Oh the Places We'll Go: A Walk Into the 21st Century Land Grant
By: Dr. Janet K. Poley
What did we do right yesterday?
"Took research directly to the people" - Peter Drucker
"U.S. policy integrated research and education beginning with the land
grant university" - Tom Malone
In the future WE MUST CHANGE!
Question: What must we do tomorrow, but start today?
Answer: Create the Global - World Class Land Grant
Question: Why?
Answer: The Monster is Under the Bed
Getting ahead tomorrow, starting today requires:
getting from data and information to knowledge and wisdom
world class quality and standards
ability to create greatest value for the least cost
But how will we do it?
"The best thing about the future is it comes only one day at a time." - Abe Lincoln
Many of us are already:
service oriented
more productive - less bureaucratic
networked
customizing
fast
flexible
global.....and community oriented....local
Will we see......knowledge for profit? YES!
Will we see.....Superlearning......Giant leaps in learning curves? YES!
learning by doing
learning by analogy
learning by assimilation
Will we see more scrambling for turf? You can count on it!
Will we see more collaboration and cooperation? Absolutely!
Will we see more conflict? Yes!
Will we move to completely new planes.....levels.....ways of thinking
about the universe? We must!
We have two interwoven trends:
More technology will be science based
More science will be technology based
Get Better or Get Beaten!
- Leadership Secrets from GE's Jack Welch
The World Class Land Grant: Local and Global
Old Model.....based on the "mainframe"
Leadership is internetworked - the leader is a collective, networked,
virtual force with powers flowing from jointly created and shared vision! (We can do this!)
Achieving this is:
Your opportunity
Your responsibility
In the Public Interest
Distributed/ Digital Learning - lifelong
Can Be Done!
Let's get organized.
We can create a system without boundaries.
Digital displays
Distributed cognition
Leadership from Anywhere
Mindtools and Collaborative Worktools
Follow the Money
Looking back - we must have "Crafted Strategy"
We looked back at our corporate culture.....found the future of market
opportunities and because we have the materials at hand:
KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
KNOW WHY IT MUST BE DONE
WE DID IT!
The value of science is unfolding inducing change:
Conceptual Change - empowers future inquiry
Technological Change -provides new tools
Perceptual Change - the Art of the Possible
As I look back:
We achieved the visions of many before us........
We used our science, our technology, our vision, our values, our energy, our networks, our communities, and our capacities to
move beyond nuclear and into global neighborhoods.....
move beyond selfish, irresponsible turf to create teaching and learning systems envisioned by John Dewey
A Dewey inspired learning environment:
participatory
active
democratic
community values and reciprocity
science based
ethical
diverse
experiential
integrated
adapted
in equilibrium
Technologies that shaped us:
Genetic engineering
Advanced biochemistry
Digital electronics
Optical Data Storage
Advanced Video Displays
Advanced Computers
Distributed Computing
Artificial Intelligence
Lasers
Fiber Optics
Microwaves
Advanced Satellites
Photovoltaic Cells
Ideas that shaped us.....
The Internet
The World Wide Web
It shaped out thinking!
We worked the cycles of change to:
manage stability
detect discontinuity
know our business
manage patterns
reconcile change and continuity
"Some new patterns must be held in check until the organization is
ready for strategic revolution" - Mintzberg
"life is lived forward but understood backward" - Kierkegaard
