Scope of Advisory Group #2:
UC/Industry Relationships and the Education of Students

Existing UC policies support a student's right to academic freedom and his or her right to academic guidance free from commercial considerations. With the growing involvement of industry on campus in many and varied arrangements, a broader discussion of such influence on the general quality of the entire educational experience is appropriate. Is there a shift in the balance between practical employmentfocused training and the investigation of fundamental questions? What is the implication of these trends for the University's liberal arts education programs? What is the pedagogical impact of a greater emphasis on applied or developmental research? What are the implications to students of the increasing amount of proprietary information in the midst of the UC research enterprise? How can the University ensure that students are being trained for the jobs of the future as well as the jobs of the present?

Advisory Group #2 will examine the effect of the heightened presence of business on students and their education, at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. It will examine existing policies to see if student interests are adequately protected in our close ties with industry. It will consider whether there may be new ways to broaden and enrich the educational experience by taking advantage of these ties.

Participants in Advisory Group #2:
UC/Industry Relationships and the Education of Students

Sandra J. Weiss (Chair)
Vice Chair, Academic Council,
Office of Research
UCOP

Eleanore Lee (Specialist)
Advisor, President's Retreat
UCOP

Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos
Professor, Dean of School of Engineering
UCI

Sue A. Carter
Professor, Department of Physics
UCSC

Charles Craik
Professor, Pharmaceutical Chemistry
UCSF

Gerald Doppelt
Director, Graduate Program in the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science
UCSD

Mohammed S. Ghausi
Acting Vice Chancellor of Research
UCD

M.R.C. Greenwood
Chancellor
UCSC

Cornelius L. Hopper
Vice President, Health Affairs
UCOP

C. Anthony Hunt
Professor, School of Pharmacy
UCSF

Frances Leslie
Associate Vice Chancellor, Research
UCI

James C. McGroddy
Former IBM Senior Vice President, Research
Armonk, NY

Jeff Wadsworth
Deputy Director
LLNL

Report of Advisory Group #2:
UC/Industry Relationships and the Education of Students

This group examined the effect of the heightened presence of business on students and their education. The group discussed existing UC policies regarding our relationships with industry and whether they adequately protected student interests. They also considered new ways to enrich the educational experience of students by taking advantage of our ties with industry.

Opportunities and Benefits:

The discussion began with an identification of the many opportunities and benefits provided by the students' involvement with the industrial sector. Initially, the group focused on opportunities which accrued to the student. These included:

* increased relevance of curricula as a result of input from the business sector regarding their needs and future directions

* exposure to the most recent specialized research within a particular field being targeted by a company

* opportunities to apply theory to actual 'real world' problems

* access to cutting edge equipment and lab resources

* opportunities to enhance work skills, such as critical thinking, communication, business acumen, and team participation

* increased understanding of career possibilities and potential career directions

* financial support during the educational experience

* development of specialized areas of expertise which could enhance marketability after graduation

* increased job opportunities within a specific industrial setting or through connections with other industrial settings

A number of benefits for industry were also noted as a result of affiliations with students:

* increased breadth and depth to specialized areas of research, with the potential to generate new and different types of research questions

* increased likelihood of theory-testing and theory-building in a potentially technology-driven environment

* increased attention to ethical and other human aspects of invasive technology or instrumentation as a result of student presence in a research project.

There was also consensus that student involvement in industry projects would necessitate more interaction between faculty and industry, furthering mutual trust and future collaboration among students, faculty and the business sector.

Concerns:

In addition to these many opportunities, concerns were also identified. The Advisory Group discussed 6 major areas of concern . Four of their concerns were specific to the student:

* potential exploitation of students if the economic interests of industry become the primary motive underlying student involvement

* potential limitations on student academic freedom and research progression as a result of industry pressures to keep information confidential or restrict its dissemination

* the potential for students to be exposed to less fundamental or basic research if the majority of their research experience is in settings with an applied emphasis

* exposure of students to potential liability.

Two other concerns were of a larger nature. The group noted that involvement of numerous students in specialized commercial research could result in the overproduction of graduates in narrow fields which require retraining after graduation to assure their utility in the larger discipline. In addition, there was concern that increased financial support of student educational experiences by industry could encourage decreased support for students by the State or federal governments if industry support was perceived as a substitute for their support.

Guiding Principles:

Four principles were identified by the Advisory Group as guides within the University when students' educational experiences involve commercial settings :

1. Faculty members must not allow any outside professional activities or interests to adversely affect their responsibilities to students as teachers, mentors, or supervisors of research. ( This is an affirmation of the University's existing Guideline # 6)

2. Faculty should assure that any industrial research in which a student participates preserves the student's right to publish and freely communicate their research progress and findings

3. Faculty should assure that any industrially- sponsored research in which they become involved provides for student learning opportunities and allows for student participation

4. Each degree granting unit should develop a mechanism to periodically review the work of students engaged in industrially-sponsored research to see that the educational commitment of the University to its students is maintained.

Recommended Actions:

Four specific actions were recommended by the Advisory Group to take better advantage of the opportunities made possible through affiliations with industry and to advance the above principles:

1. Each degree-granting unit should be asked to develop a strategy for implementing the four principles. This strategy should be written and widely disseminated within the unit.

2. Educational programs should facilitate the use of scientific mentors from industry to work with students as co-mentors with their faculty advisors.

3. Campus and program leaders should foster the presence of industry representatives on campus through a) forums related to student education and student research and b) involvement in coursework.

4. Educational programs need to build on existing publications and documents regarding scientific conduct to provide specific coursework for students on the values and ethics surrounding conflict of interest when working in industrial settings.

While the above principles and recommended actions have relevance to all levels of student, the Advisory group noted the need to consider issues and approaches which may impact undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students in varied ways or to different degrees.

Comments on the Report of Advisory Group #2:
UC/Industry Relationships and the Education of Students

"Group 2 report looks very good as is."

~James C. McGroddy
Former IBM Senior Vice President, Research
Armonk, N.Y.