VC’ s corner is, and what ought to be
Anachronistic bifurcations belong in the wishful thinking basket – for example, the temptation to privilege the physical community over the digital.
It seems that one of the central questions for the future of modern universities is to solve the conundrum of how to create that abiding sense of community where place and time meet( the‘ here and now’ experience of a physical campus life), and indeed are joined by the‘ there and then’ experience where physical proximity and synchrony are replaced by the sound-bite communication technologies that pervades our lives today.
The reality is that the digital world is important to students( and staff) – that is unlikely to change. Facebook, Twitter, mobile phones, tablets, blogs and other social network platforms are not only used for personal interaction but also in relating to the university, fellow students and frequently their lecturers and supervisors.
And now of course we have entered the era of MOOCs,“ disruptive technologies” that threaten to change the face of higher education. However, it is unclear just how disruptive they will be, particularly in regard to the lived experiences of students.
The other side of MOOCs question gets little media attention – how much are they really just a superb marketing phenomenon( probably unintended) to further embed the brands of well-known institutions into the ether from their deep identity as physical places for the‘ here and now’ experience?
As Clayton Christensen and Henry Eyring have observed( The Innovative University), not all students are willing to give up on the“ traditional experience” of university life.“ Especially for young people, the college campus is more than just a video store, the place you go to get the content of a movie”.
The experience of the modern Australian university student is very different. As the Australian Survey of Student Engagement( AUSSE) reveals, 69 per cent of students work for pay. On top of that commitment, they spend 10 hours preparing for class each week and 10 per cent of students spend more than 20 hours studying.
On average, says AUSSE, each week students spend 14 hours on campus, three hours participating in extracurricular activities, eight hours caring for dependents, nine hours managing personal business and 11 hours relaxing and socialising.
There is probably no such thing as a“ typical” student. Today’ s campus is home to a large number of international students as well as Australian undergraduates and graduates from varied social backgrounds. Given that we need to support their technological needs as best we can, we also have to think deeply, and constantly, about their on-campus needs too.
So too, for staff, what must we think of in creating an experience for staff that makes our universities attractive destinations of professional and scholarly life?
Surely, we must strive to create a place of‘ community’ for staff as well, but in a dynamic and modern sense which respects the need for place and time for discourse and dialogue but equally responds to the reality that life for staff has also moved on – including pressures of work / life balance, double income families, increasing demand for work in multidisciplinary teams, need to interface with business and industry.
A stronger sense of community can grow if needs of students and staff are catered for with greater flexibility. Given that so many young people have to work, they will become more engaged in campus life if their academic lives are flexible and convenient as possible. And for staff, should they have times of intensive teaching, and then times protected for research?
This may mean reimagining semester and weekly study and learning structures. Technology is also valuable here, with students able to access courses from home or elsewhere if this is more convenient for them.
Outcomes of education also need to become more important and take over the prescriptions of clocking time as the unit of currency for universities getting paid.
All the planning in the world is fruitless if it does not meet the needs of the target population – in this case students and staff. We should, from time to time, actually ask them what they want, when, where and why. Assumptions and good intentions are the close companions of disappointment and frustration.
The development of space and facilities on campus are important components of creating a strong sense of community. However, this is not all about relaxation and fun.
While much learning can take place in formal classes, the informal experience for our students cannot be underestimated. So creating inviting spaces for informal interaction becomes increasingly important.
We need to help re-create a sense of community – a modern dynamic version that blends traditional as well as emerging trends in the conception of what it means to be part of a community.
We need to get beyond the“ is-ought” problem, to understand the present and the future, and not as just some fancy glistening version of the past. We need to be bold in responding to, and taking seriously, the needs of our students and staff in the here and now. n
S. Bruce Dowton is the vice-chancellor of Macquarie University. www. campusreview. com. au May 2013 | 33