Engaged By Design

Rebundling the Faculty Role: Evolving, Not Eroding

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Episode 10

In this second episode of our two-part series, Michael and Vernon explore what happens after unbundling: how faculty and other academic professionals are adapting, defending, and rebundling their roles in an AI-powered world. This episode outlines four irreducibly human responsibilities, three common defense strategies of professions under threat, and four emerging faculty archetypes for the AI era. Whether you're a professor, designer, advisor, or leader, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and offer a hopeful path forward. Stick around for a set of reflection questions you can bring back to your team.

These are the sources mentioned inside the episode’s dialogue as well as some helpful links.  

  • Smith, V. C. (2008). The Unbundling and Rebundling of the Faculty Role in E-Learning Community College Courses. University of Arizona dissertation. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194795 
    • Associated Press (2023). “Automated Earnings Stories Multiply.” https://www.ap.org/the-definitive-source/speaker-spotlights/applying-automation-in-the-newsroom/ 
      • American Federation of Teachers (2024). “Resolution on Artificial Intelligence.” https://www.aft.org/resolution/artificial-intelligence 
        • American Federation of Teachers (2024). “AFT Launches National Academy for AI in Instruction.” https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-launch-national-academy-ai-instruction-microsoft-openai-anthropic-and-united 
          • American Association of University Professors (2023). “Artificial Intelligence, Academic Freedom, and the Evolving Debate over Forgery and Truth in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Academic Freedom, 15. https://www.aaup.org/JAF15/artificial-intelligence-academic-freedom-and-evolving-debate-over-forgery-and-truth-twenty 
            • Freidson, E. (2001). Professionalism: The Third Logic. University of Chicago Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/Professionalism_the_Third_Logic.html?id=Tgn3sThG8QEC 
              • Abbott, A. (1988). The System of Professions. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo5965590.html 
                • World Economic Forum. (2023). The Future of Jobs Report 2023.  https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023 

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                  Affiliate Links: 

                  • MACRO Leadership, by Michael Cottam: https://amzn.to/476zHRP   

                    • The technology we used 

                    • Shure MV7+ Microphone: https://amzn.to/4obxnPC  
                      • Shure MV7i Microphone with Audio Interface: https://amzn.to/3GX0Jkb 
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                        Engaged By DesignBy Dr. Michael Cottam and Dr. Vernon Smith