Future Shock

"Women's Ways of Knowing," by Mary Field Belenky et al. (Basic Books, 1986, 1997), captured the challenges women face not just at home, but in classroom settings, and importantly, suggested how educators can help women develop their authentic voices if they emphasize connection over separation, and collaboration over debate.

So, it's another Thursday night for multi-tasking students shuffling into the campus cyber cafe. This new generation of aspiring students are plugging into Facebook, Twitter, and, importantly, student activities portals?pumping out concert tickets, premium movie seats, and gourmet pizzas?critical nourishment for burning the midnight oil for spring semester cram sessions.

Chicagoans are disappointed the Windy City was voted out of the 2016 Summer Olympics. That being said, Chicago higher education can take pride in its remarkable commitment to social justice, and as the home of a community organizer who has taken his place as a global leader.

Indeed, Chicago plays host to several world-class professional psychology institutions—schools with a soul and a mission of social equity. Consider the Adler School of Professional Psychology, the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, and Roosevelt University.

SITTING ON THE ECONO-SHUTTLE (on the way to our Southwest flight) provides a new perspective on the current higher ed economic landscape. Faced with loss of jobs, and tapped out of collateral to secure sub-prime mortgages, the American middle class is now scrambling to avoid defaulting on their student tuition payment schedule.

A tantalizing piece of cherry pie, the tip of a submerged iceberg in the Antarctic, a Hollywood icon, and the cell of a human eye - these attention-grabbing images are a far cry from the black and white yearbook photos sitting in your parent’s attic. These days, as technology advances, almost everyone with a cell phone has a digital camera.

What does analyzing crime scene DNA, racing in a cardboard boat regatta, and practicing healthcare in Tanzania have in common? First off, these scientific learning moments are more fun and engaging than gazing endlessly at traditional textbooks, test tubes, and microscopes.

What’s hot for today’s engineering students? What’s really hot is the emerging field of assistive technologies. Combining professional career fields like robotics, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, and occupational health, a new breed of polytechnic programs are serving up state-of-the-art, adaptive technology courses for civically engaged engineering students who want to make the world a better place for the disabled.

We know automakers are in trouble-they paid attention to what once was, instead of what will be. Could American higher ed suffer the same hubris or will we now witness a new generation of cellular teachers and learners?

AS AMERICAN AS MOM, APPLE pie, and baseball? As futurists, we think this heretofore timeless axiom could use an extreme makeover to better reflect the popular professional sports of our contemporary culture.