Faculty, Skills, and the Future of Higher Education

Descripción

This course helps higher education faculty, instructors, and academic leaders make sense of the forces reshaping colleges and universities, and what they mean for everyday teaching practice. You will examine key shifts such as technological acceleration, especially advances in artificial intelligence, changing student expectations, and evolving labor market demands that are influencing perceptions of degree value and student outcomes. Throughout, you will distinguish between temporary environmental changes and the enduring mission and purposes of higher education. Building on this foundation, you will explore how knowledge, skills, and judgment interact in a world where AI is increasingly capable of performing routine cognitive tasks. The course examines the continued role of faculty expertise in guiding learning, maintaining academic rigor, and supporting meaning-making—not just skill acquisition. You will analyze the gaps between academic learning and workforce expectations, and learn how skills can serve as connectors between disciplines and career pathways. Finally, you will identify concrete opportunities in your own courses to make learning more visible and transferable, incorporate more active and applied learning, and experiment with AI-supported tools that extend instructional presence while preserving faculty autonomy. You will leave with a practical, low-risk action plan for integrating new approaches into your teaching context and contributing thoughtfully to institutional responses to change.