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Office of the President

Modern University

Page address: http://www.mnsu.edu/president/archived/retreat-modernu.html

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)