Faculty, Presented at ELI Meetings
Culture Work in Higher Education: Strategy and Tactics
| Title: | Culture Work in Higher Education: Strategy and Tactics (ID: NLI0203) | | Author(s): | Brenda Laurel (Art Center College of Design) | | Origin: | Presented at ELI Meetings (2002) | | Type: | Presentations/Speeches | | Abstract: | In speaking about the structure of institutions of higher education, people often distinguish between "educators" - meaning, presumably, teachers and researchers who directly interact with students - and "support staff" - meaning the people who work in the libraries and labs, and including the IT professionals who create and maintain the technical infrastructure of the institution. A similar dichotomy has existed in the public arena, where originally (that is, 25 to 50 years ago) there were "computer professionals" - a priesthood of folks who could actually understand these arcane devices and make them do something - and "the rest of us," who turned in punched cards and waited for results to be returned, or simply stood around in awe. Notice, however, that in these two models the power relationships between the parties are reversed. The public casts computer professionals as wizards, while the institution typically sees them as playing supporting roles in the production of Important Stuff. | | View this resource: | |
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