CSU Faculty Voice: May Day Greetings

Friday, May 1, 2009

May Day Greetings

Steve's May Day post (and I agree with his proposal for a teach-in) has inspired me to use this important day to say a word about my participation in the recent struggles as a communist. For me the most important victory in these struggles is our own transformation. That is, the struggle changes us who participate in it. We come to think more in terms of "we" than in term of "I". We think beyond the immediate issue to ask both why things are bad and need to be changed and to ask what, ideally, we would like to achieve. This struggle has strengthened me. It has helped me to overcome passivity and individualism. I have learned so much from all of you, students and fellow teachers both. I thank you. Happy May Day!

2 comments:

kathleen mcinerneyMay 2, 2009, 8:59:00 AM
In addition to the ability we have to mobilize actions, we could collect our (students, faculty, staff) narratives of resistance and resiliency and anthologize them. Using critical race theory and/or other lenses, we could create a powerful description of local politics and higher education. Anyone interested in taking the editorial lead on this?
ReplyDelete
Replies
Paul GombergMay 2, 2009, 3:30:00 PM
It's a project which could be very helpful to us and to others. I personally could not take it on, but I would love to discuss it and help those who could. Probably some of those narratives--or at least notes for them--should be written now while the experience is still fresh.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.