Collegial professionalism: the academy, individualism, and the common good

Abstract

This text raises questions about ethics in higher education. Is higher educations's emphasis on faculty scholarship and individualism forcing colleagues to focus on competing with one another, rather than on the successes or failures of their students? Are faculty members becoming dissatisfied with their roles? The author discusses the malaise currently plaguing the academy, including the contributing behaviour and beliefs of faculty members. He says the competitive and autonomous collegiate environment results in unhappy faculty and disjointed departments. He proposes changes in the academy to improve ethics in higher education, including: adoption of a universal code of ethics; possible elimination of college majors; public access to private research; collaboration and interaction between faculty members in the development of similar courses to stimulate ideas and eliminate repetition; honest faculty member evalutations through implementation of uniform standards; public recognition of faculty members who contrubute to the common good of higher education; and rotation of the department chair position among faculty members. In his epilogue, Bennett ponders the future of higher education and suggests how globalization, deregulation and telecommunications will challenge the institution's authority and traditional existence.