South SFV Today

At a recent event organized by the Stanford Emeriti/ae Community, Jon Levin, President of Stanford University, and his father Rick Levin, Yale President Emeritus, discussed the evolving role of emeriti faculty in university life. The discussion also touched on technological advancements and generational shifts among students.

Moderated by Iris Litt, chair of the Emeriti Council and professor emerita of pediatrics, the conversation addressed how technology has transformed communication within universities. Rick Levin reflected on his experience during his tenure as Yale’s president from 1993 to 2013, noting the impact of digital and social media on campus life. “The whole way communication happens is different,” he said.

Jon Levin remarked on how these changes have redefined student interactions: “They’ve changed many, many things about being an undergraduate student.” He highlighted that students often know each other before arriving on campus.

Looking ahead, Jon Levin suggested that artificial intelligence will significantly impact education. “I think it’s still early days,” he noted but predicted a substantial influence starting in early childhood education.

The topic of athletics at Stanford was also discussed. An attendee pointed out the demanding travel schedules for student-athletes due to last year’s realignment to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Jon Levin acknowledged these challenges while praising the academic excellence and inspiration provided by Stanford’s athletes. “I actually have not seen anything on the Stanford campus that people care about more...than our athletics programs,” he said.

Iris Litt opened the event by highlighting that Stanford’s Emeriti/ae Community consists of about 1,200 members who collectively represent around 45,000 years of history and knowledge at Stanford. She emphasized their shared desire to continue contributing to the university community post-retirement.

Jon Levin spoke about engaging emeriti faculty in academic culture based on his experiences with Victor Fuchs and Kenneth Arrow during his time as a junior faculty member at Stanford. He stressed that both younger faculty and emeriti can benefit from such interactions: “It adds a lot to the overall community.”

Rick Levin praised initiatives like emeriti participation in Continuing Studies programs at Stanford and shared similar efforts at Yale during his presidency. These include establishing a dedicated center for lifelong learning opportunities for retired faculty.

During a Q&A session led by Litt, attendees discussed potential policy adjustments and expanded online education offerings to support emeriti contributions further. They also acknowledged challenges in balancing new talent with experienced wisdom within departments.

Rick Levin recalled addressing this balance at Yale through eliminating mandatory retirement while offering early retirement incentives: “It’s healthy for departments to circulate.”

Stanford University continues its efforts to integrate emeriti faculty into various aspects of university life while navigating technological changes impacting higher education today.