Taboos at Universities

“Taboos at Universities“
9th Conference of the Association of Research on Universities – Wednesday to Friday, 25-27
June 2014, at the Center for Higher Education, TU Dortmund University
There are some phenomena at universities and in science in general, which are unspoken or only
discussed behind closed doors. The topics are sacrosanct or untouchable, i.e. a taboo, because their
public discussion could question the foundation of the science system. At this conference we
nevertheless would like to provide an impetus to shed light on some of these topics. The taboos may
concern the individual level of the scientists, the disciplinary culture or the structural level of the
science system. At the same time various structural principles can be affected, more specifically the
entitlement of gender equality, performance equality and truth.
In the following we will mention several topics which address one or more than one dimension
respectively. The exemplary taboo will relate to the public discourse in the science system. There are
always smaller circles and back rooms where it is problematized. Therefore we constantly have to
keep in mind who chooses not to talk to someone about certain things.
1) Grade Inflation
A possible topic which questions the performance equality on the individual, disciplinary-cultural and
structural level is grade inflation. The grades at German universities are ameliorating and reflect rather
a disciplinary culture, the politics of a university or personal dedication. If grades are not an indicator
for performance, the principle of meritocracy underlying the German education system is subverted.
The question of grading obtains an additional dimension when considering private institutions or
tuition-based education. For instance, is it possible that students who have paid high tuition fees do not
pass the exam?
2) The Peer Review
On a structural level of truth, the peer review is not questioned. The reviewer is always right. Other
criteria besides the truth play a role in the evaluation as well.
3) Teaching as a Taboo
In Germany teaching is a taboo as professors do not talk about it. Once the seminar room is closed,
what happens in the course content-wise is neither the colleagues’ nor the top management’s business.
Professors only talk amongst each other about their difficulties of teaching under certain
circumstances. A more precarious taboo is the seminar visit of one’s colleague.
4) Exploitation of the Mid-Level Faculty Positions
Neither on the individual nor on the disciplinary level of the performance and gender equality is the
exploitation of the mid-level faculty positions thematized. The German university system with its
increasingly external funding and the extensive mid-level faculty positions in unstable employment is
based on an anticipated principle of exchange. The relationship, on an individual level, can be
terminated at all times. Nobody however talks about this in public. Who profits from this unbalanced
situation?
5) Sexual Harassment and Sexual Abuse
From an official perspective sexual harassment and abuse are not discussed in the context of
unbalanced and/ or dependent relationships on the individual, collegial and institutional levels. If
possible, such behaviour of crossing personal boundaries is hidden as it occurs in an interactive grey
area.
6) Academic Habitus
In the disciplinary culture the academic habitus leads to an assessment not based on performance but
on socialisation. The academic habitus implies that non-traditional students and students from lower
socio-economic spheres are kept from university although the universities articulate different mission
statements.
7) Professorial Vanities
On the individual level professorial vanities serve the purpose of substituting the lack of positive
feedback within the academic community by self-praise. Since this usually takes place implicitly, it
can result in an increasing difference between self-awareness and the perception by others.
8) Research on Universities
Conducting research on universities as professional knowledge is partly considered to be a taboo
within the university organisation or academic institution. It is not easily accepted that individual
people have specific knowledge about university environment which ultimately concerns all
researchers.
In this sense – be courageous! We welcome abstracts that empirically illustrate and/ or theoretically
reflect on aspects mentioned above or additional taboos. We are also interested in research on taboos
in other organisational settings (companies, non-profits, politics etc.) as long as the findings can be
clearly transferred to the area of universities. It is important to us that all presentations explicitly relate
to the topic of taboos.
However, everyone should be aware of the risk of publicly discussing taboos as that represents a break
in taboos itself.
Please submit your abstract (approximately 500 words) via email to the organisation team
(gfhf.zhb@tu-dortmund.de) until 29 January 2014.
Abstracts for individual and group presentations or panel discussions are welcome. You will receive a
notification about the acceptance of your submission by 17 February 2014.
The organisation team of the Center for Higher Education (zhb) (Prof. Dr. Uwe Wilkesmann, Prof. Dr.
Sigrid Metz-Göckel, Prof. Dr. Liudvika Leisyte, Dr. Marion Kamphans, Dr. Bengü Hosch-Dayican,
Björn Roesner, Christian Schmid, Sabine Lauer) and the executive board of the Association of
Research on Universities (Prof. Dr. Margret Bülow-Schramm, Prof. Dr. Hans Pechar) are looking
forward to your submission.