About the Book
'[The university] is a place where those who hate ignorance may strive to know; where those who perceive truth may strive to make others see; where seekers and learners alike, banded together in the search for knowledge, will honour thought in all its finer ways, will welcome thinkers in distress or in exile, will uphold ever the dignity of thought and learning and will exact standards on these things' (John Masefield). Ron Dearing, in the foreword of his 1997 report, quotes Masefield with approval, as summing up the values 'which characterise higher education and which are fundamental to any understanding of it'. There are many universities in tight corners who might not recognise in this quote the reality of their life in HE.Nonetheless, it has a fine feeling and Dearing later begins to unpack such values through suggesting the four basic aims of the university: to develop individuals' potential to be well equipped for work and to contribute to society; to increase knowledge and understanding - for their own sake and for the economy; to serve the needs of the economy at all levels; to shape a democratic, civilised and inclusive society.
This series of purposes and values takes us very quickly in a complex debate, and our book tries to capture something of that depth and complexity. Much of the discussion in this book comes from debates held at the University of Leeds, and involves many who have clear connection to the university. Rowan Williams, for instance, spent some years teaching at Mirfield Theological College before moving to Cambridge, and Peter Scott is a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Leeds. It is fitting that on its 100th anniversary the University that Leeds should be leading a reflection on the purpose and values of Higher Education. Other contributors remind us of the global and diverse nature of modern Higher Education. Universities, which have grown out of apparently local and civic interest, are now inescapably global and must deliver education in many different ways. This book is about the continuing development of Higher Education and how this occurs in relation to ever changing stakeholders and needs. The purpose of universities in the 13th century was to do with teaching and preparation for the professions of the law and the clergy.
Now universities seek to serve the interests of a much wider number of professions, the nation in economic terms, and the nation in terms of culture and civilisation, in the broadest sense. Today, they seek to teach but also research. This means that the values debate in turn has become evermore complex. It is important in all this is to both have a conceptual overview and also to place the values debate in the context of the practice of Higher Education. And when this happens then surprises might occur. Perhaps the historic values of Higher Education are not as clear as we thought; perhaps the recent changes in Higher Education have brought in a new set of values around the concepts of accountability and transparency; and perhaps Higher Education has many purposes and with those many different values, not all of which rest easily together. To articulate and test such values, this book brings together many different perspectives, based on the premise that that no single discipline or perspective can claim to understand this issue or solely own any of the values in question.
Hence, the book brings together representatives of many different disciplines and professions including: an engineer, a physicist, a mathematician, a theologian, a philosopher, a counsellor, sociologists, a chaplain, an administrator, a poet, teachers, and researchers. In the first part of this book, the different perspectives are subjected to critical scrutiny, and it soon becomes apparent that there are further questions about the foundation of any values. Peter Scott examines the rise of the civic university and the way in which the university and the city are in constant dialogue. The underlying values are not fixed but shaped by this continuing discourse. Rowan Williams takes us into the learning enterprise, through reflection on human nature. The basis of values in Higher Education is humankind's capacity to reflect and ultimately to be aware of his own learning. This 'learning about learning' is at the heart of personal and social development, enabling the person to keep value questions alive in practice. Some of the invariant values that Bauman points are precisely necessary for that purpose, the values of commitment to, and of faith in the university, in particular.
It is such a faith that enables reflection and dialogue. Zygmunt Bauman suggests something more of a culture clash between the 'invariant values' of education and the values of the liquid modern age. Education embodies commitment to people and projects, patience, durability, and resilience, all of which he argues are lacking in an age of instant gratification and constant movement, an age of 'thin ice' where the most valued skills facilitate swift skating. In the light of such a clash, there is the danger that education will move towards such values, perhaps with a concern to be 'value neutral'. In this light education becomes a commodity rather than development mediated by dialogue. Dialogue is central to Thomas Bender's work. His focus, however, is the academic disciplines. From an American perspective, he contrasts 'strong disciplines' (with clearly defined boundaries) and 'weak disciplines' (with more open boundaries). Each has its own problems and limitations. Above all, none can claim an objective summary of the truth. Objectivity, so far as this is possible, he argues, needs the 'countercheck produced by a plurality of partial views'.
Hence, Bender argues for interdisciplinary dialogue and democracy as critical to any search for truth. This is not simply a cosy respect or tolerance for each discipline, but a strong model of collaboration and creativity. The theme of discourse continues in Alan Wilson's chapter, with Habermas at the centre of values that are constantly evolving. Alongside teaching and research, he notes the importance of the 'third arm', the university's work with industry and community. Working with the third arm is partly a matter of value dialogue, but also a matter of integrity. The pressures to commercialise can be resisted so long as the university remains true to its core values, especially its focus on students. Hence, universities are increasingly seeing the 'best student experience' as a key part of any long term planning. Bob Fryer then looks at core social values of citizenship and equality. Widening access to Higher Education can itself enable improved life chances for many more. But the very enterprise of Higher Education is also an equalizing enterprise. R.H.
Tawney saw this as the kingdom of ideas in which inequalities of class faded before the shared search for truth, and a shared concern for the common good. Higher Education can also enable reflection, which helps the student to focus on responsibility and thus citizenship. In chapter seven Miriam David looks at the contribution of feminist perspectives to Higher Education and to pedagogic developments in particular. The broader qualities of care, empathy and holistic thinking are seen to have a proper place in a Higher Education that need lose nothing in terms of rigour, and gain much more in terms of reflective practice. How the virtues are developed and the kind of learning community that enables that development is then examined by Chris Megone. Megone's chapter underscores the underlying values of the practice and practices of learning which have to be embodied in the community and which are thus shared with the members of that community.'Chapter' nine is a little different. Sue Vickerman wrote this poem for the University of Leeds Centenary Service, held in April 2004 at the Leeds Parish Church.
This is widening participation from the inside, an invitation to look again at what this means to identity, self-understanding and community. The second part of the book focuses on practice. Tom McLeish offers a perspective on research from the coalface, which reflects on some of the tensions there. To extend the metaphor, though, he digs deeper to look at the values beneath the values, and to the relationship between the researcher and her data, not least the physical world. He suggests a powerful image of the researcher in therapeutic relationship with that world, not simply disinterested and standing back, but actively helping to heal. This resonates with theological concepts such as shalom (justice and peace). He also looks at the arrangements for research, which prevent such engagement. Hilde Nafstad continues this reflective process, inviting us to examine the values, which underlie disciplines per se. She focuses on her researches in psychology. Her work reminds us of the old Tawney dictum there is no social organisation that does not have core values underlying it.
The key to understanding these and to the development of institutional integrity is the articulation of these values in relation to practice. Nafstad examines the assumptions about human nature and value, which underlie much of modern psychology. John Cowan focuses on the values, which are central to the teaching and learning relationship. He argues that learning cannot be value-free. From a student centred perspective emerges the value of collegiality, which is central to any learning community. The learning relationship outlined by Cowan cherishes autonomy and mutuality, offering major challenges to task centred models of learning in Higher Education and beyond. Cowan's insights come from long practice of enabling learner-centred learning. Nigel Humphrys then looks at the way in which student support as a central service has grown over the years and the underlying values. It is striking that whilst in loco parentis care has gone, this has been replaced by a duty of care and a resultant massive increase in student support services. Has this very conscious response to student need been generated by a more systematic understanding of personal and educational needs?
Or has it arisen through the ever-present value field of customer care? How does customer care relate to a broader, more holistic care? This in turn asks basic questions of Higher Education as an industry. Clement Katulushi then invites us to view the university as a global community. The local university is itself global with the increase in international students. This heightens the view of the university as a poly-vocal community, asking how any inter-cultural dialogue can best be achieved and what challenges the diversity of values make to all stakeholders, from the local student to the university institution. The university also reaches out, with 'local' branches and recruitment centres throughout the world, bringing further potential value conflicts and tensions as well as opportunities for learning. Gwen Collins shares ongoing research into the underlying values and motivations of university teachers and how they relate to major global issues. It becomes clear that what motivates is often not articulated and worked through, and that connections to wider issues are therefore fragmentary.
Collin suggests ways in which such connections can be made as part of the teaching enterprise. Character, community, and personal and moral development were all at the heart of Cardinal Newman's vision of the university; one often claimed by the Christian religion, which was very much, the key to the founding of the university in the first place. Simon Robinson charts the power struggles behind any such vision, leading to the Anglican Church being forced to let go of its domination of university life in England and Wales. With universities 'liberated' from religion, it is interesting that through diverse influences, from consumer care to human rights, religion and spirituality are gradually returning to the campus. No longer coming from a privileged position, they now take part in the reflective dialogue on values, and support of students. Finally, the editors try to bring this wide-ranging debate to a conclusion, focusing on the concept of integrity in the university. We suggest that this involves handling very different value areas, in the academic profession, learning, society and management. This is a long-term dialogic process, central to any learning organization.
It recognizes that any claim to what higher education is about must be tested through the participation of various stakeholders. The debate about values in Higher Education will go on, and this is perhaps the point. If it stops then the purpose of the university as a reflective, learning organization is lost. What follows is an offering to that debate from the University of Leeds as we enter the second century, we trust with the same confidence and clarity about values as shown by Arthur Smithells, PVC at Leeds in 1906, whose thoughts will draw this work to its close.
Table of Contents:
Contents Preface Melvyn Bragg Introduction Part One. The values Chapter 1. The University and Civic Values Peter Scott. Chapter 2. Faith in the University Rowan Williams. Chapter 3. The Liquid Modern Challenges to Education Zygmunt Bauman. Chapter 4. From Academic Knowledge to Democratic Knowledge Thomas Bender. Chapter 5. Values in Higher Education: A Social and Evolutionary Perspective Alan Wilson. Chapter 6. Universities and Citizenship: The Forgotten Dimension? Bob Fryer. Chapter 7. Feminist Values and Feminist Sociology as Contributions to Higher Education Pedagogies and Practices Miriam David Chapter 8. Virtue and the Virtual University Chris Megone Chapter 9. The Rise of the Rock Dove Sue Vickerman Part 2. Values and practice Chapter 10. Values and Scientific Research Tom McLeish Chapter 11. Assumptions and values in the production of knowledge: Towards an area ethics of psychology and the social sciences Hilde Eileen Nafstad Chapter 12. The Atrophy of the Affect John Cowan. Chapter 13. Values and student support Nigel Humphrys Chapter 14. Values and the global community Clement Katulushi Chapter 15. Only Connect Gwen Collins Chapter 16. Values, spirituality and Higher Education Simon Robinson Conclusions Chapter 17. The Integrity of the University Simon Robinson and Clement Katulushi Contributors Index
