The purpose of this session would be to discuss the real meaning of a slogan we've been throwing around for a while. Sure, it sounds hella cool, but what would "A Free University in a Free Society" actually look like? What are we aiming for as we strive to create a better society, and how does education play a role in ensuring that we move away from capital-based, oppressive systems towards a progressive, just alternative. If the panel is approved, a call would be put out by the advocates of this panel to SDS and every other student group for short paper submissions - this event would be entirely open to any current or recent students and we would heavily encourage people outside our organization to participate, as we want to have a variety of conflicting views of the role of higher education in securing a better future.
Prompt questions include:
How do we make higher education more accessible?
How do we structure education so that it provides for balanced job complexes in the workplace post-graduation?
How do we run our universities? Do we retain the corporate model or yield to student syndicalism?
How will technology change the way we learn?
How will globalization change the way we learn?
What has the reduction of civil liberties done to education? How can we counteract that?