Tag Archives: BusinessWeek

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How Relevant is University Tenure Status in the Internet Age?

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Dinosaur

Does The Internet Make University Tenure Status Obsolete?

I finished reading this thought provoking Bloomberg-BusinessWeek article: Google’s Boss and a Princeton Professor Agree: College Is a Dinosaur.

Eric Schmidt (Google Executive Chairman & Former CEO) and Ann Marie Slaughter (CEO of New America Foundation, a former State Department Official, and former tenured Princeton Professor) contend the Internet's reach means top university teaching talent no longer has to be formally dependent / tethered to one particular academic institution.

Why?  The Internet's global reach and connectivity enable top teaching talent to be freelancers / free agents for any global institution (academic or corporate).

Is this a Tipping Point for the Relevance or Status of University Tenure?  

If top teaching talent can "connect" with any institution (and that can be corporate as well as academic), why would a talented university professor worry about earning tenure?  

The Internet provides a talented professor:

  • "Virtual Tenure"  
  • Access to a Global Portfolio of Students (academic and/or corporate)
  • Career Security Versus Job Security
  • The Freedom From Being Beholden to One Organization (academic or corporate)
  • Higher Earning Potential in an Open, Global Market

Does Publish or Perish Still Apply to the Best University Talent?

As long as corporate and/or institutions value the work of the talented professor (and he/she stays relevant in his/her  field of expertise), why tether himself/herself to one institution?

More importantly, why would a talented university professor even concern himself/herself with achieving the "associated prestige" university-tenured status confers?

How important is the "associated prestige" of university-tenured status in an Internet Age?

Your Turn: What do you think of the relevance of university tenure status in digital economy?  If you are a professor at an institution on the tenure track, does tenure status still hold the same value?  Let me know in the comments.

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention.  Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+.  

 

 

Photo Credit by epSos.de via flickr 

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Content Curation #1: Three Articles I Evernoted This Week

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Number 3

I started using and paying for Evernote when Yahoo signaled its intent to "sunset" its Delicious Bookmarking services in December 2010.  Since then, I've curated roughly 1000 articles and other content items in Evernote.  And, the number continues growing. 

I often share this content on Google+ or Twitter.  But, the real-time speed of these information streams makes locating content an oftentimes fleeting exercise.  

The Premise / Goal / Timing of This New Weekly Feature

Premise.  If you like the content in this blog, you may like the type of content I regularly read and study on the Web.

Goal.  On a weekly basis, I'm going to publish links to three (3) articles I find interesting.  I'll include a brief summary with some bullet points explaining why I think the content is worth consuming.  

Timing.  I'll publish this content every Wednesday / Thursday. 


This Week's Three Evernoted Articles 

1. (Bloomberg Businessweek) Amazon's Hit Man: Larry Kirshbaum was the ultimate book industry insider — until Amazon called:  Describes how Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and Kindle-Nation are completely disrupting New York City's publishing dynasties.  And, how Amazon recruited Larry Kirshbaum, a well-connected, influential, and veteran of the New York publishing machine.

  • Kirshbaum saw this publishing revolution coming (looks like around 2005).
  • Direct article quote from a successful author: "Publishers are selling drinks on The Titanic."
  • Article demonstrates how Jeff Bezos is cut from the same cloth as Steve Jobs as both a strategic visionary and an as a shark-like competitor.


2. (The New York Times) The Bookstore's Last Stand: The timing of this article's publication signals an ongoing public relations battle between Amazon and the New York City publishing dynasties.  This piece positions Barnes & Noble as the last major ally the major publishing houses have against Amazon.

  • Publishers fear that Barnes & Noble store may become just cafes and digital connection points.
  • Barnes & Noble commands 27% of the eBook market.  Amazon holds a commanding 60%.
  • A Telltale Sign: The company plans to eliminate the dedicated sections for music and DVDs within two (2) years.


3. (TechCrunch)  Why Every Entrepreneur Should Self-Publish a Book:  A great article by James Altucher.  Altucher goes into great detail  about the many lessons he's learned both as a self-publisher and as an author who's  worked directly with the aforementioned publishing houses.  

The entire thesis of his article is "to pick yourself." His how-to commentary covers a lot of ground:

  • Why self-publish than use a traditional publisher
  • Why entrepreneurs should self-publish
  • How does one go about self-publishing (the insights on createspace.com ROCK)


Your Feedback Please!

I'd like to experiment with this type of post for the next two to three months.  Let me know what you think (especially if this idea sucks):

  • How can I improve the value of these weekly posts?
  • Is my initial timing choice for publication okay with you (e.g., middle of the week versus the end of it)?  If not, please tell me.
  • What content are you reading?  Please share your links with our community in the comments section!

 

 

Link to Photo Credit by Andreas Cappell via Flickr