Mark Taylor’s op-ed piece in The New York Times yesterday, “End the University As We Know It,” was so infuriating, that bloggers dropped everything to respond to it. My hard copy (yes, I’m old fashioned that way) is riddled with my notes mostly blasting the little bugger (though with a few concessions: can’t argue with cross disciplinary teaching and scholarship), but so many others beat me to the punch that I’ll simply link to their responses (note that these were the ones published within one day of Taylor’s essay—undoubtedly more will follow over the next few weeks):
· Marc Bousquet’s immediate, ranting, response
· Michael Bérubé’s popular blog publicizes both of the above and responds in more detail the next day(update)
· Cranky’s response to both Taylor and Erin O’Connor’s praise
· Dean Dad’s witty administrator’s response
UPDATE Wed, April 29th: Even more on Taylor’s essay, including others who are doing what I’m doing (listing links):
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Savage Minds (those anthropologists!)
From the Mixed Up Bloggings of Annie Em 
Thank you for linking, Annie Em. I came across Dean Dad’s after I’d written mine and was humbled: he took Taylor on point by point and pegged the absurdity every time.
You both have excellent responses: you focused on the bigger picture (the man’s blindness about what his modest proposal turns higher education into, as well as his utter dismissal of academic freedom) while Dean Dan focused, as an administrator is prone to do, on the administrative barriers to such a proposal (clearly, Taylor has never been chair of a dept, or worked with accreditation, or done much college service…): together your responses work well! Thank you: I thoroughly enjoy reading your cranky, and potent, postings, Bobba!
I just read ALL of those links and I’m agog. Also exhausted just from scrolling and squinting through the Chronicle replies (while cartwheeling through emotions, depending on the commenter’s position and tone). Whew.
Anyone else think Taylor’s $5,000 per class comment will follow him henceforth?
Thanks for posting all those, Annie!
Continuous responses today (see updated links, many of which contain similar “link” postings). My husband, who earns a whopping $2500 per class (still, alas, as we’re on the quarter system, better than many colleges pay), is about to bring the op ed piece to the dean. If it works (ha!) Taylor would have redeemed himself;-)