There is a shortage of interdisciplinary faculty. Reward systems are very traditional and reward traditional research. New institutional missions require changes in how faculty teach and conduct research and engage in service activities. Leadership is not coming from the faculty. Due to increased work loads and demographic changes, too few faculty members are taking the lead in creating change.
Many faculty adopt a disciplinary focus.
Many faculty do not understand that change is imperative. Some continue to focus on a narrow area of teaching and research and hide behind academic freedom. In response to a perceived lack of necessary changes, many public institutions are being threatened by micromanagement behavior by state legislatures and other governing boards. The primary problem is that faculty skills are not aligned with the rapidly changing needs of business. Figure One shows a perception of the problem.