by Michael Burawoy | Sep 15, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
The Berkeley Faculty Association will be holding its Fall Board meeting tomorrow evening. On the agenda are two big issues: one concerns the broadening of membership and leadership, and the other concerns BFA’s response to the challenges of the present...
by Michael Burawoy | Sep 7, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
One of the most striking and perhaps unexpected phenomena of the first week of classes has been the excitement of our students–like the beginning of the year in the old days. In the middle of spring semester, the university suddenly closed down and students were...
by Michael Burawoy | Aug 31, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
Last week The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article, “Will Covid-19 Revive Faculty Power?” with the subheading “The pandemic has spurred professors to organize across the country. Are they too late?”. The article provoked a spirited discussion among...
by Michael Burawoy | Aug 24, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
These are bleak times. As numerous crises – a pandemic, mass unemployment, racial injustice, multiple wildfires – converge, so each intensifies the others. The fires engulfing the region can’t be put out because the incarcerated fire-fighters are missing, released to...
by Michael Burawoy | Aug 10, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
Last week, we reported on the Regents’ proposal that head-hunting search firms play an even greater role in the selection of Chancellors–at the expense of faculty input, already limited to a screening function. The Report of the Regents’ Working...
