Timothy Reese Cain, assistant professor of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, was featured on WILL's radio program Focus 580 on March 5. He was interviewed about the Ethnography of the University Initiative (EUI) and the importance of archiving campus research projects. He co-directs EUI with Nancy Ablemann, Gina Hunter, and Sharon Irish. In late February, he also presented on the project at the campus’ Faculty Retreat, “When Teaching and Learning Meet Undergraduate Research.”

Here's an excerpt from the introduction to the WILL program, titled Curating Local History:

"Timothy Cain who co-directs the UIUC’s Ethnography of the University Project, also joins the conversation. He’ll tell us about the project, how it archives hundreds of research projects every year and provides undergraduates the chance to research university history. We’ll talk about research that has uncovered facts about student sub-cultures and their influence on campus and community life and how displaying history can work to influence a sense of community."

Cain is also the author of the recent book Establishing Academic Freedom: Politics, Principles, and the Development of Core Values. The work examines how academic freedom went from being a derided idea to a vital feature of American higher education, and how the tenure system was created in part to protect it.

The book fits within Cain’s broader research agenda that examines the history of higher education in the 20th century and emphasizes issues of stakeholder rights and responsibilities.

Read more about his book…