Stephen Downes

The title of this post may as well be switched around: what does the public owe universities? That's the tenor of the article, even as author Ted Hewitt in the same breath says "the fundamental role of the university, within its broader societal and community context, is, in my view, seriously at risk, along with our own liberal democracy." He recommends three things: protection of academic freedom, university leaders to maintain an open dialogue with the public, and resourcing. Now sure, the example south of the border is nothing to be emulated. But the response of the university system can't be "support us or the bunny gets it." What the system needs to do, in my opinion, is what it utterly failed to do in the U.S. - enable full participation and success in higher education regardless of socio-economic status. Universities need to directly benefit the entire community. That, to me, looks very different from what we have today. It's certainly not being offered by Hewitt in this article.