[Buddha-l] RE: The Emptiness of Tenure

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Sat, 2005-10-22 at 17:19 -0400, Vera, Pedro L. wrote:

> I'm afraid that I missed the original post.

Don't be afraid.

> Regardless of the number of publications (and I do agree that they
> must be refereed publications), and even the quality of the journal in
> which one publishes (there are quantitative measures of the impact of
> a journal, the so called "impact index"), the overriding factor still
> remains the ability to attract and retain extramural funding (such as
> research grants). Without such extramural funding, tenure is
> unattainable.

I believe that is more true in the sciences and social sciences than in
the humanities.

> Moreover, in an increasing number of institutions, "tenure" means a
> life-long library card. Salary is strictly tied to grants. Therefore,
> although the institution may support you for a limited period if you
> lose your grant, they will eventually reduce your salary if you are
> unable to obtain funding, or, just not pay you altogether. 

So I have heard. Several years ago the Dean of Sciences at McGill
remarked that almost everyone is science, engineering and medicine has
become, in effect, a slave of either the military or major corporations.
(And he was talking about Canada! Think how much more true that is in
the USA.) I have known so many science professors who say they spend 90%
of their research time applying for grants and only 10% actually doing
some work. The system is deeply discouraging and has made a good many
people quite cynical. 

Fortunately, the humanities have not yet become obsessed with
grantsmanship, but our time is fast approaching. It is utterly amazing
to me how little regard governments have for the importance of liberal
education and liberal research; by liberality, of course, I mean the
freedom to follow one's curiosity rather than being enslaved by the
greed for money and power that drives the people who make most of the
decisions that end up impoverishing our lives.

> Just to comply with the requisite buddhist content to any post, this
> system is a perfect example of emptiness, impermanence and dukkha. 

A fairly typical Buddhist solution to this dukkha would be to leave all
that bullshit behind, simplify one's life by getting rid of everyone one
does not need (which is pretty much everything one owns), and start
living the sort of life that human beings are designed (by evolution, I
would insist) to live.

Now everyone sign off of buddha-l, sell your computers and give the
money to the poor, and go forth into this sad world to heal it of its
pain.

-- 
Richard