A Personal Vision...
Today's rapidly changing technology environment has placed education in the throes of some of the most intense changes in history. Educators in this atmosphere of fluid change face a change in the nature of the learning institution. The educational enterprise must maintain the essence of the traditional roles of higher education characterized as teaching, research and service, and yet, move forward with the more important contemporary roles of creating, integrating and applying knowledge.
There are a number of important themes that are converging as the world enters the new millennium:
- The importance of knowledge in establishing prosperity and quality of life
- The challenge of cultural diversity
- The globalization of society and flattening of the world
- The impact of expanding telecommunication, computer, and bio technologies
- New social structures forming with electronic networking
Skillful faculty continue to be the imperative in supporting successful student learning. At the same time, faculty may assume more of the role of designer of learning experiences, processes, and environment. The traditional isolated scholar of an institution is moving toward teams of scholars who collaborate sometimes across a variety of disciplines. Research activities are more likely to come from experiences or needs of the community rather than for purely the search for knowledge. Knowledge creation is shifting from the analysis of what has been to the creation of what never has existed. The educational institution's role of preserving knowledge is moving from the collection of materials to that of an information navigator and facilitator of retrieval and dissemination.
Campus administrators are seeing the emergence of new competitive forces including the movement of some institutions far beyond traditional geographical areas to compete for students and resources. Also, the weakening influence of traditional regulations is bringing even business and global competitors into what has traditionally been isolated local markets. The local campus administrator must look beyond traditional markets and find new and innovative ways to meet the needs of today's student. Islands of innovation should be encouraged. Educators should be strongly encouraged to move out ahead, explore new technologies, and become pathfinders.
Higher education should aspire to build a community of learners in which people are continually surrounded and involved in learning experiences. It should be a vital part of the learning institution that supports the cultural metamorphosis to a pervasive learning environment of perpetual learning "everyplace and for everybody."