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February 20, 1997

Lecture to focus on higher education

"Digital Diploma Mills: The Commodification of Higher Education" will be the subject of a lecture by David Noble on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium.

A visiting professor of history at the University of Toronto, Noble has written extensively on the influence of corporations and the military on universities since World War II.

Noble's books include: "Forces of Production: A Social History of Industrial Automation," "Progress Without People: The Politics of Technological Change" and "A World Without Women: The Christian Clerical Culture of Western Science." United Faculty member Barbara White of the English department told Staff Association Council at its Feb. 12 meeting that Noble was invited to campus because of the changes taking place at the University.

United Faculty is one of the sponsors of the lecture.

"What we wanted to do is take this [restructuring] to the University community and have Dr. Noble speak about the history of it," White said.

During the second half of the lecture, according to White, members of the University community will have an opportunity to ask Noble questions about restructuring.

As a follow-up to Noble's lecture, a forum-style meeting will be conducted on Feb. 27 at noon in Dining Room B of the William Pitt Union.

"Basically, it is for people to express their feelings about what is going on in their own offices or work situations, ask questions, discuss startegies and sort of get a handle on what is going on at this University as far as restructuring goes," White said.

Other sponsors of the lecture include the Graduate Student Progressive Action Network, the history departments at Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University, the Pittsburgh Center for Social History, the Alliance for Progressive Action, the Pitt chapter of the Western Pennsylvania Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Metro Pittsburgh Labor Party.


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