Beyond Academics asks to hear your thoughts, comments, and opinions on the topics we’ve covered throughout the week. Let’s keep the conversation about Higher Education going.
Our Posts
“An Entrepreneurial Approach to the Higher Ed Solution” by Joe Abraham
Joe Abraham, serial entrepreneur, writes about the importance of viewing higher education through a business lens. Innovation, transparency, and humility are all crucial in fixing a broken system and serving the customer (student) better. Is your organization innovating? Or are you just re-paving old roads?
“Okay Higher Ed, Now What?” by John Thompson-Haas
There is no return to the way things were pre-COVID. Higher Ed must adapt to the new world, change their process, and create student-centric value. In this article, JTH poses some important questions. Do you have the answers?
Other Posts
“Where Does Higher Education Go Next?” by David Rosowsky for Forbes
The pandemic has forced higher education organizations to transform—
“The upside: change was needed and perhaps long overdue. The downside: it’s expensive and not everyone will be successful.”
BA Bold Thoughts:
While it will be expensive, it will be more costly if schools don’t shift.
Opportunities to transform:
- Create value by designing an institution that is more “Fit for Purpose” for who you serve
- Develop digital culture that’s welcoming, productive, and efficient
- Use online presence to differentiate and scale to a broader market
All three of these opportunities are not only very attainable but critical. Schools must recognize the value.
“Designing the Future of Liberal Education” by Steven Mintz for Inside Higher Ed
Is the best way to save liberal education to radically reimagine it? This article talks about the heightened emphasis on applied or experimental learning. The goal is to identify a path in life and develop sense of purpose and opportunity.
“We mustn’t kill liberal education in order to save it, but we must also recognize that it is under genuine threat and that if it fails to adapt, it will only become even more marginal and peripheral.”
BA Bold Thoughts:
- Liberal Education needs to rewrite the narrative, framing itself as a viable way to prepare for the workforce.
- For Liberal Education to survive, must it prioritize the practical? If so, when do the previous topics of importance—ethics, art appreciation, history, logic, rhetoric—become overrun by utilitarian needs?
“The Pandemic and Community College Enrollment” by Iris Palmer for New America
There is a lot of uncertainty during this time, especially for the demographics that make up the majority of community college students. As a result, there has been a considerable drop in enrollment.
“We shouldn’t just be concerned about colleges but also about the people who will need to seek training to rejoin the labor market.”
BA Bold Thoughts:
- Community colleges are essential to strengthening the post-pandemic economy.
- Community colleges must do everything they can to accommodate students in the new world, and change their models to be more student-centric.
Tell Us Your Thoughts
Comment on this post, reach out on LinkedIn, or submit your take on any of these topics via email. We want to talk with you about the future of Higher Ed.
