This article analyses the role played by the university in times of deep changes. Particularly, in the last two decades, the new knowledge and information technologies, the new concepts of management and organization, the latest demands in terms of forming specialists and professionals and new social attitudes has been requiring a large variety of responsibilities of the higher education institutions. However, not always universities develop updating rhythms compatible with the demands of a society under such fast transformation. There is a misencounter between the development of society and the academic stability in the majority of the higher education institutions. Nowadays, society works and advances in a short term perspective while the university works under a medium/long term prospect. Many times, the academic and organizational structure of the higher education institutions is highly bureaucratic (specially federal universities) while the private institutions are strictly in search of results. Such reality is responsible for academic disfunctions which result in universities as delayed institutions in a new society. A time of change is a time of constant updating and it is necessary to incorporate it into every step taken on the activities at the university.
university; organizational structure; academic function; change