Nora Loreto and Alex Khasnabish argue for saving the university from itself

Many academic workers are striking for better labour protections, including CUPE 3916 in Nova Scotia, but where are the connections forming between different labour movements? Can we forge deeper solidarity in this moment of crisis? Do we blow up the system or try to repair it?Nora Loreto, host of the podcast Sandy and Nora Talk Politics and author of many books on politics, and Alex Khasnabish, Professor of Anthropology at Mount Saint Vincent University, help us understand why the university is such an "important social location," what its histories are, and how those histories are brought to bear on the present composition of the institution.Since universities are systematically underfunded and neoliberal austerity has further starved its labour force, these places of knowledge creation and learning have been turned into a reflection of the broader gig economy. Instructors who have to work within that system are left feeling wholly devalued, while the managerial class that operates the university are left with few levers they can pull to make change. In this context, what sort of alternative vision for the university as a site of engagement is possible? Why can't universities rehabilitate themselves and seek more community connections? Alex, Nora and I unpack these and other questions here.#university #labour #strike #collectivebargaining #unions #education #equity #leftpolitics #policyalternatives