BUFA Celebration, reported by Corey Larocque, BUFA Communications Consultant
Providing a high-quality university education is where all four of BUFA’s core principles intersect, says Brock Education professor Dr. Coral Mitchell.
“It’s at the point of educational quality that all the other elements – academic freedom, self-governance, and strengthening community come into play,” Dr. Mitchell said during a BUFA panel discussion about these principles on September 19.
Professors Dr. Jeffrey Atkinson (Chemistry), Dr. Ana Isla (Women’s & Gender Studies), Dr. Coral Mitchell (Graduate and Undergraduate, Education), and Dr. Charles Burton (Political Science) took part in the panel discussion.
Where there’s a strong tradition of academic freedom, professors and librarians can challenge students to think about issues in ways they hadn’t previously, Dr. Mitchell said during her presentation.
“When academic freedom and collegial governance are intact, faculty members can then push out and push past the boundaries of knowledge. They can question the dominant narrative and they can also invite students to also question the perceived wisdom of cultural and academic wisdom that they have been given,” said Mitchell, who teaches students in the Faculty of Education about what goes into making a good school.
“Self-governance gives us the opportunity to hold people to account for any kind of decision that would undermine the critical enterprise,” Mitchell said.
Getting a solid university education means students are able to do more than a job they’re trained for; they’re able to contribute to the betterment of their community, generally, said Kinesiology professor Dr. Maureen Connolly.
“University is not exclusively about job training. University is citizenship training. It’s meant to make you an educated, critical, informed analytical person,” said Connolly.
Connolly is one of nine BUFA members featured in a series of profiles about how their work promotes the Faculty Association’s Core Principles.
Publishing the profiles on BUFA’s Outlook website and hosting the September 19 reception and launch party was BUFA’s way of marking Brock’s 50th anniversary. The Association highlighted the work our members do to make Brock a strong centre of higher learning. Events were held across campus from September 18 to 21 to celebrate the University’s founding in 1964.
The reception to launch the Core Principles profiles came just three weeks after BUFA and Brock University’s Administration approved a new three-year Collective Agreement.
The reception to launch the Core Principles profiles came just three weeks after BUFA and Brock University’s Administration approved a new three-year Collective Agreement.
Connolly said she hopes the discussion on academic freedom would stimulate regular discussions among BUFA members about professional issues they have in common. “This ought to be stuff we’re having to talk about in an ongoing way,” Connolly said during the panel discussion. The diverse crowd of BUFA members included professors from business, science, education, social sciences and librarians, as well as university administrators and staff. “This is the first time I’ve ever begun this discussion with such a mixed group,” Connolly said.
