How inflammatory is this?

On the Value of an Independent Faculty Senate The rhetorical sleight of hand used in the attempt to discredit AAUP principles on academic freedom and tenure as well as to justify the marginalization of faculty senates resembles that used to discredit traditional university education and promote for-profit institutions and MOOCs. As academic blogger Undine indicates … More How inflammatory is this?

That statement of principles on academic freedom and tenure

It is from 1940. I am told that it therefore: (a) lacks modernity (it is old, so it must be antiquated), (b) is unnecessary (we all believe in these principles, so there is no need to write them down), and at the same time (c) is unaffordable (back in the thriving economy of the 1930s … More That statement of principles on academic freedom and tenure

Lezama

Here is another book we do not have, and that costs $100 to buy. I have La expresión americana somewhere and should seriously read it. Axé.

Flippant

They want us to “flip” our classrooms. This would mean writing lectures, practicing them, dressing for them, and videotaping them to put online. 1. I do not lecture and to the extent that I do, it works in person. If lectures are bad to begin with, I do not see why I should start giving … More Flippant

Watch my tone

Remember, if I publish one to five paragraphs like this locally, everyone will know to which meetings I refer and of whom I speak. Current paragraph one: The rhetorical sleight of hand used in the attempt to discredit AAUP principles on academic freedom and tenure as well as to justify the marginalization of faculty senates … More Watch my tone

Camilo José Cela

Since my colleague is boasting in class about knowing Arturo Pérez-Reverte I will dramatize here my encounter with Camilo José Cela. This happened a long time ago and that Emeritus Professor did not realize it was happening as he did not know I could understand as much Spanish as I could … or that, given … More Camilo José Cela

In which my Spanish literature class is one of the worst I have ever had

My survey of Spanish literature, where Clarissa and Jonathan both gave Skype lectures, is composed of sweet people but they are lost. I have been attempting to explain what the second Spanish Republic was for ten weeks and the students still do not understand. What the Franco dictatorship was. What the relation of the current … More In which my Spanish literature class is one of the worst I have ever had

When I say “reeducation,” one of the elements to which I refer is Boice

I wrote: Later when I have time, I will try to consider methods of using my plan, or even a Boicean style plan, to address problems that do not have to do with the low level problems he addresses, which appear to be not liking to write, not having any experience writing, not being organized, … More When I say “reeducation,” one of the elements to which I refer is Boice