Applied research and a broadly defined outreach mission will likely assume increasing importance for land grant universities such as Auburn. Faculty members may be asked to do a better job of describing the many and varied activities that engage our working lives. The National AAUP is also grappling with change. The recent hotly contested elections, the opinions forcefully expressed in Academe, and the lively discussions observed at the recent meetings in Washington are signs that the organization is working to address new issues facing the academic community. While change is necessary and unavoidable, it is not the only game in town.
History is crowded with examples of fads and whims that faded quickly into obscurity.
Meanwhile, some things are worth holding on to. Permanent institutions such as our democratic form of government, the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and a free enterprise economic system have served us well. For over a century the universities of the United States have been highly successful centers for teaching our youth and discovering new knowledge. It is my firm belief that the success of our educational institutions, and the reason why admission to them is sought by people from around the world, is due to the fundamental values upon which the university system is based. One value is the unique concept of faculty-shared governance.