Week 4

Jocelyn Centeno A02 Week 4

This weeks readings talked about the corporatization of the universities. In Amy Block Joy’s “Whistleblower: the Police” It showed the levels of people that she went over their heads to bring to light embezzlement in her department. It showed how doing the ethical thing proved to be a naive adventure that threatened her career. In the next reading by Amy Block Joy she explains how being taught to be ethical does not necessarily mean that someone will do the right thing in an unethical situation. I thought that was interesting because she taught a class based off the ethical dilemmas of the television show Breaking Bad. She explains that this class is a participation-for-credit class and the first step to receiving credit is for the class to discuss the quiz questions of hypothetical dilemmas. This exercise cultivate students with “good” ethical compasses. Like Joy says ” Confidence and practice increase the likelihood that action will be taken instead of staying silent.” (Joy, 2014)

Another reading is Frederick DeBoer’s “Why we Should Fear University, Inc.” he begins to explain how wild and free the garden that will soon be demolished to be a part of the research park being built. This is metaphor for education and how the classroom (wild garden) is becoming a corporatization (research park). How the purpose of higher education is becoming more skewed by “language policing”. He warned we should be aware of the increase in administrators and the decrease in the professors. As he said, “try imagining a high school with more vice principals than teachers.” (DeBoer, 2015)

The readings emphasize why the corporatization of the university can have a harmful effect. Amy Block Joy was threatened the loss of career as a professor and Frederick Deboer feared for the uncertainty in his career as an instructor. Despite their extensive knowledge in their field, they find strife in a corporate society that seeks to censor and monetize academia. As a first year I think it is important to understand that as the university is a corporation it is difficult to find the “safe place” as Professor Valverde was talking about.

Question: As students why is it important for us to understand that censorship of our peers or professors is wrong even if their opinion is an unpopular one?

Reference:

Deboer, F. (2015, September 9). Why we should fear university, inc. The New York Times Magazine, 1-8. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/files/folder/courses_105891/Week%20of%20Readings/Week4?preview=1069178.

Joy, A. B. (2010). Whistleblower. Point Richmond, CA: Bay Tree Pub.

Joy, A. B. (2014). Ethics and “Breaking Bad”: Developing and practicing ethical skills. Compliance and ethics Professional, 72-74. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/files/folder/courses_105891/Week%20of%20Readings/Week4?preview=1122154.