Ah... the slow days of summer. School is not in session (unless, of course, if you are in co-op or summer school) and most the activity in the sporting world occurs off the field of play. School is not in the mind of most people (who can blame them) and many people actually get out and play rather than watching sports at home (until the beginning of the Olympic Games, that is). With little else in my mind, my thought once again drifted to comparing sports and higher education (gosh, I really need to get out more).
With the Olympic Games upon us, the talk about the Games often shifts to drugs, steroids, and other illegal substances that athletes may or may not use. What does this has anything to do with higher education? There are cheaters who would do anything to reach the top, in both the sporting world and the world of higher education. There is also a history of systematic cheating in the sports world (look at some of the "women" athletes from the eastern bloc in the 1970's) and in higher education (hello, grade inflation). The International Olympic Committee and many sports regulating bodies are now aware of the problem and are trying to catch those who break the rules (to various degrees, some are slower to adapt than others are). Similarly, universities (and professors) are using all the tools available to them to catch those who cheat. However, the cheaters, while dishonest, know how to keep themselves from being caught. The laboratories that produce the performance-enhancing products also work hard to produce substances that keep the users of the product from being caught by the latest drug tests. Along the same lines, the students who cheat are now using software and the latest technological devices to keep them from being caught by detection software and the keen eyes of the professors/proctors. (Granted, most of us have cheated before. Who among you can honestly say that you have never cheated, EVER? That being said, we shouldn't tolerate cheating.)
There are many who think that corporations are having more influence in both the education and the sporting world than ever. Many sporting venues are now littered with ads (or named after companies), and there are some universities which has labs named after companies. There are people who claim that corporations are gaining influence in what is being researched and taught and there are whispers that companies are influencing which events athletes should participate in. (I don't think corporations have much real influence in the outcome in sporting events. Of course, if you followed the recent Euro 2004 tournament, you may wonder if some of the stars spent all their energy during the production of an ad in which they showed off their football and motorcycle skills.)
No matter what you think about corporations funding universities or sport, it probably won't go away. The only reason the Olympic Games are not deep in red is that there are sponsors to help pay the hefty bill, and many sporting clubs transform the players' jerseys into ad space to help their finances. Note that players don't have to buy from the brand(s) that are being displayed on their uniform. Similarly, researchers don't have to use the products made by their sponsors when they are not at work (unless, of course, Microsoft is involved) and most have enough integrity to not allow anything to influence their work (at least I think this is the case). As an aside, it is interesting to note that the teachers of Ontario (specifically, their pension fund) own a large share of the much beloved/hated Maple Leafs hockey club.
I suppose you are all tired of these heavy subjects (I am, too). So let's get to the lighter subject of labour and negotiations (sarcasm reaching sky-high levels). By now I'm sure every news outlet in this country has made at least a mention of the upcoming labour war between the NHL and its players. So far this conflict is full of propaganda and progress is lacking. Both sides spend all the time pointing the finger at each other and little time to discuss how to prevent this upcoming work stoppage (sometimes it seems that they want the work stoppage to occur.) If the two sides don't reach an agreement and a long stretch without hockey ensues, they would both wound up being losers as most fans would have found other things to follow by then. The NHL may become more irrelevant in the sporting world than now. Now what does that have to do with education? If you had been a teaching assistant, you would have been part of a union guild that represents you. From time to time, there are instances where a union of TA's, professors, or support staff reach an impasse in contract negotiations. When that happens, the university might be shut down, classes cancelled, exams delayed, graduation postponed, new students, driven away, and some people might have jobs offered to them rescinded.
In short, a strike or lockout/walkout involving a university and its staff can jeopardize the students' future (at least in the short term). Good thing that the people involved in the negotiations are smart enough that most impasse are resolved before any job actions takes place (in the education realm, anyway, the people in the sporting world often assume the fans will come back, no matter what).
Yes, I know the idea that sports and higher education are similar seems far-fetched. However, if you take a closer look, these two universes, while very different from the outside, are not too dissimilar. (Of course, maybe the heat has finally fried my brain and I have totally lost it.)
(If you are wondering what a di-cycle is, just think of a roundabout (or recycle) symbol with dots between arrows.)