4th Latin American and European Meeting on Organization Studies (LAEMOS)

Axixic, Mexico, March 27-30, 2012

Subtheme call

“Reinventing the university: challenges beyond the neoliberal reforms”

CONVENORS

Eduardo Ibarra-Colado, Luis Porter and Angélica Buendía

Laboratory of Institutional Analysis of the Mexican University System Autonomous Metropolitan University, Mexico city

Although there are indisputable differences between countries and regions, it is possible to argue that the university elsewhere has been transformed in a widespread manner throughout the last two decades, as a result of the implementation of market-oriented policies to ensure the control and the appropriation of knowledge. Such policies have been designed by the International Financial Agencies to facilitate the creation of global markets for educational services, promoting spaces of integration and collaboration despite the national educational systems are clearly dissymmetrical. Good examples of these programs are the Bologna Plan applied in Europe, the Alfa Tuning Latin America Project, and a set of reforms introduced in recent years in most countries of the Anglo-Saxon world (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand).

Among the mechanisms currently introduced are those designed for the accreditation, certification and quality assurance of educational programs; the reinforcement of the “culture” of rankings and competition; education through skill training and the adoption of on-line education and digital learning, closely linked to the needs of the labor market and the economic value of degrees and diplomas; the allocation of extra funds though competitive mechanisms; the reinforcement of student mobility programs; and the promotion of research programs between academic communities from different countries. These programs are regulated by government agencies and multilateral agencies that, supported by their own “experts in evaluation”, reduce significantly the margins of freedom of the universities to define and conduct their own projects.

Some of the consequences of these neoliberal reforms include the degradation of education quality, the limitation of academic freedom and the marginalization of research projects with low economic returns, a greater involvement of government agencies in the decisions and management of the university, and the empowerment of university bureaucracies through centralized processes of strategic planning, allocation of resources and control of labor processes. Also, the precariousness of academic work becomes an indisputable reality, due to salary fragmentation and the modification of contracting policies that favor hiring temporary teachers instead of full-time tenured professors. On the side of students, increasing populations of young people are excluded from education because of the increasing of fees and expenses and the unstoppable rise of student loans default

This radical transformation of the university to become a business-like institution and the destruction of its previous condition as a public and social institution at the service of society, has resulted in various social movements across the length and breadth of America and Europe (e.g. United States, Chile, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Greece). Considering the relevance of this historical moment, this stream wants to call the submission of papers to contribute to understand in detail some of the ongoing processes and their consequences on different countries and regions. Papers devoted to analyze any of the following dimensions of interest considering specific institutional experiences, case studies and comparative analysis are welcome:

- Accreditation, certification and quality assurance;

- Students mobility programs;

- Education through skill training;

- On-line education and digital learning;

- Internationalization, commercialization and privatization of higher education;

- Recent funding policies and budget constraint;

- Fees, expenses and educational loans;

- University governance and managerialism;

- Joint research programs and networked production of knowledge;

- Recent changes in the academic labor relations;

- Social movements and unionism for the defense of university.

In addition, we welcome papers that raise alternatives to neoliberal policies to imagine a future university in charge of protecting knowledge as a public good in the service of society.

SUBMISSION

Abstracts should be about 1000 words in length (including references), set in A4 page layout, single spaced and in 12 point font. They should be sent by email to eic@xanum.uam.mx (mark a copy to ibarra57@laisumedu.org) and registered at the conference site www.laemos2012.org by 31 October 2011.

Full papers (about 6000 words) for inclusion in the Conference Proceedings are due by 28 February 2012. More information at www.laemos2012.org.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Eduardo Ibarra-Colado is Director of the Laboratory of Institutional Analysis of the Mexican University System and Professor of Management and Organization Studies at the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City. He obtained his Ph.D. in Sociology with Honors at the Universidad National Autonomous University of México, is National Researcher of the Mexican National System of Researchers, and is regular member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences. He has published a large number of books and articles in the fields of Organization Studies and Higher Education Studies in Mexico and internationally.

Luis Porter is Professor of Education for Design at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Campus Xochimilco. He is columnist of the Laboratory of Institutional Analysis of the Mexican University System. He obtained his Ph.D. in Education at the Harvard University. He is National Researcher of the National System of Researchers. His research interests are related with the analysis of governmental policies and university planning processes as well as with the problems involved in teaching practices in the field of design.

Angélica Buendía is Coordinator of the Laboratory of Institutional Analysis of the Mexican University System and Professor at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Campus Cuajimalpa. She obtained her Ph.D. in Social Sciences at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Campus Xochimilco, and is candidate of the National System of Researchers. Her main research areas of interest include the private higher education institutions in Mexico and the processes of accreditation and quality assurance.