Discussion: View Thread

What is the role of the academic scholar in public and political discussions on issues of social relevance, such as sustainability, health care, gun control, fiscal policy, and international affairs? How can we practice our craft to make it more relevant to the public at large? The answer is engagement, but there are a great many social, professional, and institutional obstacles to doing it. How do tenure rules and academic culture hinder or help in this pursuit? Is engagement an option for all faculty, both junior and senior? Do young scholars have the same goals as their more senior peers? Is it realistic for all disciplines and all schools? How is social media changing our work and how it is received?

The May 2015 Michigan Meeting, hosted by the University of Michigan, explored the changing role of the university and what it means to be an academic in a society facing complex scientific, technological, and social challenges. More than 40 speakers (including four university presidents) and 225 registrants attended this three-day conference to focus on four key themes:

• What is engagement, and should we do it?
  
• What are the ground rules for public and political engagement?
  
• What models have worked, and what can we learn from them?
  
• What are the obstacles to engagement, and how can they be overcome?
  

This report summarizes this discussion, driven by a deep concern that the academy is facing a crisis of relevance-a crisis driven by multiple forces that are compelling change.

This conference was made possible by the sponsorship of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan. Supplemental support for this conference was also provided by the Erb Institute, the Graham Institute, the Michigan Energy Institute, and the Risk Science Center.

For more information on how to purchase a physical copy of the report (100 pages) or download a free copy, please go to Michigan Publishing.