Modern University Discussion

Discussion Group Responses to the following questions:

1. What is a modern university?
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?

Group 1

1. What is a modern university?
   • Cutting edge technology facility effective life long learning - used effectively
   • Domestic and global citizenship
   • Distributive education
   • Meets demands of changing society
   • Our unique identity / mission needs clear articulation
   • Prepare effective participants for multi-cultural, global society
   • Looking at critical thinking
   • Physical environment that facilitates a community of learners
   • Rapid response
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Competition from other institutions
   • Restricted funding / resources / facilities
   • Better accommodating the nontraditional students and ESL
   • Public perception of what a modern university is
   • Structure of organization
   • Fear of change and making those changes

Group 2

1. What is a modern university?
   • Ability to change and adapt quickly to student needs, legislature, constituents, disciplines, workforce needs.
   • All offices are involved in teaching and learning (not just academic departments)
   • Broad audience / youth, elderly
   • Seamless, vertical integration
   • Takes risks (innovation)
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Lack of a clear goal or series of goals
   • No shared vision; too slow; administrators need to get into the field more and see how things are done
   • Lack of sense of urgency
   • Don't understand the processes for getting outside money into the University
   • Risk aversive; innovation is difficult when afraid
   • Lack of collaboration (between academic departments and otherwise)

Group 3

1. What is a modern university?
   • Use of technology, distance learning
   • Adapting to change
   • Balance between theory and practice
   • Be student centered
   • Recognizing nontraditional students/ lifelong learning
   • Rethinking how the curriculum is packaged
   • Listening to student customers
   • Listen to employers
   • Include more students on committees
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Attitude
   • Resources (financial and human)
   • One decision affects other variables (domino theory)
   • Complexity/ interconnectedness of the university
   • Multiple systems (MnSCU, DOER, Finance)
   • Lake of follow through

Group 4

1. What is a modern university?
   • Investigates and uses appropriate technology
   • Comprehensive, liberal education (professional education)
   • Diverse and inclusive (racial / cultural; protected group as defined by law, traditional and non traditional)
   • Strives to enhance student learning and achievement
   • Financial assistance for all in need (Scholarships)
   • Connected to regional /community / industry through student/faculty scholarship
   • Provide opportunities for life long learning
   • Enhances critical thinking
   • Welcoming environment for new and returning students (signage)
   • Graduate education
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Money
   • Inadequate resources (time)
   • Resistance to change
   • Underestimate ourselves
   • Outside metro and in a metro state
   • Day to day gets in the way of creative thinking / some people are so busy doing their day that they don't have to think
   • Lack of space (student study space)
   • Lack of awareness of different cultures (parochial outlook)
   • Student workload due to lack of financial assistance
   • Lack of time for student / faculty scholarship

Group 5

1. What is a modern university?
   • Technology (ability to support , ability to integrate within the University, marketing, education, administration; ability to reflect community use of tech and to lead)
   • Partnerships / have many more partners who want input into what is happening at the university
   • Proactive, financially sound, think larger, not smaller for lifetime training
   • How we communicate with students for now and for life
   • Graduate school / market and package for emphasis
   • Balance distance learning with campus environment
   • Center for community and region
   • Core values; thinking people to think, communicate, discovery, to respond to constituents, student facilities, modern parking
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Mindset / can't think outside the box
   • Financial / How we choose to use our resources
   • Leadership
   • Work together without losing what we are
   • Structure / internal external
   • Self centered versus group centered /How to be part of the system / working with a legislature
   • Physical space
   • Weather

Group 6

1. What is a modern university?
   • Physically supportive environments for learning
   • Flexible, adaptable, aesthetically pleasing, comfortable, technologically advanced, multiple learning environments (not just classrooms)
   • Focus on learning: creativity in the use of time; learning process happens throughout extends beyond traditional classroom and traditional students
   • Recognition of differing learning styles and support for those differences
   • Professional development for faculty and staff to use new delivery methods
   • Role of student as a citizen in a global community
   • Recognize, expand and celebrate diversity
   • Role as citizen in our community
   • Opportunities for education and experiences outside of the classroom (holistic education/developing the whole student)
   • Efficient organization in delivery of services, allocation of resources, being flexible and adaptable, mutual accountability and timely decision making

Group 7

1. What is a modern university?
   • Diverse population / demographics are changing
   • Welcoming environment
   • Technology, web based, on-line classes/ forms, virtual presence in sync with actual presence
   • Accelerated learning / 3 years degrees / distance learning/ weekend classes
   • Increased options for careers; professions, more complex
   • Need to respond with options for internships, community service
   • Honesty and integrity (We need to be good role models)
   • Learning beyond the boundaries, asynchronous, multi-location
   • Turning on a dime
   • Respond to changes in technology
   • Cost effective childcare
   • Private partnerships (creative)
   • Creative internships / Linking on campus needs with students majors
   • Improved residence halls
   • Maintain commitment to liberal education
   • Focus on graduate programs, doctorate
   • Comprehensive undergraduate programs
   • Be creative and critical in looking at programs and curricula
   • Access focus on transfer issues and dialogue with other institutions
   • Clear communication across divisions
   • Managed enrollment
   • Use of mass transit
   • Improved facilities
   • Scholarships
   • Improved academic standards linked to accountability and resource allocation
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Glitches in transfer processes
   • Lower level of elitism (partners)
   • Legislature
   • Failure to market
   • Cumbersome decision making processes
   • Fear of change and related lack of acknowledgment
   • Acknowledgement of the valuing of students, faculty, staff and administrators
   • Bureaucratic red tape
   • Physical capacity of facility
   • Changes in demographics

Group 8

1. What is a modern university?
   • Accessibility
   • Has to be aware of what's going on, events, culture
   • Faculty point of view
   • Academic continuum
   • Market-oriented
   • Faculty / academic integrity
   • Role in defining what it really wants to be
   • Transparency
   • No secrets / communication between faculty and students
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Limit to openness / fine line between openness and hiding
   • Levels of frustration
   • Make choices
   • Keeping up with outside factors
   • Finite resources
   • Being clear on what we value

Group 9

1. What is a modern university?
   • Internet learning, teaching, catering to non-traditional type students
   • Partnering with the community; being able to work collaboratively
   • Aggressively marketing the University / what are strengths and resources
   • Defining our "niche"/find our focus and do it well
   • Resource to the region (Vikings, Science Fair, sports camps)
   • Full utilization of facilities, efficiencies
   • Educational, cultural, and social development for students
   • Flexible internal structure and resource allocation
   • Delivery of education and services to students (non/traditional hours, work site locations, extended campus)
   • Strong link with academic and non-academic services
   • Be proactive instead of reactive (wireless technology)
   • Creative and innovative
   • Practices core values (integrity, trust, openness, diversity)
   • A leader in learning
2. What are the obstacles to becoming a modern university?
   • Money
   • Resources
   • Building
   • Consensus
   • Clear Leadership
   • System (MnSCU, Unions, City and County rules) how do you bring together
   • Turf
   • Defining the future (everything is always changing)