graduates struggling with impossible workloads who feel (no doubt with good reason) that they cannot possibly afford to \u201cslow down\u201d. \u00a0(Ironically, quite a few \u201ccommenters\u201d admit to not having read the book, presumably because they did not have time).\u00a0 It seems to me that these comments miss several key points.\u00a0 The book is addressed to tenured faculty because we are in the best position to affect positive change (the authors recognize that adjuncts and \u2018contract labor\u2019 have little or no voice).\u00a0 The authors are not advocating \u201cdo less work\u201d, but rather to focus on important work and resist pressure to do everything in a rush, because the outcomes (including \u201cquality\u201d of research and teaching) are ultimately better.\u00a0 And overall, to recognize and resist the corporate mentality that \u201cdoing more with less\u201d \u2013 and feeling constantly stressed and overwhelmed \u2013 is both normal and praiseworthy.<\/p>\n

Second, on a personal note, reading this book was a revelation. It crystalized something that has been gradually dawning on me during my sabbatical:\u00a0 my frenetic pace over many years was changing me from a \u201cscholar\u201d into \u201ca doer\u201d.\u00a0 I realized that I had not only accepted but embraced the \u201cstar performer\u201d competition, proud of my achievements and long work hours (and then being expected, and expecting myself, to \u201cachieve even more\u201d). I doubt I can truly achieve \u201cslow\u201d, but I resolve to change my attitude to work and time.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/h4>\n

How much do you feel there is a focus on \u201cproductivity, efficiency and competition\u201d at our institution?\u00a0 Is it possible (or even desirable) to \u201cresist\u201d it?\u00a0 Are there realistic steps we can take in that direction?<\/p>\n

Some of my Praxis colleagues will recall a memorable remark by Fr. Brian Muz\u00e1s<\/a> (Diplomacy and International Relations) on our approach to teaching:\u00a0 \u201cwe are microwaving when we want to be slow-roasting\u201d. \u00a0Given the demands to \u201ccover the material\u201d (especially in view of cumulative course requirements), what can we do to do more \u201cslow-roasting\u201d and less \u201cmicrowaving\u201d?<\/p>\n

Is the approach of teaching as narration a useful one (can you think of examples from your own teaching?).\u00a0 How does this relate to \u201cthe way of heritage\u201d?<\/p>\n

Collegiality, community and collaboration are cornerstones of our Praxis program, but are these qualities indeed declining in academia generally?\u00a0 How can we help to foster them?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Berg, M., & Seeber, B. K. (2016).\u00a0The slow professor: Challenging the culture of speed in the academy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Two Canadian faculty members in the humanities take inspiration from the \u201cslow food\u201d movement and apply a similar concept of resisting corporatization to academia. \u00a0The \u201cslow professor manifesto \u2026 challenges the frantic pace … Continue reading “the Slow Professor”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-challenges-in-higher-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":170,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions\/170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/cheb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}