Speaking
Out
Special
Attributes of Grad Study
Jerry
Brigg's reduction of the vast variety
of relationships between graduate
students and their mentors to relations
with "capricious, hectoring drillmasters" (Almanac January
28) suggests that he regards mentors
as employers. This ignores their primary
role in guiding the development of
the neophytes' intellectual capacities
and rigorous understanding of their
chosen subject which involves specific,
often very unique interactions of
mentor, student and subject matter.
Each
such relation is necessarily individual
and may appear oppressive because
of the rigorous demands of the mentor
and the discipline, which must be
accepted by the student if he or she
is to succeed. In such a situation,
union intervention would actually
be the capricious element; from the
inside of the academy such intervention
could only be undertaken under most
carefully defined circumstances, consistent
with the requirements of academic
freedom.
Recognition
of these special attributes of graduate
study does not of course solve problems
relating to stipends and teaching
obligations; these need an appropriate
agency, perhaps similar to the Faculty
Senate, based on a democratic electoral
process, empowered to represent graduate
student interests before both faculty
and administration.
--Robert
J. Rutman, Professor Emeritus,
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School
of Veterinary Medicine
Notes
from Outside the Ivory Tower
As
a doctoral student in the program
that Dr. Wortham chairs, I have always
admired the knowledge he brings to
his subject as well as his wit and
good-humor. However, I am surprised
by his Pollyanna view of the University
(Almanac February
11) as a value-free institution
whose sole concerns are research,
mentoring, and teaching.
The
academic reputation of an institution
like Penn is integrally tied to research,
which is integrally tied to revenues.
Mentoring and teaching play a distant
second to research I institutions never-ending
search for increasingly elusive monies
to maintain existing research projects
and to pursue new ones that will garner
prestigious awards and boost reputations
(and rankings).
As
federal grants dry up, research I
universities have formed unabashed
relationships with private corporations
that have raised some uncomfortable
questions about conflict of interest
and the commitment to inquiry for
the sake of inquiry. It has become
almost commonplace for universities
to conduct research on products that
they themselves have a vested interest
in. Sadly, I do not have to look far
for an example.
In
2000, major news sources such as the Wall
Street Journal and Time reported
that James Wilson, principal investigator
of the gene-therapy program at Penn
in which Jesse Gelsinger died, held
a 30% interest in Genovo, the company
that held the rights to the drug Wilson
and his team were studying. When Genovo
was acquired by another corporation,
Wilson stood to gain more than $13
million, and Penn $1.3 million for
its shares.
I
am sure that my esteemed professor
would agree that this is a trend that
began long before there was ever any
talk of unionization for graduate
employees on the Penn campus. And
whether there is a union or not, it
is a trend that promises to be around
for a long time to come.
The
point is not whether Professor Wortham
agrees with GET-UP's fish metaphor.
The fact of the matter is that as
research I universities like Penn
align themselves with corporate models,
graduate employees at these schools
are left with precious little recourse.
We
simply want the assurance that our
love for scholarship does not subject
us to undue financial hardship. The
University cannot promise us this.
GET-UP can.
--Raymond
Gunn, 4th Year Doctoral Student,
Educational Leadership Division, GSE
Speaking
Out welcomes reader
contributions.
Short, timely
letters on University
issues will be
accepted by Thursday
at noon for the
following Tuesday's
issue, subject
to right-of-reply guidelines.
Advance notice
of intention to
submit is appreciated.
--Eds.
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Almanac, Vol. 49, No. 22, February 18, 2003
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