unit-7-the-Role-of-the-Academy-in-Times-of-Crisis

Theopportunitytoreceivehighereducationisaprivilegethatbringswithitresponsibilities.ThePresidentofPrincetonUniversitytalksaboutthisinherinauguralspeech.Unit7THEROLEOFTHEACADEMYINTIMESOFCRISIS1TodaytheacademyholdsahighlyprivilegedplaceinAmericansocietybecauseofaaboutthelong-standingnationalconsensusaboutthevalueofeducation.Oneofmypredecessors,PresidentHaroldDodds,saidinhisinauguraladdressin1933thatNocountryspendsmoneyforeducation,publicorprivate,solavishlyasdoestheUnitedStates.Americanshaveanalmostchildlikefaithinwhatformaleducationcandoforthem.ThatfaithisbasedonaconvictionthatthevitalityoftheUnitedStates,itscreativeanddiverseculturallife,itsisnationalsecurityandtherobustnessofitsdemocraticinstitutionsowemuchtothequalityofinstitutionsofhighereducation.2Oursociety’sconfidenceinitsinstitutionsofhighereducationisexpressedthroughthegenerousinvestmentsofthefederalandstategovernmentinbasicandappliedresearchinvestmentthatwiselycouplesupportforresearchwithsupportforgraduateeducation.Itisalsoexpressesthroughfederalandstateinvestmentsthatsubsidizethecostofhighereducationforthosewhocannotaffordtopay,investmentsbyprivatefoundationsandcharitieswhoseecollegesanduniversitiesasthebestroutesforachievingtheirstrategicgoals,andinvestmentsbyindividualsandbytheprivatesector,whoseeuniversitiesastheincubatorsoffuturehealthandprosperity.Inreturnforthisbroadsupport,societyrightfullyexpectscertainthingsfromus.Itexpectsthegenerationofnewideasandthediscoveryofnewknowledge,theexplorationofcomplexissuesinanopenandcollegialmannerandthepreparationofthenextgenerationofcitizensandleaders.Intimesoftrouble,itisespeciallyimportantthatweliveuptotheseexpectations.3Themedievalimageoftheuniversityasanivorytower,withscholarsturnedinwardinsolitarycontemplation,immunizedfromthecaresoftheday,isanimagethathasbeensupersededbythemodernuniversityconstructednotofivory,butofahighlyporousmaterial,onethatallowsfreediffusioninbothdirections.Theacademyisoftheworld,notapartfromit.Itsideas,craftedovermanygenerations,aremeanttosuffusethenationalconsciousness.Itsscholarsandteachersaremeanttomoveinandoutoftheacademyinpursuitofopportunitiestousetheirexpertiseinpublicservice,inpursuitofcreativeworkthatwillgiveusilluminationandinsightandinpursuitofwaystoturnlaboratorydiscoveriesintousefulthings.Ourstudentsengagetheworldwithastrongsenseofcivicresponsibility,andwhentheygraduatetheybecomealumniwhodothesame.Thisisasitshouldbe.4Thesearchfornewideasandknowledgeisnotandcannotbemotivatedbyutilitarianconcerns.Ratheritdependsontheabilitytothinkinnewandcreativeways.WhentheNobellaureateJohnNashdevelopedthemathematicalconceptsunderlyingnon-cooperativegametheory8asagraduatestudentatPrinceton,hecouldnotforeseethatthoseconceptswouldbeusedtodaytoanalyzeelectionstrategiesandthecausesofwarandtomakepredictionsabouthowpeoplewillact.WhenProfessorofMolecularBiologyEricWieschaus'setoutasayoungscientisttoidentifygenesthatpatternthebodyplanofthefruitflyembryo,hecouldnotknowthathewouldidentifygenesthatplayacentralroleinthedevelopmentofhumancancer.Wehavelearnedthatwecannotpredictwithanyaccuracyhowdiscoveriesandscholarshipwillinfluencefuturegenerations.Wealsohavelearnedthatitisunwisetosearchonlyinpredictableplaces,fornewknowledgeoftendependsuponpreparingfertilegroundinobscureplaceswhereserendipityandgoodluck,aswellasdeepintelligence,cansprout.Freedomofinquiry,whichisoneofourmostcherishedorganizingprinciples,isnotjustamoralimperative,itisapracticalnecessity.5Justaswehaveanobligationtosearchwidelyforknowledge,sowealsohaveanobligationtoensurethatthescholarlyworkoftheacademyiswidelydisseminated,sothatotherscancorrectitwhennecessary,orbuildonit,oruseittomakebetterdecisions,developbetterproductsorconstructbetterplans.Inthedaysahead,Ihopethatourcountry'sdecision-makerswilldrawontheknowledgethatresidesonourcampuses,onhistorianswhocaninformthepresentthroughdeepunderstandingofthepast,philosopherswhocanprovideframeworksforworkingthroughissuesofrightandwrong,economistswhoseinsightscanhelptogettheeconomybackontrack,engineerswhoknowhowtobuildsaferbuildings,scientistswhocananalyzeourvulnerabilitiestofutureattackanddevelopstrategiesforreducingthosevulnerabilities,andscholarsinmanyfieldswhocanhelpusunderstandthemotivationsofthosewhowouldcommitactsofterrorismhereandthroughouttheworld.6Letmenowturntothethirdobligationthatwehavetosociety:theeducationofthenextgenerationofcitizensandleaders.Princeton'sviewofwhatconstitutesaliberalartseducationwasexpressedwellbyWoodrowWilson,our13thPresident,whoseeloquentwordsIreadatOpeningExercises:Whatweshouldseektoimpartinourcolleges,isnotsomuchlearningitselfasthespiritoflearning.Itconsistsinthepowertodistinguishgoodreasoningfrombad,inthepowertodigestandinterpretevidence,inthehabitofcatholicobservationandapreferenceforthenon-partisanpointofview,inanaddictiontoclearandlogicalprocessesofthoughtandyetaninstinctivedesiretointerpretratherthantosticktotheletterofreasoning,inatasteforknowledgeandadeeprespectfortheintegrityofthehumanmind.7Wilson,andthepresidentswhofollowedhim,rejectedthenarrow