Against mastery: teaching and thinking in the neoliberal university

This talk is a meditation on the challenges of teaching within the confines of the university. Where confines ought to be understood as more than merely the physical limits of the campus but also its psychic limits. As a function of the neoliberal structures within which we are compelled to operate, what are the forms of duress placed on teaching and learning particularly in relation to the expression, articulation, and recognition of thinking? If we accept that the awarding gap is – partly, at least – the result of elevating a specific expression of intellectual work as the paradigmatic form of thinking, perhaps one way of responding to it is to begin creating some institutional space for different expressions. After all, the question of assessment is essentially one of recognizing thinking – and all questions of recognition are inextricably bound up with notions of form. Reflecting on my own teaching in three different institutions, as well as conversations with colleagues, students, and teachers working in a broadly similar humanistic tradition, I want to suggest the importance of expanding the forms of intellectual work that are recognized as legitimate articulations of thought – and consider the potential difficulties in doing so.

The talk will take place on Tuesday 12th September.

Time: 12–1 pm
Venue: UCL, Bloomsbury Campus – South Wing, Room G12 (Council Room)

This is a hybrid event, to join online please use the following link:
Zoom link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/92125150261