Panel kicks off a lecture series on the future of research universities
ANN ARBOR— “Envisioning the Future of Higher Education: Perspectives from the Top,” a panel of university presidents, is the kick-off event in a free, public lecture series at the University of Michigan’s Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies that seeks to engage the University and surrounding community in an intellectual dialogue on “The Future of the Research University.”
The panel presentation will begin at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in Rackham Amphitheater. Panelists include U-M President Lee C. Bollinger; Jorge Klor de Alva, president of the University of Phoenix; and Nils Hasselmo, president of the American Association of Universities (AAU) and former president of the University of Minnesota.
“This panel presentation is expected to be a very lively discussion on how technology and the various needs of students are shaping the future of higher education and the institutions that provide it,” said Earl Lewis, dean of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. “The panelists will offer unique perspectives on how their particular institutions are facing the external and internal forces challenging higher education.”
Bollinger will address issues related to large research-based universities like the
U-M and how the University is able to maintain its competitive edge against other institutions that claim to provide today’s student with flexibility in scheduling, tuition and closer teacher/student relationships.
De Alva is president of a for-profit university that has campuses rapidly spreading throughout the United States and on-line. He will offer his perspective on distance learning with respect to faculty issues, quality of teaching, library resources and curriculum.
Hasselmo will discuss the ways universities of the future are likely to deal with knowledge production and whether the relationship between the federal government and research universities will continue on its present course. As a former university president, he will also provide some historical context on the tenure case at the University of Minnesota Law School as well as explain his vision of tenure in the future.
“The series offers a medium for addressing matters of scholarly but popular interest in ways that articulate, reaffirm and, at times, debate the values of American education,” noted Lewis. “As we head into a new millennium, it seems only fitting that, as a university community, we begin to question our place and role in what lies ahead. Are we keeping pace with the times and being responsive to the needs of higher education and society? Are we playing a leading role in analyzing significant changes in society? For the next year, Rackham is committed to keeping these types of questions as a focal point of dialogue and debate among our community.”
Other presentations in the series are:
For more information on the series, call Lynne Dumas (734) 647-2644 or Ann Kolkman, 647-2640.