Sunday, July 06, 2008
Education, education, education
I was interested to hear someone introduced on the radio as Professor of the Sociology of Sport at the University of Chichester. How heart-warming to know that the government's plans to have half the population graduate are making such progress. How delightful that the noble pursuit of knowledge is even today developing ever newer disciplines. It is in this spirit that I announce the latest advance in higher education in Somerset, the founding of the University of Chard. I have been most fortunate in obtaining the services of Professor Whitehead for the Michael O'Leary Chair of Aviation Chronology. His longstanding colleague Merlin the spaniel will become Reader in Canine Semiotics, whilst I myself will be inaugurating the new Department of Liberal Isocracy (look it up) and European Meta-Neo-Crypto-Personalism. Applications for new posts will be especially welcomed if accompanied by sponsorship endowments. In particular we still lack names for the back garden and the shed.
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6 comments:
I'm sorry, but I don't see you argument.
I find it perfectly fair for the academic in question to have been rewarded with a professorship after spending time and effort researching a field in depth.
David, I am utterly under-qualified for this, but I am going to ask anyway - how liberal are you with giving tenures?
Kaps.
Nottingham Trent University has a Professor of Gambling...there are more of these sillinesses around in the higher education sector than you'd imagine.
As for Chard University - I suggest you get Cricket St Thomas wildlife park on board and, hey presto, there's your zoology department.
I think everyone would be interested to hear that David Grace's son, Charlie, is currently studying sports development and coaching at The University College of St Mark and St john, Plymouth.
David Grace was also a keen Athlete in his youth, holding the fastest record for cross country running in the county. He almost decided to follow in his Mothers footsteps to become a P.E teacher, but decided against it.
Apologies to all who commented. I haven't looked at my own blog for months.
James, no criticism of the academic in question, but some doubt about the priorities of the bodies funding the post. You can devote time and effort to studying anything (e.g. the use of the semi-colon in Paradise Lost) but should anyone pay you to do so ?
Kaps, the University of Chard will happily award tenure to anyone with sufficient sponsorship.
Mark, on the subject of a Professor of Gambling, I urge you to read the hilarious campus novel written by an old friend but published anonymously, "Degrees R Us" easy to find on Amazon.
Charlie, thanks for your kind remarks. I was only the fastest in the school over 5 1/2 miles and part of the fastest team in the South-East of Kent. Nowadays, I just walk into Chard but then who would want to run there ?
At a drinks party some time ago, I met a gentleman who introduced himself as professor of tourism at Luton University. Sometimes it's just too difficult to keep a straight face.
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