ADMINISTERING THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FUTURE
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evidence seems to be building up that the real issues for many people
emerge in the first one to three years of life, that you must catch them at
that point, that no matter what you do later on they won't be able to catch
up. That doesn't apply to everybody, but to a large number of people. In
that sense, it seems to me, your prescriptions weren't radical enough. No one
seems to want to get at that group, so I wonder whether increasing funds
for education will do that much good for a substantial number of people.
Bernard
Avishai: I don't think I'm the best person to address that ques–
tion to. Mr. Westling should have a crack at that. But I want to add
something else. The lines between corporations and private institutions of
higher education are getting crossed more and more, not because univer–
sities are changing but because corporations are. Motorola, for instance, has
its own university. It is a virtual campus that teaches about one hundred
thousand people a year, in some things that are specific to Motorola, others
people will take with them, software education particularly. A Motorola
software programmer is obsolete in five years unless he keeps learning. He
can then go to a competitor instead of going to Northwestern University
or to MIT. Now, Motorola has been interested in investing with universi–
ties to develop various programs and many universi ties would be happy to
have such a kissing relationship with a company. The nomination of chairs
is another issue. When I said that the corporations should stop bitching
about higher taxes, I did so from a kind of evangelical fervor, to rescue our
young kids no matter how much it costs. Maybe Dr. Westling has a comment.
Jon
Westling: Obviously, this is a complicated subject. You're quite right:
I can think of no good reason why a college or universi ty would accept a
gift to create a chair for an individual or individuals to be named by some–
body outside the institution. I don't wish to state that there could never be
such a case that would be justifiable. Of course, I spend much of my time
begging for corporations and foundations and wealthy individuals to endow
chairs, and I'm always willing to listen to views of donors. But to give them
actual control or veto power would be very damaging to colleges and uni–
versities. I agree with you and with Professor Avishai about the terrible
situation that exists, particularly in our inner cities, where we have millions
and millions of young people who've barely been touched not only by the
educational system but by our civilization except through the mass media.
I think this is one of the great tragedies of our time and we will be judged
for not having done enough. I myself, however, do not have a solution.
Robert
Brustein:
It
seems to me there is no precedent to assume that cor–
porations will function generously and altruistically to
try
to improve society.
