Judging the institution: Simulated jurisprudence and the governance of professional futures

Abstract

How might universities redesign their governance structures to be fit for professional futures? This paper explores the growing misalignment between academic appeals frameworks and the regulatory demands of professional programs, focusing on teacher education in Ontario. Using an AI-enabled simulation inspired by The Case of the Speluncean Explorers, the study stages a deliberation among fictional justices embodying diverse legal and ethical logics, including feminist jurisprudence, Indigenous law, regulatory oversight, and institutional proceduralism. The simulation functions as a foresight tool, surfacing the frictions that arise when public trust, ethical accountability, and professional suitability are filtered through academic governance structures not built for such complexity. Drawing on policy sociology and anticipatory governance theory, the paper proposes a Policy Futures Agenda with five interdependent design principles: anchoring governance in public trust, recognizing regulatory specificity, embracing epistemic pluralism, leveraging dialogic foresight tools, and treating professional faculties as sites of policy innovation. These principles offer a roadmap for institutions seeking to move beyond compliance and toward a more integrated, anticipatory governance model for professionally regulated education.

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