Managing change may be part of the job description for any higher ed administrator, but it's seldom easy. And nowhere is this more evident than with the core of any college or university: its academic programs. In fact, the process can be something of a minefield, with faculty feeling threatened and the media poised to […]
What do you see as the biggest revenue-related challenge facing campus stores today? "Declining textbook sales have affected most campus stores, but online competition isn't the only reason. Other factors are decreasing enrollments, open resources, rentals and use of social media by students to swap or sell materials. Stores have responded with expanded services, more […]
In a higher education landscape marked by a shrinking student population and increasing uncertainty, institutional longevity—if not short-term survival—is top of mind for most. What many at-risk institutions fail to see, however, is that a primary focus on competition is a precarious survival strategy that more often than not, backfires. Cooperation, not competition is the […]
U.S. higher education was dealt a serious blow last fall. The expansion of international education that has been a critical financial stimulus for American colleges and universities has experienced an alarming setback. International education in the forms of U.S. students studying abroad and U.S. institutions enrolling students from other countries has been an important area […]
From 2007 to 2016, higher ed campuses grew by more than 10 percent in building space, outpacing the 8 percent growth in enrollment during the same period, according to the most recent "State of Facilities in Higher Education" report from Sightlines. It is the fourth consecutive year of construction outpacing enrollment growth. Much of this […]
As higher ed futurists, we are asked about craven competition, niche branding, and distinctive marketing opportunities for a wide range of schools, colleges, and universities. One emergent strategic option for Engineering Institutes is to burnish their unique engineering, science, and technology niche, yet leverage the attributes and competitive advantages that come with attaining University Status. […]
Editor's Note: This is part 2 of a 3-part series on b-school survival. Read Part 1. Applications to full-time, two-year MBA programs in the U.S. have been down since 2014, and this past fall, 64 percent of programs reported declines, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council's "Application Trends Survey Report 2017." To counter that, […]
Launching new athletic programs—a go-to strategy for driving enrollment and boosting campus enthusiasm—usually comes with some major costs. But some institutions have added a rapidly growing, co-ed sport that doesn't require an expensive new athletic complex or a big travel budget. Competitive, online video-gaming, also known as e-sports, checks several inclusive and low-cost boxes, and […]
When adjunct faculty assembled in November 2017 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, it wasn't for curricula conversation. Instead, after voting to form a union earlier in the year, they were rallying for better pay. The instructors called for more advancement opportunities and greater recognition of their contributions to the institution. Adjuncts made headlines […]
Editor's Note: This is part 1 of a 3-part series on b-school survival. With the number of traditional MBA students dropping, business schools must get creative to survive and ultimately thrive. One major strategy is creating more robust offerings for part-time and online students for whom a traditional program presents an insurmountable opportunity cost—giving up […]
