Retreat

Must be brief this a.m., I’m off to the Faculty Senate retreat. What are we retreating from? Probably from any honest acknowledgement of our marginal power as a body to influence the whim and fiat of administrators, charged to enact the anti-intellectual will of petty politicians and their complacent-but-angry constituents. Our keepers will no doubt seek to assure us of their solidarity with our plight: We’re all just pawns in this short-sighted game of state legislative belt-tightening, “we’re doing all we can” (as Nancy Reagan once prompted poor Ronnie to parrot).

But that’s too cynical. Retreating can mean running away from confrontation with power, flight not fight. Or, it can mean gathering in a safe zone to shore up resources, devise intelligent strategies, and recall what’s worth fighting for.

Last Spring our campus was embroiled in sound and fury and confusion, as the budget axe began to fall we knew not where. Most of our colleagues were spared the worst that had been feared. Our department apparently remains on the hot seat to demonstrate its usefulness, and philosophy’s,  notwithstanding the “Academic Performance Award for your Philosophy graduates’ outstanding performance on the 2008-09 general education test!” It’ll be nice to stand up before the President on Friday at the annual new school year convocation to bask in his ironic recognition. “Again, congratulations to the faculty of the Department of Philosophy for their excellent work with their students!” Thank you. Thank you very much.

Seriously, it’s gratifying to know that we’ve inspired our students not only to excel academically, but to recognize the value of philosophy and to fight for it.

One more redeeming thing about retreating, there will be food. And then, soon, there will be classes. It’s important for us all to remember: that’s why we’re here.

Tags: faculty senate, flight or fight, value of philosophy