Doing futures work in universities is similar to doing it in any organisation, but also unique because of the particular nature of universities. I subscribe to the idea that universities are indeed different organisational types than are business organisations, and that any attempt to introduce new ways of doing things requires a clear understanding of how universities operate and how work gets done.

Academics generally have a love of deconstruction, with a tendency to question and challenge.  In one scenario workshop at a university in 2000, a well-known commercial futurist found this tendency quite hard to deal with, commenting that he was not used to having his presentations questioned in this way.  Information used in scenarios and other futures work in universities therefore needs to be documented with robust sources. A subsequent scenario process at this university in 2002 was supported by scanning material which was indexed with sources clearly referenced, and with hard copies available during all workshops.  In this latter case, the material was accepted as valid - there was still discussion about it, but the 'deconstruction' tendency was lessened.

Academics are also generally very confident about their knowledge and their abilities and, hence, sometimes don't take kindly to suggestions that their frame of reference and their thinking might need to change and broaden out. The reaction of some senior staff with whom I have worked has been to effectively shut down, seeing no value in futures, and refusing to engage in any meaningful way.  In some cases, the reaction was hostile, ranging from comments that "you should get another job quickly because this one will take you nowhere" and "when you worked in a faculty, you were respected, but you lost that when you started in this job".  These sorts of comments reflect closed minds and minds that are stuck firmly in the present.

None of these characteristics are exclusive to universities, but their particular history and combination in action means that futures appoaches in universities need to be designed carefully.

A Reading List of the Classics

The need to understand the particular nature of universities gave rise to an excellent set of classic readings about universities and their administration.  Published by ATEM, the Suggsted Reading List of Classics in Tertiary Education Management covers fiction, non-fiction, reports and scholarly works.  It should be required reading for all those who enter universites with a business approach tucked under their arm, before they proceed to try and implement that approach as though there was no difference between a university and a business.  While people are not all that different whether in a university or a business, the culture of universities, even those that do not subscribe to the traditional Oxbridge model, needs to be understood before a relevant futures program can be designed.