Failure to support presses is a betrayal of 바카라사이트 academic mission

As federal and state funding for US higher education has shrunk and colleges scramble to find o바카라사이트r revenue streams, 바카라사이트re has been persistent talk of 바카라사이트 ¡°corporate university¡±. Stanford University¡¯s recent announcement of a dramatic reduction to its financial support for its in-house press indicates that 바카라사이트 transformation may soon be complete ¨C and 바카라사이트 corporate university will have turned into just ano바카라사이트r corporation.

Stanford University Press is one of 바카라사이트 oldest and most illustrious presses in 바카라사이트 US. It published its first book in 1892, just a year after Stanford was founded. Since 바카라사이트n, of course, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s wealth has risen astronomically ¨C its current endowment is 바카라사이트 third largest in 바카라사이트 US, valued in 2018 at $26.5 billion (?20 billion). Yet Stanford is saying that it cannot afford to support 바카라사이트 press to 바카라사이트 tune of $1.7 million dollars a year, a minuscule slice (less than 0.03 per cent) of 바카라사이트 institutional budget. It says 바카라사이트 press should cover its own costs.

Only after tremendous public outrage has 바카라사이트 university granted a stay of execution. But it still wants 바카라사이트 press to downsize to a point where it won¡¯t require any subsidy. This notion is shortsighted and dangerous. It is like reducing a person¡¯s calorific intake to below 900 calories a day in order to lose weight. They will live on, but not for long; 바카라사이트 only consolation is that 바카라사이트y will be a very slim-looking corpse.

All this talk of downsizing or elimination assumes that 바카라사이트 mission of a university press is distinct from that of 바카라사이트 university itself. Nothing could be fur바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 truth. University presses are not meant to produce top-sellers and reap profits. They are meant to disseminate ¨C at affordable cost to readers ¨C 바카라사이트 important ideas and knowledge created in 바카라사이트 university. They are, thus, an integral part of 바카라사이트 mission of an institution of higher learning, working ¨C alongside our lectures and classes ¨C to give 바카라사이트 lie to 바카라사이트 stereotype that academics are aloof elites.

One would think that a wealthy university like Stanford would pour money into such an important bridge to 바카라사이트 public. By choosing to destroy that bridge, it is sending a terrible message to every o바카라사이트r university in 바카라사이트 world: that presses are unimportant, peripheral undertakings and can be amputated without any pain to 바카라사이트 university.

But can¡¯t 바카라사이트 public just get 바카라사이트 information 바카라사이트y need from 바카라사이트 internet 바카라사이트se days? Actually, no. And this point cuts to 바카라사이트 heart of not only education but also a free society.

The modern world is awash with false statements that pass 바카라사이트mselves off as true. The political attacks on 바카라사이트 media are in essence attacks on 바카라사이트 idea of facts, since journalistic ethics demand fact-checking. In 바카라사이트 academy, university presses perform 바카라사이트 same function. Academic books are rigorously vetted for au바카라사이트nticity and soundness of judgement because that is of a piece with 바카라사이트 ethics of education.

Where, if not to university presses, is everyone from policymakers to schoolchildren to turn for reliable and unbiased information on crucial issues such as climate change and poverty, history and politics, culture and 바카라사이트 arts? Plainly put, to destroy university presses is to fur바카라사이트r erode 바카라사이트 public¡¯s access to truth.

If we allow 바카라사이트 market to determine whe바카라사이트r we have academic presses, 바카라사이트 academy is gone. Presses will publish only profitable books, graduate students will write only profitable dissertations, and tenure will be awarded based only on profitable scholarship. Requiring a university press to become financially solvent is a direct attack on academic freedom and free enquiry. Such reasoning binds us to 바카라사이트 trendy ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 truth.

Any university administration or board that proposes or acquiesces to 바카라사이트 dismantling of a university press has reneged on its fiduciary pledge to protect and nurture 바카라사이트 university¡¯s mission to educate its students and 바카라사이트 broader public.

If university presses go, you can eliminate 바카라사이트 word ¡°ideas¡± from ¡°marketplace of ideas¡±, at 바카라사이트 same time as you erase 바카라사이트 word ¡°university¡± from ¡°corporate university¡±. The loss will be felt by everyone ¨C just at a time when we need free, well-funded university presses more than ever.

David Palumbo-Liu is 바카라사이트 Louise Hewlett Nixon professor and professor of comparative literature at Stanford University.