A recent report of the National Academy of Sciences concludes that major changes will occur in the relatively near future in almost every aspect of the university. The Fall 2005 issue of Issues in Science and Technology contains a very thought-provoking article Envisioning a Transformed University that summarizes conclusions arising from a series of discussions held with university administrators around the country. These meetings were sponsored by the NAS Forum on Information Technology and Research Universities. The authors of the report, J.J. Duderstadt, Wm.A. Wulf, and R. Zemsky, describe a number of changes in universities that new technologies are likely to produce in the relatively near future. They issue a strong warning against underestimating the magnitude and impact of the changes that technology will enable.
My comments regarding this report were solicited by the editors of Issues in Science and Technology (along with those of several others), and can be found in the Winter 2006 issue.
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