Two Hippocratic oaths for higher education

Abstract

This essay argues that due to a confluence of trends over the last two decades, today's universities rely on managerial professionalism far more than in the past. But the legitimacy of management in academic institutions remains in question, and is often seen as a threat to scholarly aims and values. Institutions may benefit from considering two 'Hippocratic oaths' in parallel, one for scholarly work and one for managerial work. Two notional oaths are presented to contrast two distinct types of professionalism, each with a different logic. The comparison suggests there are some common values that are enacted differently, depending on the practitioner role. Recognising the professional agendas and different priorities of both roles in a university offers scope for good faith negotiation of conflicts between university scholars and managers. © 2010 Association for Tertiary Education Management and the L H Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Management.