Technology Will Reshape Research Universities Dramatically, Science-Academy Report Predicts. Snippet: ... the report suggests a possible future for higher education that may not sit well with many faculty members: an academe dominated by freelance instructors selling their services to many institutions, which in turn compete for students who buy courses a la carte from many different colleges. ... The report also warns about the potential impact of competition from for-profit institutions, such as the University of Phoenix and Jones International University. The report says that research universities subsidize their research and graduate training with profits made from large lecture courses and from professional training -- areas into which for-profit universities are likely to expand. "Their success in the higher-education marketplace could therefore undermine the current business model of the research university and imperil its core activities."
