About this KNoT

This inquiry challenges us to consider what universities uniquely offer to the broader community: not just knowledge transfer, but the development of critical thinking, intellectual citizenship, and the capacity to engage with difficult questions that matter. It's an invitation to reflect on our own role as learners and contributors to society.

Preparation

Please take approximately 10 sections from the Boulton and Lucas' reading. Explore some of the headings you might be curious about.

What You’ll Learn

This will be an exploration of the idea of a university.

Learning Resources

Boulton and Lucas, 2008, "What are Universities For?" 'What Are Universities For?' (ResearchGate)
A Big Ideas podcast moderated by Prof Des Manderson: The purpose and future of the university
Universities Accord: Australian Universities Accord final report

How to Complete This KNoT

Consider the pre-panel activity (what did you think Universities are for?), the reading, and the panel discussion. What has shaped your view of a university? Has this view changed over time? What elements of universities do you think will persist into the future? Reflect (150-200 words) on a question that you asked, or would have asked if you had time.

Writing your reflection

Most completion tasks ask you to reflect on what you did. For prompts, sentence starters, and the five areas a strong reflection covers, see Writing Your Reflection. Your completed tasks come together at the end of the semester in the Completion Evidence.