This conference will discuss the creation of flexible structures of academic work, the redrawing of organizational boundaries in universities' production of science and technology and in their education of scientists and engineers. The conference treats universities as complex organizations, which draws attention to such matters as resistance to change, reallocation of resources, and the restructuring of professional work. The conference will also examine the social, political, and economic environment within which universities must function, leading to questions about the role of changing revenue streams, federal involvement in the promotion of interdisciplinary research, and the changing boundaries between public and private sectors. Finally, the conference will look specifically at the consequences of organizational change for graduate and undergraduate education.
