Following in the tradition of Thorstein Veblen's Higher Learning
in America, Lionel S. Lewis has amassed solid evidence to support
his conclusions about what leads to success in Scaling the Ivory
Tower. As background to his consideration of academic freedom,
sexism, merit, tenure, and other such highly charged subjects,
Lewis examines the attitudes of those in universities toward
academic qualification. The modern rule of thumb has become publish
or perish. According to Lewis, however, research and publication
may not be such prime considerations after all.
Two thought-provoking chapters are devoted to an examination of
letters of recommendation as important factors in hiring and
promoting in the academic world. Lewis also scrutinizes academic
freedom cases from the archives of the American Association of
University Professors. Other intriguing issues examined by Lewis
are: how spouses and significant others factor into whether or not
a professor gets a promotion; a typical day in the life, both
academic and personal, of a professor; how the celebrity syndrome
has spread to campus; discrimination against women; and bureaucracy
as a contributing factor to campus unrest.
In the new introduction, Lewis affirms that the most apparent
changes in higher education since Scaling the Ivory Tower was
initially published have actually made the campus less
meritocratic, and less a place where quality academic work is
recognized and rewarded. One contributing factor is the necessity
to consider age, gender, ethnicity, and race in personnel
decisions. Because many on campus are convinced that academic life
can only be improved when the demographics of faculty reflect those
in the larger society, departments are routinely expected to
explain why they did not fill an opening with someone from an
underrepresented group. While showing some irreverence toward
academia, Scaling the Ivory Tower should also provoke sober
consideration of where our colleges and universities are headed.
This is a significant volume for university administrators,
academics, and graduate students.
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