A new book, “Zombies in the Academy,” provides a critical account of the political, cultural and pedagogical state of the university sector through the metaphor of zombiedom. It taps into the current popular fascination with zombies bringing together scholars from a range of fields, including cultural and communications studies, sociology, film studies and education.

It has been produced by two current University of Wollongong academics (Dr Andrew Whelan and Dr Ruth Walker) together with former UOW academic, Dr Christopher Moore (now with Deakin University). The contributions to this volume argue that the increasing corporatization of the academy — an environment emphasizing publication for audit and rapid turnover of the massified student body, with a steadily eroding tenure system – is creating a crisis in higher education best understood through the language of zombie culture — the undead, contagion, and plague, among others.

Zombies in the Academy: Living Death in Higher Education presents essays from a variety of scholars and creative writers who present an engaging and entertaining appeal for serious recognition of the conditions of contemporary humanities teaching, culture, and labor practices.

The 23-chapter edited collection has just been published by Intellect Press in the UK. See the following for copies: http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/books/view-Book,id=5004/

http://www.bookdepository.com/Zombies-Academy-Andrew-Whelan/9781841507149

Humans v Zombies

Meanwhile, members of the UOW Rotaract Club are organising Wollongong’s first ‘Humans vs Zombies’ event on Thursday July 4 to raise funds for Rotary International’s ‘End Polio’ campaign.

The Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Gordon Bradbery, and Keira MP, Ryan Park, will open the event, which will start on the Juggler’s Lawn at UOW near Building 4 at 9:15am.

The all-day event will have up to 100 students around the Wollongong campus taking on each other with brightly colored foam Nerf guns. It’s an outdoor event (except for Building 11) with checkpoints around campus.