Knowledge Under Siege - by Marc Spooner & James McNinch (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Defining the value of universities has never been more urgent at a time when they are being defunded by governments and vilified by ultra-conservative pundits.

For decades, efforts to quantify the value of universities in dollars and cents led to the corporatization of institutions that are meant to serve their students and society by creating knowledge and teaching--not by turning a profit. Now more than ever, the role of the university in furthering discovery, democracy, equity, and in contributing to its students' success is under siege and needs to be defended.

Knowledge Under Siege picks up where Spooner and McNinch's Dissident Knowledge in Higher Education left off and analyzes today's volatile landscape--one where hostility towards the academy is a growing trend across the globe. Bringing together leading voices from around the globe, including Gloria Ladson-Billings, Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Christopher Newfield, Kevin Kumashiro, and many others, the book considers how universities are facing unprecedented threats that include defunding, criticism of and the dismantling of initiatives to diversify the academy, academic gag orders, and efforts to undermine tenure. It asks how institutions can resist these incursions while working towards becoming engines of social mobility for a diverse student body (not merely serving the most privileged) and graduating critical thinkers who aspire to build a better world.
There is a consensus in higher education that universities must remain autonomous so that we can better understand both our history and our rapidly changing societies. Knowledge Under Siege is a call to action to fight for our institutions and make them self-reflexive spaces where truth and learning continue to thrive.

About the Author

Marc Spooner (Editor)
Marc Spooner is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Regina. He specializes in qualitative and participatory action research at the intersections of theory and action-on-the-ground. His interests include: homelessness & poverty; audit culture & the effects of neoliberalization & corporatization on higher education; social justice, activism, & participatory democracy. He has published in many venues including peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, government reports, and a wide variety of popularizations. Together with colleagues at the U of R, he also co-hosts a popular education series that takes place in pubs--not on campus--entitled Talkin' about School and Society.

James McNinch (Editor)
James McNinch is the director of the Teaching Development Centre at the University of Regina where he works to improve the quality of teaching in higher education.