In this current era of increased
accountability and scrutiny surrounding higher education, there has been a
great deal of questioning of the usefulness of higher education, particularly
the liberal arts. Governor Scott Walker’s attack on higher education in Wisconsin, and an increased push by
businesspeople and politicians for colleges and universities to display a
return on investment, has placed increased pressure on academia to prove its
value to society. While some of these arguments are illogical, it is safe to say that academics
have found themselves in a battle that more than likely will not subside
anytime soon.
As
academics (and, in my case, aspiring academics), we find ourselves in a very
unique position in terms of ability and change that we can affect. After years and years of studying pertinent
issues and concepts, through rigorous research methods that require us to
validate, substantiate, and triangulate our findings, we approach the brink of
expertise in our respective fields. We
have become the philosophical authority on a number of topics. It is standard in academia to use this hard
earned knowledge and status to advance our agenda and employment status within
the ivory tower. The desire for tenure,
job security, peer recognition, promotion, and increased income is
unmistakable. While there is no knock on
these desires, it is evident that the seriousness of today’s times requires us
as experts to use our professional expertise in useful ways outside of our
towers.
Many of the
issues we face today in education, the economy, leadership, race relations,
etc., could benefit tremendously from tangible, grassroots assistance that we could
provide. For example, there are a number
of K-12 school districts that struggle yearly with devising adequate and
relevant curriculum for its students. At
the same time, there are numerous curriculum and instruction scholars at nearby
schools of education who have studied and done work around this issue for
years. Imagine the benefit to a
community if these university professors would open community Saturday schools
for K-12 teachers and administrators who need insight and improvement on
curriculum development. The theory of
university professors can meet the practice of K-12 teachers to help produce a
more valuable educational experience students.
Another
example is the unavoidable issues in recent months surrounding police and
communities of color. Sociologists who
have covered related issues for decades can facilitate community projects that
allow scholars to convene with citizens and explain actions that can be taken, if
any, to avoid negative encounters with the police. Putting the entire burden on the citizens
certainly isn’t the answer, but I honestly feel academics would be more
successful in reaching community residents than they would police. We could explore the idea of political
scientists advising politicians, business professors working with small
business owners in their neighborhoods, African American Studies professors
holding evening seminars in the Black community on issues relevant to African
American life, leadership scholars conducting leadership training for community
organizations. The possibilities are
endless.
Through
these activities we can provide leadership in our communities that is
transformational. Defined as the process
of encouraging constituents to achieve more than what is expected of them, transformational
community leadership provided by academics can influence communities to address
their most significant challenges in ways in which community members had not
previously conceived (Northouse, 2013).
By being professors and higher education professionals who do not
hesitate to step outside of the elite institutions in which they work, and lend
their expertise in ways that are meaningful to the community, citizens can
become inspired by this work. Evening
seminars on African American issues can not only provide adequate and
sufficient ways of addressing issues but it may also stimulate thinking and
inspiration in a child or young adult and possibly produce a future Ph.D.
recipient. Communities that were once
filled with hopelessness can begin to look to their educated, established
comrades for leadership that can inspire change that at one time was
unimaginable. Our knowledge, expertise,
and commitment can be a precursor to transforming our communities in
discernable ways.
Essentially,
what I am advocating is for more academics to seek to be public
intellectuals. The 21st
century connotation of that term usually implies an articulate scholar from a
noted institution that is featured on the standard Sunday morning talk shows or
who gives paid lectures to large audiences around the country. We tend to equate public intellectual with
someone who is famous. Fame is not what
I mean when I use this term. A public
intellectual who is a transformational community leader is someone who uses
his/her proficiency in a given field to engage the public and improve the
day-to-day lives of the people in the community. These are scholars who are willing to give
devote their energies and talent to those who may never enter the halls of
academia. From their work and thinking,
these scholars can push the people in their communities to begin the path
achieving more than they ever thought possible.
It is
understood that this sort of work falls under the “service” category of
academic institutional responsibility, and it is no secret that it is the least
desired of the evaluated triad (publications, teaching, and service). But I believe that we are living in a time
where creative approaches are necessary to meet the challenges we as a nation
face. Academics are needed in our
communities for leadership and direction.
This is especially true in communities of color where doctorate holders
are few and far between. In many Black
and Brown communities, our scholars have become content with studying and
writing about the problems rather than finding tangible ways to address these
issues and affect change. There are many
scholars, of all colors, who have incomparable national recognition for their
work but who are unknown to the people on the block of which they live. The societal value of what we do as scholars
can be amplified simply by using what we know and study to become visible
leaders in our community. By providing
our expertise within the ivory tower and expert leadership in our neighboring
communities, our value and worth as professionals will be indisputable.
References:
Northouse, P. G.
(2013). Leadership: Theory and practice.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications,
Inc.