Above and beyond all that, the work of universities is not subject to the 'bottom line' in the way that most work is. The reality of the university is considerably more complex. And, as I will argue later, that reality is undergoing rapid change. But it is true that there is something undeniably different about universities. The distinction between universities and the society in which they exist is easiest to conceive in spatial terms.
Universities are a place apart.
They have campuses divided from their surroundings by a clearly defined border. Frequently, this border is demarcated by walls. But even when this boundary is largely invisible, it still has legal significance. To a certain extent, the law of the land differs within the territory of a university. There are limits to this difference.