Is it a good idea for an academic department to hire and regulate the conduct of professors?

[Boojatta]

An academic department is usually associated with one subject area. An academic department of a post-secondary academic institution can develop its own ideological orthodoxy, which could influence not only individual decisions, but also the written rules and unwritten guidelines that contribute to the making of decisions.

In a sense, it seems that there's the potential for the same kind of problems that arise in a theocracy. The only difference I can see is that the problems created by theocracy will, in this kind of situation, directly affect only people who are somehow associated with the academic institution, rather than being an immediate hazard to all citizens.

[zazen]

1. check out howtheuniversityworks.com for discussions about academic labor and freedom

[Hannah Bell]

2. it's part of the philosophy of academic freedom that depts judge & regulate their own.

ideally, it makes for diversity between depts & institutions. which i personally think has more plusses than minuses. small theocracies are better than big ones, & faculty elect their own chair, so it's not absolute theocracy.