Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon

programme - will equal the many and sometimes radical developments which at a
high rate overflow Higher Education. I ask myself how to stand for and to organize
some sort of wisdom of the crowd in such a way that wisdom, tempo, identification,
responsibility and good results are to be secured at the same time.
3.6 A wavering UAS: a context for my research
I summarize what I see as the actual state of affairs of the UAS. This state of affairs
serves as the context for my research, at least as a start of my research-process. This
state explains what at the moment of this writing I perceive as questions and problems
with what the UAS is faced.
Looking back I see that apparently around 2008-2009 something changed in the UAS.
At least there was an attempt to use a more bottom up approach to strategic and
organizational questions. Apart from the way the wiki-project was organized there
were more initiatives which pointed in the direction of what at that time was signified
with co-creativity. The establishment of advisory-boards of managing directors has
been mentioned. Another initiative was the establishment of a working group of
lecturers to advice about the reassessment of the position of the lecturing and research
professionals in the UAS. The establishment of platforms to foster cooperation
among faculties, and faculties and offices was another initiative. Also the design of the
branding-project possessed a strong flavour of co-creativity.
However, an intended reshuffling of the faculties and research centres which at the
moment of this writing is being discussed, is presented by the board with a rather
detailed blueprint presented. This reshuffling will have a great impact for a lot of
employees. Bigger faculties, less senior management, integration of research and
education into one framework and a new hierarchy between management, associate
professors and the board are the main themes. The detailed character of the blueprint,
a bit of an awkward way of communicating about it, the proposed short time of
discussing and deciding, and the impact of the consequences produces quite some
rumour and is not interpreted by everyone as a co-creative effort.
More questions to ask than answers to give
At the time of writing this narrative it is not unequivocal anymore for me why a turnaround
towards co-creativity was propagated. I have quite some questions. Was it
because of a new president? Was it the expression of important societal developments
in which the position of teachers and education in the Netherlands evolved (Commissie
Dijsselbloem, 2008; Commissie Leraren, 2007)? Or was it the outcome of an internal
long lasting underground process in which at last the beacons of power were
shifted towards the faculties? Or did the necessary functionality of planning and
control after the merger expire and allow the UAS to take its own former thread of
narrative? Or was it a necessary development, needed to take the next step towards
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