Nick -
Let me leaven any questions I might have stated about PhDs and higher
education with an endorsement of your ideas and intentions regarding
Santa Fe being a *good place* for people to be able to pursue a higher
education.
Many of us here are beyond caring about obtaining more credentials, but
many of us may also have children or grandchildren or protege's who we
would like to see have the opportunity for a higher education right here
in River City (on the Alemeda or on the banks of the Agua Fria?).
While I think there are an *excess* of people qualified to teach the
various courses and seminars suggested by an institution such as CUSF, I
fear that few of them are *inclined* to do such teaching. The City
Different draws the wealthy, the retired, and various species of the
disaffected. It isn't clear which of those groups is likely to want to
(or be quailified to) teach.
I don't mean this to be negative, I am just trying to frame why you may
be having so much trouble rounding up people to engage properly. I,
for example, am barely qualified by most standards to teach much of
anything formally to anyone, and inclined only insomuch as I care
passionately about at least a dozen things. Unfortunately I'm also
scraping out a living (hard to tell that with all of my blathering here)
doing things which, despite their spotty remuneration, are surely better
paid than what I would ever see as an un-credentialed adjunct at an
emerging (or fully formed) institution.
I want you to find the qualified and energetic and full-of-perspective
instructors required for such an institution. I want my daughter who
obtained a BA in liberal arts at CSF (just before they tanked) to have a
place to get some more of the same if she wants to return to the area
(she is in Denver working full time and pursuing an Art degree in her
spare time). But I'm not sure such instructors are going to be easy to
find with both full PhDs and the time/inclination to engage.
A more practical and (IMO) likely-to-serve-the-community deal would
probably involve a lot more people teaching/leading courses/seminars
*without* as many formal qualifications. There are *many* ABDs (all but
dissertation) and even high school dropouts who can (and do) provide
wonderful education and mentorship on many topics in this town. But
maybe there is no way in the existing academic climate to do that
formally... it would not do probably to bestow a bunch of honorary
degrees on those who have gained much of their skills and knowledge *in
spite of* academia, rather than within it's structure. That would
defeat the purpose of requiring PhDs for the most part.
I applaud and encourage your efforts and don't want to discourage you
from *looking for* the instructor/leader/professor candidates you seek.
But I want to encourage a parallel effort that might be less challenging.
When we talk next, I'll try to listen carefully and try to dig through
my network for possible resources that can help you with this
endeavor... it is meritable... it is a "good thing"... it is... and I
hope others here will renew (discover?) their interest in your quest...
- Steve
What, in heavens name, Peggy, led you to think I believed such a
proposition? (Memorization = scholarship) Do you really think,
knowing my writing on the list as well as you do, that I spent my 37
years teaching undergraduates to memorize? (I actually don't HAVE a
memory.) You are, or course, on the correct side of whatever war you
are waging, but you are not waging it with me!
My only assertion was that formal advanced professional academic
scholarship has SOMETHING to contribute to the mix. Santa Fe is a
University town in every respect -- it has arts, galleries, music,
theatre, a highly educated population (in part), institutes, policy
making organizations, earnest discussion groups, research think tanks,
undergraduate colleges, etc. and an abundance of good coffee, --
except that it does not have (many) graduate programs. The CUSF idea
is to bring that last and final element of University life to Santa
Fe. Since the City is already a university campus in many respects,
let's make that extra effort to become a City University. Read around
in the (primitive and ill managed) website www.cusf.org
<http://www.cusf.org>, and see what you think. Help me make it better.
Nick
*From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
*On Behalf Of *peggy miller
*Sent:* Tuesday, October 12, 2010 9:16 AM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* [FRIAM] vol 88, issue 12
To Nick Thompson re "expertise"
The ability to memorize and quote things is not, in and of itself,
expertise. It is simple a great ability to memorize.
--
Peggy Miller, owner/OEO
Highland Winds
Art, Photography, Herbs and Writings
406-541-7577 (home/office/shop)
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
