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Intellectual dishonesty
HENLEY MORGAN
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Carolyn Cooper, who from time to time vents her spleen on the pages of the newspaper, went overboard in a September 13 piece, "University fi stone dog". The main premise of Cooper's dissertation is that the rapid expansion in the number of universities in Jamaica is a bad omen.
PERKINS... the University of the West Indies is an intellectual ghetto
Citing figures from the University Council of Jamaica website she bemoans the fact that there will soon be 50 registered universities doing business in the country. Cooper gives a lecture on what a real university is and surmises that the plethora of universities is an indication of the devaluation of tertiary education in Jamaica.
As she nears the end of her diatribe, Cooper reveals the true intent of her contribution and the source of her anguish. In berating the prime minister for announcing the future establishment of a university park on the Caymanas lands "that will enable struggling universities to pool resources for survival", she reminds him that he is the graduate of a "real-real" university, the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies where I believe she earns a living as a lecturer. Carolyn Cooper's malady is easily diagnosed. She is suffering from a bout of self-serving interest which impairs her ability to see that we are living in different times.
The antidote to the germ that has clouded the thinking of this otherwise lucid individual comes in the form of a few important reminders.
. Only about 11 - 15 per cent of the age cohort is
currently able to find spaces or to gain access to university-level institutions.
. The UCJ has promulgated standards; has assisted institutions to become registered and to get their courses accredited, and has educated prospective students to know what to look for in choosing an institution of higher learning - in the process creating a revolution in tertiary education.
. Tertiary education is the fastest globalising sector of the Jamaican economy offering students a wide number of options without them leaving the shores of Jamaica.
. With the opening up of tertiary education, entrepreneurs like Winston Adams and Hyacinth Bennett have entered the arena providing the infusion of much-needed private capital.
I agree with Carolyn Cooper that producing a world-class university is not an overnight thing. In an article entitled, "The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities", Jamil Salmi makes the case that the superior results achieved by world-class universities - highly sought-after graduates, cutting-edge research and dynamic technology transfer - can be attributed to three complementary sets of factors, namely:
. A high concentration of talent (faculty and students).
. Abundant resources (financial and educational).
. Favourable governance (supporting regulatory framework, autonomy, leadership, academic freedom).
Salmi says, "The dynamic interaction among these three sets of factors is the distinguishing characteristic of high-ranking universities. A recent survey of European universities confirms that funding and governance together influence performance."
He goes on to make a point that is of great significance in the debate over government support for tertiary education. "In the past, government did not play a critical part in nurturing the growth of world-class universities. The Ivy League universities in the United States grew to prominence largely as a result of incremental progress rather than deliberate government intervention. Similarly, Oxford and Cambridge evolved of their own volition over the centuries, with variable levels of public funding but considerable autonomy in governance and in the definition of their mission and direction. Today, however, a world-class university is unlikely to be rapidly created without a favourable policy environment and direct public initiative and financial support."
Prime Minister Golding's stated intention towards assisting the "struggling" universities that have added diversity to the education sector and increased access for thousands of students is precisely the clear-headed thinking that is needed in an age when organisations, corporations and countries compete on talent. It bewilders the mind how someone who portends to support the advancement of the masses to the point of seeking recognition of the lingua franca as the national language could fail to see this. It smacks of intellectual dishonesty.
Carolyn Cooper should encourage, not vilify, the new and, yes, fledgling players in the tertiary education sector. To do otherwise makes her no different than radio talk-show host Mutty Perkins who delights in referring to the University of the West Indies as the intellectual ghetto.
hmorgan@cwjamaica.com
HENLEY MORGAN
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Carolyn Cooper, who from time to time vents her spleen on the pages of the newspaper, went overboard in a September 13 piece, "University fi stone dog". The main premise of Cooper's dissertation is that the rapid expansion in the number of universities in Jamaica is a bad omen.
PERKINS... the University of the West Indies is an intellectual ghetto
Citing figures from the University Council of Jamaica website she bemoans the fact that there will soon be 50 registered universities doing business in the country. Cooper gives a lecture on what a real university is and surmises that the plethora of universities is an indication of the devaluation of tertiary education in Jamaica.
As she nears the end of her diatribe, Cooper reveals the true intent of her contribution and the source of her anguish. In berating the prime minister for announcing the future establishment of a university park on the Caymanas lands "that will enable struggling universities to pool resources for survival", she reminds him that he is the graduate of a "real-real" university, the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies where I believe she earns a living as a lecturer. Carolyn Cooper's malady is easily diagnosed. She is suffering from a bout of self-serving interest which impairs her ability to see that we are living in different times.
The antidote to the germ that has clouded the thinking of this otherwise lucid individual comes in the form of a few important reminders.
. Only about 11 - 15 per cent of the age cohort is
currently able to find spaces or to gain access to university-level institutions.
. The UCJ has promulgated standards; has assisted institutions to become registered and to get their courses accredited, and has educated prospective students to know what to look for in choosing an institution of higher learning - in the process creating a revolution in tertiary education.
. Tertiary education is the fastest globalising sector of the Jamaican economy offering students a wide number of options without them leaving the shores of Jamaica.
. With the opening up of tertiary education, entrepreneurs like Winston Adams and Hyacinth Bennett have entered the arena providing the infusion of much-needed private capital.
I agree with Carolyn Cooper that producing a world-class university is not an overnight thing. In an article entitled, "The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities", Jamil Salmi makes the case that the superior results achieved by world-class universities - highly sought-after graduates, cutting-edge research and dynamic technology transfer - can be attributed to three complementary sets of factors, namely:
. A high concentration of talent (faculty and students).
. Abundant resources (financial and educational).
. Favourable governance (supporting regulatory framework, autonomy, leadership, academic freedom).
Salmi says, "The dynamic interaction among these three sets of factors is the distinguishing characteristic of high-ranking universities. A recent survey of European universities confirms that funding and governance together influence performance."
He goes on to make a point that is of great significance in the debate over government support for tertiary education. "In the past, government did not play a critical part in nurturing the growth of world-class universities. The Ivy League universities in the United States grew to prominence largely as a result of incremental progress rather than deliberate government intervention. Similarly, Oxford and Cambridge evolved of their own volition over the centuries, with variable levels of public funding but considerable autonomy in governance and in the definition of their mission and direction. Today, however, a world-class university is unlikely to be rapidly created without a favourable policy environment and direct public initiative and financial support."
Prime Minister Golding's stated intention towards assisting the "struggling" universities that have added diversity to the education sector and increased access for thousands of students is precisely the clear-headed thinking that is needed in an age when organisations, corporations and countries compete on talent. It bewilders the mind how someone who portends to support the advancement of the masses to the point of seeking recognition of the lingua franca as the national language could fail to see this. It smacks of intellectual dishonesty.
Carolyn Cooper should encourage, not vilify, the new and, yes, fledgling players in the tertiary education sector. To do otherwise makes her no different than radio talk-show host Mutty Perkins who delights in referring to the University of the West Indies as the intellectual ghetto.
hmorgan@cwjamaica.com
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