Bryan Alexander works in the crease between technology and teaching, between traditional higher education and innovation. Through his Future Trends Forum he is interviewing leaders in technology and education.

He is among the best observers of the disruptions roiling higher education. Bryan has a gift for metaphor, labeling some institutional survival tactics to be “queen sacrifices”. He applies it to the growing number of institutions jettisoning programs and departments and redefining mission.

Whether at tiny colleges or at flagships, Berkeley and LSU, the potential loss of tenured and certain loss of non-tenured faculty positions underscores the extent of the disruptions.

His recent post on Louisiana makes clear that the existential challenges of higher education are not limited to traditional small colleges, but now extend to the full spectrum of public universities including UC Berkeley and Ohio State.

If these events were occurring in 2009, we could blame the economy. Now the consequences of public disinvestment and structural weakness are more visible.

For those who believe this is the new normal, it is time for innovation. For those who believe a realignment of resources is in the offing, it should also be time for innovation, to increase affordability and access to higher education.

These opinions and divergent threads twist through Bryan’s writing and the Future Trends Forum. His writing does more than aggregate these ideas. He provides a clearer picture of the whole, from the crease between education and technology.

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