The Future of the University: A Perspective from the Oort Cloud

• Published in: Social research 2012-09, Vol.79 (3), p.579-600
• Main Author: Duderstadt, James J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 20th century; Aging; College athletics; College presidents; College students; Colleges & universities; Committees; Company business management; Competition; Demography; Duderstadt, James; Economic crisis; Economic research; Education, Higher; Educational research; Engineering; Federal government; Forecasts and trends; Global economy; Globalization; Government; Graduate studies; Higher Education; IIa: Restructuring Research Universities; Influence; Information technology; Innovations; Investment; Leadership; Lifelong learning; Management; Market trend/market analysis; Money; Politics; Presidents; Productivity; Prosperity; Public health; Research universities; School administration; School management and organization; Search engines; Social research; Sociology; Sociology of education. Educational systems. Lifelong education; Sports; State government; Students; Testimony; United States; United States of America; Universities; Universities and colleges; University presidents; Values
• ISSN: 0037-783X; 1944-768X; 1944-768X
• DOI: 10.1353/sor.2012.0002

Whenever any group of university presidents gets together, the discussions always begin with the usual topics: 1. money, 2. politics, 3. students, and 4. for all too many university presidents these days, intercollegiate athletics. Of course, while important today, these may not be the dominant issues facing higher education over the longer term, a subject that he will address later in this paper. But these near-term challenges must be addressed soon if their institutions are to meet the growing and changing needs of the nation. In the face of economic challenges and the priorities of aging populations, states no longer are either capable of or willing to support their public research universities at world-class levels. More broadly, while America's research universities remain the strongest in the world, they are threatened today by many forces: the economic challenges faced by the nation and the states, the emergence of global competitors, changing demographics, rapidly evolving technologies, inadequate investment, and the absence of a bold national strategy. Adapted from the source document.