Abandoning Education

Abandoning Education: "By GREGORY McCOLM

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 13, 2008

With each announced departure of a high-profile Florida university professor for Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Louisiana, Virginia, Ohio, and so on, we can see the longstanding plans for a high-technology Interstate 4 corridor disintegrate at our feet.

Just a few years ago, we were going to enter the 21st century with a roar. We were going to attract top researchers while upgrading our higher educational system. We would train Florida kids to become the entrepreneurs in and employees for biotechnology, computers, modern materials, space, and other forward-looking industries lining up from St. Petersburg to Melbourne.

No longer would Tampa be the back office of the nation: We were going to move beyond the boom and bust of tourism and construction and challenge Massachusetts, California, and North Carolina.

But no more.

Times are hard. Tourism and construction are bust, and the Legislature has made it quite clear that we don't have the money to waste on education. Especially not higher education. So we suffer from constrictions big (fewer students are being admitted and those who do get in face larger classes) and small (cutbacks in computer resources and support limit research and teaching). And then there is the institutional atrophy induced by program cutbacks and personnel layoffs.

Other states are protecting higher education as much as possible. Part of their motivation is that rebuilding a higher education system is a protracted business, so they'd rather at least preserve what they have. And part of the motivation is that higher education is an economic engine.

But Florida state government is above such considerations. Our higher educational systems have not only endured disproportionately deep cuts over the years, but have had funds raided for earmarks. Recently, the funds for the Centers of Excellence - which were supposed to go to high- priority research and development projects - were diverted to projects with superior political connections. No wonder professors who had developed more useful projects are thinking about going somewhere else.

We are reaching the point when we have to ask of parents, businessmen, workers, and all citizens of Florida whether we want to have a higher educational system capable of supporting a 21st century economy.

We don't have to. After all, if we are content to have Tampa remain the back office of the nation, if we are content to rely on the cheap jobs of tourism and watch our best and brightest kids leave for universities in other states - perhaps Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Louisiana, Virginia, Ohio and so on - never to return, then we can let things continue as they are.

It won't be long for the rest of the nation to leave us behind. It is already happening.

Home - complex4usf

Oh yea the wikipolosee blog


"BASIC ORIENTATION: COMMUNITIES AS COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS

The theory and science of Complexity can powerfully inform the development of sustainable communities. When a community is conceptualized as a complex adaptive system, it is recognized as a dynamic network of diverse agents interacting with one another and the environment to co-evolve over time (Agar, 2005, 2004a, 2004b). “Agents” are the people or entities that have the capacity to change intentionally and thereby influence one another and the evolution of a system (McKelvey, 1999). Complexity emphasizes processes of self-organization among agents as the central means of fostering the ongoing health, resilience and hardiness of a system, whether that system is a family, an organization, or a community (Capra, Juarrero, & Sotolongo, 2007)."

"culture change "

IT'S WEIRD Today . . . as always . . . yesterday at 12 noon, i raced to the complexity group. Got there seconds before Mike and Greg arrived . . . Allison came in a few minutes later. Greg was all excited about the Provost's Task Force he's on, and started explaining how he had sent this article using "Appreciative Inquiry" at the med school in Indiana. He suggested using it to resolve the budget crisis and faculty issues the Provost Task Force was addressing.

Enhancing the Informal Curriculum of a Medical School: A Case
Study in Organizational Culture Change
by Ann H. Cottingham, MAR1, Anthony L. Suchman, MD, MA2,3, Debra K. Litzelman, MA, MD1,Richard M. Frankel, PhD1,4,5, David L. Mossbarger, MBA4, Penelope R. Williamson, ScD3,6, DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr., MD7, and Thomas S. Inui, ScM, MD1,4,5

It was really kinda cool and inspiring to see the passion and excitement. The provost had read his email and article and encouraged him at their meeting, saying they should feel free to use this technique. . . Then even asked him how they would start. . . and offering to support a consultant to help. Greg was surprised by the response and not sure where to go with it. Trent Green was there too, who helped found this Sustainable Complexity group . . . . seems obvious we need to start a dialog here between them!

Mike was convinced that is was the same-old same-old. . . The same colleges are involved, engineering, medicine, all the applied sciences on the task force. No one from History, Sociology or Anthropology, or even math!!! No pure science in the task force at all, so they will write a report to do the same thing they planned 5 years ago. It likely will go on the shelf, and the administration will do what supports themselves anyway as usual.

When Allison came in, the conversation went to how the university is no longer supporting any of the sustainability initiatives that we were a part of. . . The Dean of the Grad school who started it is leaving. So there is not even recognition that it was a viable program.

Soon I said how the Provost was a great opportunity. The complexity group could help make the whole university work right. . . lol . . . of course that's sounds so much better now that I write it. I mean who cares what anyone thinks about the sustainable initiatives, we need to make it on our own with the Provost. Show the whole university how Sustainability Emerges!

Allison asked why I sounded so frustrated. I did feel frustrated at all, excited and happy maybe but I said it seemed like nothing was getting done with the Provost who offered to get a consultant. Here in this group we already have successful consultants - - Allison is already consulting with the children's Board while Sharon has been contacted by Mike Hoad and Rod Casto so it was really kinds weird we are not planning stuff now for the Provost. . .

Greg said Mike and Rod were not involved and they started talking about consultants they could recommend to the Provost. . . .

It was really interesting how it went. I said how since Greg was already successful about the article that we should help see what emerges from what he's got started already. He already has momentum there! Where do we want to see this going. How can we enhance the process that has already started. Emergence is about what is here already. You've got support and momentum already in two areas on campus. Asking for some outsider is going to blow what you started. Nothing but emergence now, let it develop, it's going the right way already. Talk to Trent and enhance what has started!!! Invite others to do the category matrix like Greg completed and passed out to us...

WOW wikipolicy comes to mind again. WOW. . . it would be really easy to build a wiki with the current Faculty Union Contract. . . get the faculty and students in charge of USF the way it is supposed to be finally . . .

Course then I get another email now too:

RE: update
Thursday, July 3, 2008 2:32 PM
To: "Eric"

I had lunch with these professor people from USF and it was enlightening. As of two days ago, FMHI, Social Work, Rehab Counseling and Criminology were put into some new College of Social Welfare and everything is being turned upside down again.

Definitely do the Phd in Engineering, dear! Stay far away from Pub Health and helping professions at USF bc they are being pushed to the side, obviously.

I just got back from lunch and am working.

Collective Evolution I

Collective Evolution II

Collective Evolution III