Un article de l’Inside Higher Education, Seniors in the Academy, és força interessant. Per un cantó, reflexiona sobre el fet que gent sènior vulgui estudiar, i per un altre, comenta la voluntat de professorat sènior de continuar vivint l’experiència de la docència i recerca unviersitàries. No és el mateix la situació a la UdG que a la universitat americana, per descomptat, però l’article conté algunes idees rellevants.
Unfortunately, however, our society often treats seniors, for the most part, like trash. After a specified point, if we are not ignoring their voices, we render them meaningless. In higher education, it seems that we rush to give certain older persons a fixed shelf life regardless of their contributions, their truths or their pedagogical prowess. It echoes the propensity of the motion picture and broadcast news industries to “disappear” aging women, while simultaneously embracing older men as they advance in years. Preordained academic superstars, because of their status, often enjoy an unlimited period of validity.
But other longtime educators and professors, who may have earned yet not have attained some critical scholarly favor, are not as safe. When we perceive them as nearing the end of their tenures, we no longer attach importance to their expertise — which, unlike their colleagues with some measure of luminary status, has a fixed service life. We discard them, tossing aside their abilities, talents and distinctive approaches.
M’agraden aquests consells:
- Plug in and be an early adopter, not a member of the late majority.
- Offer your wisdom
- Always have a plan B, C or D
- Don’t relinquish your quest for meaning
De fet, aquests consells valen per a tothom. El primer miro de seguir-lo… el segon l’hauria de seguir més… el tercer a vegades… i el quart… es fa el que es pot.
Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash