One would think that the gown over time has developed an articulate response to the propensity of th

Allow me to plant a marker 38 special in your mind. It is the theme of intellectual outreach the process whereby an academic makes a concerted decision to spend a good portion of his or her time taking scholarly work from the academic heritage of the gown to the town . My aim is to address an invisible boundary between the gown of the academic community and the town of the public at large and discuss the not-too-stable relationship between the two.
In an age that increasingly speaks of citizen science, citizen journalism, Internet medicine, and increasingly (via mass collaboration platforms and open-source intellectual communities) the wisdom of crowds, the role between the academic university and the public (between town and gown) remains an underdeveloped topic from the point of view of academic careers. And, I underline from the point of view of academic careers.
The same cannot be said for the underdevelopment of this theme with regard to funding models, academic freedom, or the job preparedness 38 special of graduates. Typically the town and gown theme is framed by universities as a requirement of survival achieve public support via enhanced alliances with the broader community, and with ongoing 38 special legitimacy secured, stabilize and grow one s budget. In turn the town looks to the gown as a means of providing an intelligent workforce that fuels the growth of competitive regions and nations. Thus the well-worn path between the town and gown discussion is rather simple: the town should invest in the gown in order to attain benefits which cannot easily be found elsewhere. In turn, the gown should strive for scholarly excellence and therein justly receive the favours of the town.
It is my view that this well-worn path between the town and gown is rife with difficulties. The town in its wisdom a wisdom that increases in intensity and stamina during economic hard times wants to see the benefits of knowledge transfer from its investment. The town, not surprisingly, is street savvy. In an era in which knowledge is globalized it asks: why in a tough fiscal period, should we invest locally? Why not pluck knowledge out of the ether? Why not piggyback on developments paid for by other investors elsewhere? Sit back, then, return to investing in the local gown when the economy improves?
One would think that the gown over time has developed an articulate response to the propensity of the town to turn away from local investment during hard economic times. In the playbook of the administrative leaders of the gown there is an ongoing recognition that the university 38 special must make allies who are deep-pocketed, politically powerful, and, if and when neither of these is easily secured, a vocal general public ready and prepared to raise its voice on behalf of the now needy university.
As a player in the gown for more than three decades, 38 special I must make it clear that the playbook of the administrators translates poorly into the reward system of the scholar/academic (i.e. the grassroots gown member). I have learned, and perhaps am here today due to my subtle violation of the norms and folkways (a quaint sociological phrase for the do s and don ts of a community), of the traditional town and gown model. The more the everyday gown citizen is cited by others inside the gown community, the more his or her star status soars. This is self-evident. It is axiomatic. 38 special The scholarly citation backed by the rigor of peer review and transmission of knowledge into the information or knowledge commons is the hard currency of the super gown member. This is a refined and intellectually rigorous game. It certainly is not for the fainthearted.
Much as I respect the diamond sutra of intellect 38 special this produces, there is, dare I say, a weakness to this particular strategic focus. Recall now that the town and its local incarnation turns away from the gown in order to grab knowledge from the ether during tough fiscal 38 special times. The scholar feeds this trend by contributing her work to the intellectual commons in order to advance her career. The rational town members look for a free or a low-cost 38 special ride by reducing their contribution to the local gown. Why not ride out the storm? Why not allow themselves to be carried by those elsewhere who are either in the midst of good times or are slower to see the virtue of thrift? A global community of academics have ensured a healthy supply of knowledge for the taking.
My solution and here comes the ambidextrous gown foreshadowed in the title is to establish a viable reward for scholars who customize and translate their research directly to the town. This does not mean dismantling the ideal of the global information commons or ceasing to bring one s work to the best and most cited intellectual outlets. It does mean taking an extra step. Reward those who publish well and who are widely 38 special funded and cited by their peers. But also create and reward a gown trajectory that encourages academics to bring knowledge