Writing in the May 1981 CAUT Bulletin, teaching award recipient Arthur Haberman outlined clear strategies for addressing the challenge of creating and sustaining an environment in which students can learn to value cooperative approaches to scholarship, teaching and research.
He emphasized three points: respect for students and their ideas in learning situations and respect for participatory traditions in the institution of learning; excitement "in the shared endeavour which creates a community and enables us to learn together"; and, learning "that teaching is a cumulative affair" which is ongoing. Respect, excitement and a willingness to learn serve as a philosophical basis to instruct our students in understanding core academic principles and applying team approaches in academic work.
What can we do to sustain and build a climate of respect, excitement and learning together? What actions can further enhance students' understanding of core academic principles and promote a climate for an enriched team research environment? How can we foster a cooperative spirit amongst our student and professorial colleagues to facili-tate the building of teams? In short, how can we put into action the strategies outlined by Professor Haberman? Here are some suggestions.
We must continue to treat graduate students (and I contend undergraduate students should be treated similarly) as members of the professional community -- part of our team from the onset. We must recognize that graduate students need support for professional development and preparation for an academic career right from the beginning of their academic careers.
It is absolutely fundamental that graduate students have the same rights as other members of the academic team. Academic freedom is as vital to students as it is to academic staff. Students should be able to take reasoned exception to data or views offered in the course of study. They should have the freedom of critical inquiry, discussion and expression. The freedom we have to partake in political action should be encouraged for students as well.
Being part of the team also means having a voice in deciding university policy. All students should have access to full participation in university governance at the program, department, faculty and institutional levels. Students should be able to participate in student association activities without reprisal and they must be free from discrimination and harassment.
Many of our graduate students are researchers and scholars in their own right, developing considerable publication lists even before they graduate. Their intellectual property rights should be recognized and protected. When problems do occur, they must have access to due process, founded in natural justice, to resolve conflicts and address injustices regarding all aspects of their academic status, endeavours and responsibilities.
By strengthening the status of our students as colleagues, protecting their rights to academic freedom, and instilling in them the importance of participation in collegial governance, they inherit the respect, excitement and the spirit of learning about which Professor Haberman wrote. At a time in our profession when the requirement for collaborative work is high, application of these values offers the distinct potential to build highly cohesive and resilient teams.