Current Undergraduate & Graduate Students - Role of University 2026
SOURCE CALLOUT: What’s the Role of the University in 2026?
I'm working on a feature article for University Affairs exploring a question that I couldn't help think about when I was back in the classroom as a "student" and Massey fellow last year. Looking around my lecture halls, it was so clear to see that this is not the university experience I remembered.
The answer to this question used to be pretty straightforward: universities created informed, educated citizens; prepared us for professional careers; were a hub for research and scholarship, stood tall as cultural and intellectual centres.
But the consensus on that is changing more and more everyday. Whether you love it or hate it, AI has fundamentally changed the game. So have alternative credentials and boot camps that offer faster, cheaper, easier routes into the workforce. I've heard students question whether a four-year degree is even worth it anymore. Still, others argue that universities are more important than ever—no other place is designed for critical thinking, research skills and the ability to navigate complexity in these tumultuous times... right?
I'm interested in getting at the tensions within this debate through speaking to:
- Current undergraduate & graduate students
- Recent grads [especially those who've entered a difficult/rapidly-changing labour market!]
- Students who chose *not* to attend university
- People who left university before completing a degree
- People pursuing apprenticeships, trades, entrepreneurship, creator careers, startups, or other non-traditional pathways
- Faculty members across disciplines
- University administrators and other academic leaders
- Former university presidents and provosts
- Employers/hiring managers
- Researchers studying higher education, labour markets, credentials, or AI
- Professionals who believe their degree was essential and irreplaceable
- Professionals who believe they could've achieved similar outcomes through other means
Here's a little bit of what I want to explore:
- What, if anything, can universities uniquely provide today?
- Is the value of a university education economic, intellectual, social, civic, or something else?
- How has AI changed your thinking about higher education?
- Is the traditional four-year degree still the right model?
- What do students *actually* want from university today?
- What do employers expect from graduates?
- Are universities preparing students for the realities of modern work?
- If universities disappeared tomorrow, what would we lose as a society?
I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts, experiences and perspectives on this maesltrom. DM or email me [address in comments]
Please include a short note about who you are, your connection to higher ed & why this question matters to you.
I'd also appreciate any leads, suggestions and help amplifying this call out.
Photo from my first day of class as a Massey fellow, where one of my courses was taught at Convocation Hall!
universityaffairs.ca