Our great academic institutions have come under attack in recent years. Often accused of being biased, unethical, and producing inferior academic standards, our universities are a tremendous resource for community and state initiatives. Those areas where the creative economy is strong, research universities and community colleges are actively involved. Our academic institutions create wealth and a sense of place. Many state universities and community colleges have seen the need and have responded with unique specialized programs, not just in the U.S. but globally. The same can be said of local, state, and national governmental agencies, who have supported the creative economy with programs and funding. The most successful creative economies happen when a group of state holders come together to collaborate and network to build a unique disruptive initiative. There are small disruptors who are building disruptive communities and companies globally. This chapter explores institution governmental support.
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Education is the Most Powerful Weapon Which you can Use to Change the World - Nelson Mandela
Society now expects the universities it funds to work with citizens and communities to enable them to flourish in economic development. In particular, the support for small and medium-sized businesses is expected and needed to help them be innovative and creative in a new global marketplace. Successful university outreach programs have driven holistic inter-disciplinary teams involved with starting entrepreneurial projects with profound outcomes (Powell, 2012). The importance and role of universities in igniting the creative economy and creating the environment of divergent learning and decision-making cannot be underestimated, and they must be looked at and explored. Universities may be the key to the future of our nation’s wealth creation and improved quality of life.
Professor of media studies and author Catherine Liu argues that universities have stopped educating people and are just training them to get jobs (Williams, 2014). In his article, “Anti-Intellectualism and the Dumbing Down of America,” Ray William’s points to the reason for rising anti-intellectualism can be found in the declining state of U.S. education compared to other developed countries (2014). Universities may find it necessary to become externally focused by consciously analyzing their own distinct identity as a leading enterprise. By re-directing resources, modernizing curriculums, changing managerial levels of the institution, and establishing new academic norms institutions could produce a new modern Renaissance or Enlightenment (Powell, 2012).
The World Economic Forum ranked the U.S. 52nd among 139 nations in the quality of its university math and science instruction in 2010. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASCU) report on education indicates the U.S. ranks second among all nations in the proportion of the population aged 35-64 with college degrees, but 19th in the percentage of those aged 25-34 with an associate or high school diploma. For the first time, the young in the U.S. will have less education than their parents. Furthermore, National Geographic-Roper found that nearly half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 do not think it is necessary to learn the culture of other countries or a foreign language (Williams, 2014). Mark Beuerlein’s book, “The Dumbest Generation”, reveals the addiction to social media may lead to aversion to reading anything of substance (Williams, 2014), let alone learn skills such as mindfulness, reflection, and increasing cognitive and metacognitive abilities to learn. Thus, inhibiting the ability to apply oneself to create, innovate and thrive in a turbulent diverse world.
In our American schools, we praise and fund the athlete, not the athletes’ grades. Intellectual and creative students commonly are openly ridiculed for their abilities. We are creating angry dummies who make sure their voice is heard above the rest and fight to drag down any opposing views through personal attacks, loud repetition, and confrontation (Williams, 2014). However, rarely do they investigate and dig deep enough to understand reality. The result is people accept without questioning, believe without weighing the choices, and join the pack when its conveniences them. Divergent thinking takes too much time because it gets in the way of having the immediate and the online experience.
Furthermore, Reality TV and pop culture claim to provide information that is supposed to enrich our lives, however what they produce is cheap to produce and designed to just make money and not provide quality viewing. The mega media conglomerates, a $795 billion industry, control the media, movies, and print while gaming is making millions while distracting people from the real issues and concerns facing the global society. Creativity is out, and cheap entertainment is in. The fact that our education system is declining when there is a trend of anti-intellectualism should be a concern for leaders and the general population. Higher education needs to take a firm look at culture and ask if universities are creating the people that can face the modern world and thrive. In addition, universities need to look at becoming more of a role model and igniting the creative economies and providing the education needed to remain a world leader.