It's true that competition can push us all to be better. But when the competitiveness that fuels excellence and prestige becomes based in the logic of the market, universities lose sight of their true purpose. Many mechanisms in higher education today reinforce that sense of never-ending competition, writes Kathleen Fitzpatrick, director of digital humanities and professor of English at Michigan State University. They include research analytics dashboards, institutional rankings and "responsibility-centred management", the professor argues. Instead, she says, universities should be working for the greater good and creating an environment in which talent of all varieties can flourish. (F. THE 12-04-19)