In the last few years, I’ve started to think that “excellence” in academic life is the enemy of the good, and is actually harmful to peoples’ well-being, and also a hindrance to people doing good quality, impactful and rewarding work …Seems I’m not the only one scholar.google.com/scholar_look... - ThreadSky

aidanosullivan.bsky.social • 64 days ago

In the last few years, I’ve started to think that “excellence” in academic life is the enemy of the good, and is actually harmful to peoples’ well-being, and also a hindrance to people doing good quality, impactful and rewarding work
…Seems I’m not the only one

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=“Excellence+R+Us’’%3A+University+research+and+the+fetishisation+of+excellence&author=S.+Moore&author=C.+Neylon&author=M.+Paul+Eve&author=D.+Paul+O’Donnell&author=D.+Pattinson&publication_year=2017&journal=Palgrave+Commun.&pages=1-13

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tjfinan.org•63 days ago

A number of ways to respond to this positively…I totally agree…but it won’t improve as long as admins are the ones who define goals…

aidanosullivan.bsky.social•63 days ago

Don’t you think it’s the academics who have created this enormous system of status, valorisation and approval - eg “have you published in the right journals?”etc, etc.

tjfinan.org•62 days ago

True. I won’t belay the point because I don’t know what the answer is because the system is simply not working in global higher Ed.

tdownes.bsky.social•64 days ago

Saw this a while back. It would be useful (or at least entertaining) to bring this to the attention of senior university administrators.

davidstifter.bsky.social•64 days ago

Absolutely. "The best" is the enemy of "the good". But there can only be one "the best", a position that is only attainable through ruthless competition, whereas many can be "good" through productive collaboration.

aidanosullivan.bsky.social•64 days ago

We conclude by proposing an alternative rhetoric based on soundness and capacity-building. … it turns out that that “excellence” is not excellent. Used in its current unqualified form it is a pernicious and dangerous rhetoric that undermines the very foundations of good research and scholarship.

drgavinhughes.bsky.social•63 days ago

I wholeheartedly agree, Aidan. I must admit I've been increasingly frustrated by the current insistence on a mythical 'quest for excellence' - at all costs- which often seems at odds with sound but quiet scholarship, which surely benefits all concerned...

thoscummins.bsky.social•64 days ago

Agreed, "excellence" is not a useful goal. These authors say our "focus should be on thoroughness, completeness, and appropriate standards of description, evidence, and probity rather than flashy claims of superiority". I agree with that too.

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