Abstract
This response essay reflects on the future of the university from the perspective of an editor and journalist responding to essays on civic virtue, interdisciplinary communication, and computing literacy. It considers the university both as a civic community and as a looser relationship among teachers, students, and knowledge, drawing comparisons between American residential higher education, medieval universities, and emerging computer-networked instruction. The essay supports the role of universities in preparing students for democratic participation while also warning that new telecommunications technologies may reshape or weaken campus-based community if institutions do not adapt deliberately. It discusses interdisciplinary communication as a way to address real-world problems and suggests that electronic publishing may expand scholarly exchange beyond university-based journals and academic employment structures. The essay also distinguishes practical computer use from technical expertise and urges that artificial intelligence and computing technologies be developed to extend human intelligence rather than replace it. It concludes that universities should define educational goals before allowing technology to determine institutional priorities.
Recommended Citation
Jennings, Lane
(1985)
"Response to the University of the Future,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 51, Article 17.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol51/iss1/17
