One of the characteristics that makes a University different from a factory is the concept of shared governance. This is not a place where bosses or overseers make "the work go". It is a place of deliberation, discussion and debate. It is a place where differences of opinion are valued. This is a difficult activity. Scholars are, for the most part, "loners". The habits of a lifetime (reading, analyzing, writing, critiquing) do not make for easy accommodation to group work, compromise, and mutual support.
Committee work is often described as tedious and slow. The writers of the US Constitution knew that fact and used it as an advantage. The federal government was created to work slowly and carefully, without gyrating in the winds of fad or pressure. On university campuses, committee work is frequently described as an obstacle rather than a vehicle for change. Yet, are not improvement, acceptance, and acknowledgement more important than efficiency. A quick look at recent national and international events suggest that when calmer heads prevail, errors are less frequent.
Who then better to develop the rubric of the academy? Do not faculty have a interest in the development and support of the Library? Do not faculty have an interest in maintaining the highest standards of ethical behavior in the classroom, studio or laboratory? Do not faculty have an interest in the rules which define majors, create safeguards for students, or support the teaching enterprise?
The role of University Service is important in other ways as well.
Meeting people from different disciplines (and different buildings!) is always harder than it sounds. Committees provide for communication across departments and colleges. They broaden outlooks and create community.
Academic issues evolve forcing us to reconsider concepts on an ongoing basis. Academic issues require self evaluation set in the context of the campus community. Academic issues strengthen flexibility as small old issues which are not corrected can become new bigger issues with significant consequences.
