The Waiter Isn’t Who You Think: What Restaurants Teach Us About Faculty Roles

You’ve probably noticed that eating out doesn’t look like it used to. Instead of a friendly waiter guiding you through every step, you’re often greeted by a host, browse a menu via QR code, place your order at a kiosk, and receive your food from a different runner entirely. Payment happens on your phone. No one ever asks how your meal was—unless a manager swings by, or a push notification does it for them.

That experience is what we call “unbundling.” And it’s not just happening at restaurants.

In this week’s Engaged by Design podcast, we dig into the idea of unbundling professional roles, especially within higher education. Vernon Smith draws from his own research and experience to explain how the bundled, full-service faculty role—designing courses, teaching, grading, mentoring, advising—has been disaggregated over time. Just like the waiter, today’s professor often shares their workload with instructional designers, learning techs, adjunct faculty, AI tools, and administrative staff.

The analogy is clarifying.

Understanding this shift can help educators better navigate it. For instance, instead of fighting to keep every piece of the bundle, faculty and staff can ask: Which pieces require human nuance, mentorship, and trust? And which can be effectively delegated or automated? As Vernon notes in the episode, the premium tasks—the ones that can’t be replicated—are often the ones that make the deepest impact.

The unbundling trend won’t slow down. But recognizing it means we can lead through it with clarity, intention, and better outcomes for students.

Want to go deeper? Listen to the full episode and explore what’s changing—and what still matters most.