Lift and Separate
or Divide and be Conquered
The separatists come in four forms; those who want to return to the ivory tower and pull up the drawbridge so that the real wodd won't contaminate them; those who hope to solve budget problems by sacrificing some of their colleagues; those who believe that they would be better off on their own, in a commercial venture; and those who want to focus on jobs for graduates.
There are fundamental reasons why the various separatist positions are misleading.
First, it is impossible to divide skills and knowledge into two parts, one which would belong primarily to the true university and one which would belong to the technical schools. Those advocating separation would insist that the body of knowledge would not be divided but would be available through access to published material in libraries and journals. They do not understand that the fragmented publication of the results of reductionist research no longer serves society adequately. To solve the problems of the 21st Century, much more synthesis of knowledge and integration of it into the social, political and cultural context is needed. This often requires the difficult and somewhat more expensive work of interdisciplinary teams.
Second, the professional faculties need constant interaction with the objective theory and methodology of the other faculties. The broad, long term perspectives of the "traditional" faculties are needed to keep professional schools from becoming too caught up in the short term,commercial nature of some of their interest groups. When clients and interest groups press for results, teachers and researchers in professional schools must always abide by the principle that objectivity and sound methodology are paramount. Objectivity and sound methodology cannot be compromised while developing acceptable solutions to problems
Third, the professional faculties need the philosophy and the vision of what society could be or should be, and the historical, social and cultural perspectives of the "traditional schools". Without those visions of the past and the future, short term and financial excegencies take over.
Fourth, the professional faculties are needed to demonstrate to the public and the politicians that universities produce value for dollars invested, in terms that the public and politicians can understand. Most faculty members in the professional faculties understand that in the longer term, they draw on the results of basic research from a very wide range of disciplines. That is especially the case when a longer term, interdisciplinary approach is taken to the problems solved in professional faculties, rather than the very narrow, short term technical aspects. So the professional faculties are a very important part of demonstrating the importance of basic research in the ongoing processes of solving problems and innovation.
Fifth, the professional faculties often have a more immediate understanding of the fallacy of "employment-related education". We understand that students must be taught to think and solve problems, not to be technicians. We also understand that students must be taught the skills and knowledge they will need five years from now, not what employers are looking for today. Professional faculties have to continually resist pressures from the associated professions, to produce entry level slave labour technicians.
Finally, the separatists' proposals result in time, money and other limited resources being devoted to fighting others within the institution, rather than for other more productive endeavours.
The separatists have decided that the university would work better divided than it would as an intellectual community where interaction, cooperation and communication are encouraged, if not expected. They believe that small, specialized units can survive better alone than they can as interdependent faculties within a larger, stronger institution. They have underestimated the extent to which the parts are even now dependent upon the whole, and the growing need for interdisciplinary interaction, drawing upon the skills and knowledge of a very wide range of members of the community.
The universities are under attack from outside and from within. Outside the universities, there are those who want to emphasize the employment-oriented nature of advanced education and to focus universities in this direction. Some want to replace government funding with private sector support, failing to note that the taxpayer still supports the funding through the tax deductions provided to the private sector for that support. That means that decisions about what activities get supported in the university pass from the government and the university to the private sector. Others simply want to cut the budget and downsize to reduce the deficit of the provincial and federal governments. While under attack from outside, we cannot afford to be fighting within.
EVDS should be very careful with any proposals that suggest that amputation is the best option for long term health and stability. The Faculty of Environmental Design must strengthen our image as a strong contributor to interdisciplinary work on problem solving and innovation. We rely on the research results, the skills and knowledge of other faculties and need alliances with those willing to collaborate in interdisciplinary work. The University should establish policies which discourage fragmentation and encourage collaboration. This is not an argument for an authoritarian central administration. A system of relatively independent units which promote and reward collaboration and interdisciplinary work will provide the needed strength and flexibility.
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