Regarding the University's decision to couple e-reserves with the BlackBoard program, I have several objections. I have websites, and I want my students to access my courses, and link to my syllabi and other material, in a manner that suits me as the teacher. I find BlackBoard ugly, kludgy, inelegant and ultimately coercive in its design. This is similar to telling me I have to use only blue ink to write articles. The phrase "fascist technology" comes to mind. One size fits all. Sorry, but I am the instructor, and these are my courses, and what and how I have my students learn (within the law) is my business, not the library's.
It's called academic freedom. For the library to tell me that in order to use library reserves I have to tailor my course presentation to their needs should bring laughs to faculty organizations. That it does not is a reflection on those organizations--remember that the library is an academic support operation, in support of research and teaching.
Further, this initiative comes from some unknown office of instructional technology (lodged in the library). These people are not faculty, and have no business whatsoever sending memos to faculty instructing faculty on how to redesign their course materials to make them suitable for public/student consumption. They have no legal or moral responsibility for instructing Duke students. I do.
If the faculty can be told to modify their presentation of course materials to suit such nonacademic employees, there is little meaning to be given to the idea that faculty are responsible for the curriculum.
I think you get the point.
And incidentally, under no circumstances whatsoever will I use BlackBoard. I have no such language expressed in my Duke contract or in the Faculty Bylaws.
Roy Weintraub
professor of economics
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