Funny how my post got people uncomfortable and I didn’t even name names. It’s something we all have been seeing. Some of you were the man walking in the lobby. Others were the man selling “AMAZING.” Some were the onlookers hoping to see where you could benefit from the transaction.
If you felt like I was poking at you. I kind of was. Because we all are a little guilty of leading higher ed to the mess we are in. We all have been selling and buying the wrong transformation.
We were afraid, if we didn’t do what others were doing, we would be left behind.
We were selling because it helped quarterly numbers when we knew the products were not ready.
We knew, in the long run, the investment would only have a slight linear transformation but it was a cash cow for many.
The transformation message was driven by self-centered aspirations.
If we all say we believe in higher ed, then safeguard it. Help higher ed with the right transformation. One that’s centered around true value and student outcomes.
It’s telling, I got texts, LinkedIn messages, and phone calls all saying I know the answer of my post but all saying off the record. Everyone was afraid of the repercussions from vendors, schools, consulting firms and peers. They all recognize the spin and what is happening. Now that we are living through COVID casualties, we have to rethink how we operate in Higher Ed.
The past few months, reality has set in.
Let’s just look at the Educause Top IT Issues for 2020. How many of those on the list truly prepared campuses to address the issues that schools faced in March and today?
Which one of those actually allowed schools to be nimble and sustainable? How many of these campuses can trigger any of these in weeks and not 6+ months.
Most top 10 lists are institution centric and are designed to be adopted in 12 -18 plus months. That won’t work today.
The focus has been on initiatives that provided buzz words for conferences and great papers that showcased delusional value. In reality, it will not enable your campus to be sustainable.
School leaders have to stop taking the easy road and designing your strategy based on conference discussions and fun vendor alcohol filled dinners. Be accountable to your institution.
Many leaders don’t want to do the hard work to design a strategy. When you’re facing enrollment issues, it’s easy to say let’s adopt a technology solution or suggest the cloud. Or plan a costly irrelevant system migration when you have no choice, when you realize you should have modernized your systems before the last legacy coder on earth is a year from retirement.
Schools are going to go out of business because of four reasons:
They are not “fit for purpose”
They don’t have a “digital strategy”
They don’t have an “online strategy”
They never defined their “brand value”
These are obvious if you look at what will keep you sustainable. It’s time to determine what’s important for your campus and design a strategy based on it.
Finally, the onlookers were the higher ed analysts who sat on their hands. None of them actually guided you to focus on what mattered. Either they didn’t know, which is scary, or:
Because it didn’t have 6 or 7 digit revenue stream
Or because their annual industry trends reports were sponsored by the man in the lobby
In the past 8 years, we’ve all seen the lobby of conference hotels with these timeshare discussions to transform higher ed.
Challenge me. Say “Matt—you’re crazy.” I’m open to having these transparent discussions. All we have to do is look at the past engagements, look at the top 10 lists, look at analyst reports. Look at the cloud transition labs that shamelessly wasted people’s time.
Come on, higher ed. Wake up. Stop being a part of the lobby transformations.
You’re walking through the lobby of the hotel. You see a friendly face approaching with a bright smile and a firm handshake. He asks if you’d like to own “AMAZING.” He paints a picture of this amazing transformational experience.
You ask curious questions, but he deflects and continues to speak about the others who also believe in this amazing transformation. He even stops a random person who supposedly embarked on the same journey and is now part of this amazing, elite community. Reluctantly, you shake off the concerns in the back of your head. You drink the kool-aid. You sign on the dotted line. They have you now.
You eventually recognize you won’t be able to experience this amazing transformation for another 18-24 months. You are then told by others that there are underlying costs that you are responsible for. You are now in a binding, long-term contract. Breaking the agreement would cost you substantially. But the most disappointing aspect is this: the picture he painted won’t become reality.
A year later, when you are walking through the lobby, you see that same person. He waves you in and tells the other person how you are future-thinking and a fellow investor. To save face, you smile, shake your head in agreement, and walk away. You recognize that another person, one just like you, just got taken by the ????????????????.
As some of you may have seen the article about Columbia University and Unifyed bringing a new SIS to the market. Competition always creates better quality for the market so while I try to understand the potential impact of this, it is still always good for the consumer. This happens to be my wheelhouse for the last 30 years and I’ve seen the past 8 years of linear trajectory and little transformation in the student market. I know Gaspare, I put him in the rarefied air of one of the smartest CIO’s in higher ed. Put it this way, I’ve known him since his coding days and saw what he’s capable of. For this reason, he was not easily sold the cloud spin many have been. So, this move is really interesting to see. While I believe he’s incredibly smart, I do have my own perspective on if this could transform a student market beyond the traditional approach of digitizing back-office processes.
This a great time to reflect on the following questions:
Does Higher Ed need another SIS Provider who will only digitize your 1990 processes?
Will they change the spin and move schools from the cross hairs of the pandemic?
Will they bring true ROI for the investment schools will have to put in?
Like a plow in a fleet of equipment to manage snowstorms for a city, ERP /SIS are just equipment for many Chancellors, Presidents and Provosts and really never considered it to be a brand differentiator.
News flash… students don’t care which plow is used or whichSIS you use.
They only care when it’s not functioning during peak times. For this reason, I believe no SIS will solely transform colleges or universities, it will only enable them to do their respective tasks during peak periods.
In a post pandemic era, below are the 4 factors that will keep schools sustainable.
Academics that is designed ‘fit for purpose’
Increase online presence
Create a digital culture and learning that will rival online gaming
Create an educational marketplace that will unbundle, personalize academic paths and foster greater access for all.
If you go through my list, none of those are driven by an SIS. The SIS just manages the back-office processes of them. Prior to 2020, all SIS were designed around core antiqued institution centric processes of the 1990s. Yes, 1990 when next-generation technologies were not available. Yet, folks are asking their modern solutions providers to replicate legacy.
When the so-called modern student solution providers decided to embark on designing a SIS they boasted about:
Better user interface
On single line of code for better reporting capabilities
Oh yeah, cloud
While the mantra was a modern student, none of them actually transformed universities or colleges. None of the schools that adopted these modern platforms withstood the impacts of the pandemic in March. However, colleges who did adopt an online strategy invested in digital learning and made their offering accessible beyond the four walls of a campus fair far better. This is what post-pandemic student systems should be addressing. So, if Columbia and Unifyed can help foster these innovative approaches in an affordable way, they can change the market. If not, they are just managing the back-office processes of old.
Three Mistakes
For a new player to make an impact, let’s recognize the mistakes of the past decade.
The first mistake the cloud vendors made was they made moving to the cloud as the transformation, which we all know is really not game-changing, it is just outsourcing infrastructure to reduce operational costs.
The second key mistake is they asked institutions who are not “future thinkers” to help them design a product for the future, many of these institutions where still managing processes manually so they were riding bikes when many others were in a Honda. You are now asking them to design an airplane. So, what you got was a modern Toyota driving on the same expressways as the Hondas.
The reality is none of them had a future of lens on. We just need to look at the recent engagements, the ones that went live and the ones that were paused. It’s evident that these schools were/are requesting what their legacy systems did. Check out the Client Gap (Blocker) list that the vendors were asked to design around. Many of the requests on the list do not differentiate campuses. Sadly, many of these list stalled projects and only increased the cost of the migration.
The final mistake is that the SIS vendors, underestimated the complexity of designing a Student System from scratch so the roadmaps painted an unrealistic picture of the transformation. Which also costed many early adopters dearly.
A modern system has to change what you do and not repave the same path. So, what I’ll be looking for from these campuses, who adopt this new sis, how will they enable the new normal. If it’s just to digitize pre-pandemic processes to remain on the same path, I recommend campuses save their money as you won’t move yourselves from the crosshairs of the pandemic. But if you are truly ready to change what you do and how you do it, this new player could be just what the market needed.
Welcome to the new normal. With the reality setting in that digital will become a part of the fall and beyond, many are struggling to attract students to their school without the actual campus aspect. Since online classes sterilize the in-person experience and level the playing field, numerous campus leaders have already expressed their concern on how they can foster their campus affinity through the digital layer.
Without an immediate answer for them, I took some time to think about how other industries create online and social affinity for me. Immediately, Apple and Nike popped into mind.
So what makes Apple and Nike different in the market?
It is not their computer or shoes but instead what they stand for. If they solely focused on their products in their message, Apple and Nike would be like any other. Because there are numerous competitors selling electronics or athletic wear, they would get lost in the other advertisements.
Apple’s mission statement is “Bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.”
They are also not the cheapest option, significantly higher actually. However, they have built a followership based on what they stand for: quality through simple design, in order to support your experience. Customers that buy their product know that they are purchasing quality products, and they continue to do so because of the personal connection they receive (‘Why’ statement).
Nike’s mission statement is “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.”
*If you have a body, you are an athlete.
In the higher education market, there is a lot of noise around “the best.” Nike and Apple do not come out and claim best. They let their consumers decide that based on the quality of their products and the accomplishments that people connected to them achieve.
Similarly, the ‘Why’ for schools need to be showcased. The reality is that most students do not choose a college because of “what” you offer: courses, dorms, majors, top faculty. Students want to personally be a part of a community that can inspire and push them towards success. You need to create a connection to WHY they should join and gain affinity to your campus.
Every school should try this 3 Step Campus Affinity strategy exercise in order to reshape your “Why” brand in the market:
List the reasons that students should choose your campus.
Do the same for a competing school.
Cross out the shared ones. The remaining ones under your campus are the WHY answers that you should focus on spotlighting. It is what will uniquely attract prospective students.
You need to unconsciously resonate to your consumers. For all of the struggling schools at this pandemic time, you need to stand for more than the knowledge you disseminate, the best faculty, top rankings, graduation rates, programs you offer and your campus. Instead, represent how your campus will transform someone’s life and develop a sense of community. You need to connect with the human that wants to attend your campus, not the number that they will fill in the institution-centric metrics.
Below are some strategies tofoster campusaffinity.
The mind of a seventeen-year-old is extremely different from a forty-year-olds. Not saying that all who work in the Higher Ed industry are that age, but you get the point.
Although the world around us is advancing, people are still comfortable with what they grew up with. I hear my parents talk about their ‘good old days’ with paper maps, VCR’s, cars without seatbelts, rotary phones, and pagers. Might I add that I do not know how to use those, nor do I know what some of those actually are.
My lifestyle, along with many of my peers, includes a digital GPS, wireless calling, self-driving cars, high quality pictures in seconds, and social media. We carry a handheld device as our main necessity throughout the day. Our comforts are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. Simply because that is what we each grew up with.
Same goes for what a prospective college student is looking for. Input from that actual age group will help schools figure out what they need to adjust.
Their necessities are usually very different from what a 1970s baby thinks they are. In my college checklist, I have added a well implemented hybrid campus. Although that will be rare to find at this stage, hopefully that is in the near future.
Not only do I want safety from the pandemic, I want the flexibility and independence of a hybrid campus. It uses easily navigable technologies and apps that us students are familiar with. We are attracted to campuses that are digitizing with the rest of the world because they are able to provide the most efficient, interesting classes and lifestyle for us. Students are able to relate more to what is occurring on a technological campus compared to a traditional one.
With all of this in mind, here are some suggestions that colleges should consider adding and focusing on when changing up their courses and institutions:
Giving students the option to either attend or simply tune into lectures.
Add the course schedule / plan to an online learning platform, in order to allow students the freedom to complete the assignments whenever it works best for them (as completed by the due date).
If your course or lecture is online, consider a smaller meeting time that students can attend to extend their understanding on a specific topic (online or in person, depending on the circumstance). It gives them the personal, social aspect of education.
Figure out ways to incorporate more small groups or spread out activities on campus for students to participate in, most will want something to do outside of their dorm rooms and apartments.
REASON II: Independence
A hybrid learning experience opens the door up for students to choose how they want to manage their schedules. It is up to them to learn the responsibilities of completing their work on time, attending the mandatory lectures, and functioning through digital learning platforms. We are adults, and we want to be treated with the same respect and responsibility as the other adults.
It also gives us a mix of the digital and social side of learning. Hybrid helps the students that want to work simultaneously, struggle with sitting in lecture halls for hours, and are more organized with technological integration. It expands to a more personalized education as students can pick what method works best for them.
REASON III: Preparation
The next step after college, for most, is a career or internship. That world is shifting towards digitizing a lot of their functions. Going to a traditional, brick and mortar school does not prepare us for the career world that we are going to step into post-college.
Different careers have quickly adjusted to becoming digital since the pandemic affected them, such as online food ordering, meetings, and shopping. The sad truth is that those who did not shift did not survive. Adding technology to a curriculum and lifestyle is setting your students up for success as each career is now incorporating online options.
Open your ears and eyes to the voices of students that walk onto your campus. Take a look at what they grew up and are most comfortable with. Doing this will also set you up to attract the future generations, as they will come in with similar mentalities on advanced technology’s integration to your campus. They all will provide you with more insight than any other staff or administration can.
We all know somebody who just naturally seems to always be up-to-date on the latest technology, whether it be personal or professional. I’m not one of those people. I categorize them roughly into three not mutually exclusive categories:
THE NATURAL: The Natural is a person who has an innate aptitude for and/or interest in tech.
THE PROFESSIONAL: The Professional is a person whose work is by its nature technical (information technology professionals, software developers, etc.) This person’s job requires them to be digitally fluent.
THE DIGITAL NATIVE: There are somewhat varying opinions on the exact definition of this term, but I use it here to mean any person who grew up using the Internet, apps, smart devices, etc. Digital fluency is essentially already integrated into this person’s life. Digital Natives were typically born in 1980 or later, but age alone does not make a person a Digital Native. For example, a 25-year-old who grew up in a household with little technology might not be a Digital Native.
If you are a Natural, a Professional, or a Digital Native, you probably don’t need to read this article. But if you are not one of those people, keep on reading.
Here’s something you can do to avoid getting left behind digitally in your profession: “Proactively develop relevant digital skills and knowledge.”
That’s the thesis statement/recommendation of this article: “Proactively develop relevant digital skills and knowledge.”
(I said it out loud while writing this article, so that I could legitimately put quotation marks around it. One of my pet peeves is when writers put things in quotation marks that are not quotes.)
Let’s work through each of the words and phrases in that thesis statement, in order.
“PROACTIVELY DEVELOP RELEVANTDIGITAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE”
Assuming you’re not a Natural, a Professional, or a Digital Native, your default setting moving forward is probably going to be to NOT develop relevant digital skills and knowledge. And as virtually (pun intended) every career is going to be more and more impacted by digital technology in the coming years, NOT developing relevant digital skills and knowledge is NOT an option … unless you’re scheduled to retire within the next few months. (In which case, congratulations!)
So you will need to override your default setting; you will need to be PROACTIVE about developing relevant digital skills and knowledge. You’re going to have to make choices you haven’t made before, and do things you haven’t done before. As a million personal trainers have said, and I don’t know who said it first, “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the results you’ve always gotten.”
“PROACTIVELY DEVELOPRELEVANT DIGITALSKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE”
The word “DEVELOP” implies a process that happens over a period of time. One of the biggest psychological barriers to learning a new skill is that it just seems like too large a task. Break the task down into bite-sized chunks. You don’t have to develop a new skill or set of knowledge quickly — just do it a little bit at a time. One of the main reasons people do nothing is that they can’t do everything. Don’t fall into that trap. Do something instead of nothing.
If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to acquiring new skills and knowledge, devote just a few minutes a day. Even 5 minutes a day will add up to 150 minutes in a month, and you can probably learn/produce something new and valuable in that time.
When I was doing comedy in my younger days, part of my act consisted of a series of unrelated short jokes, a.k.a. “one-liners.” I made a commitment to daily joke-writing. For almost 5 years, I wrote ~ 10 new jokes each day, which usually took only a few minutes, for a total of 15,000+ new jokes. Only approximately 150 of those jokes made it into my comedy routine. Even though the % yield was not high (150/15000 = 1%), 150 jokes is a hell of a lot better than 0 jokes, and it only took a few minutes each day.
“PROACTIVELY DEVELOP RELEVANTDIGITALSKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE”
Like mothers from the 1970s with their peanut butter, you should be choosy about which digital skills and knowledge you will learn. You have a limited amount of time and energy to devote to learning new digital skills and knowledge, so why not choose the ones that are most relevant to you professionally?
For example, I’m a full-time teacher at a University. Upon the advent of COVID-19, Zoom suddenly became extremely relevant to me, so I devoted time and energy to mastering Zoom for much of 2020.
“PROACTIVELY DEVELOP RELEVANT DIGITALSKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE”
Here I use the term “DIGITAL” broadly to refer to anything technical, app-related, computer-related, data-related, etc. Fun fact: The term “digital” has to do with the fact that computers operate in binary, through a series of zeros and ones. Zeros and ones are digits, hence the term “digital”.
“PROACTIVELY DEVELOP RELEVANT DIGITAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE”
I include both “SKILLS” and “KNOWLEDGE” since they are not exactly the same thing, though they are related.
My two main areas of interest are the Future of Higher Education and the Future of Work. In recent months I kept reading and hearing about Blockchain as being potentially important in the Future of Higher Education. The problem was, I had no idea what Blockchain was. So I spent a few months reading and watching content about Blockchain (and Bitcoin), and about Blockchain and Higher Ed. I would say that this process did not develop a new SKILL for me, but it did develop my KNOWLEDGE about Blockchain.
So there you have it. To avoid getting left behind digitally in your profession…
“PROACTIVELY DEVELOP RELEVANT DIGITAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE”
In the 2nd and final part of this article, which will be published next month, we’ll explore a few additional concepts that will help you optimize HOW you develop relevant digital skills and knowledge — for example, how to effectively leverage the concepts of BREADTH and DEPTH.
Ranjit Souri is a Lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He writes about the Future of Higher Education and the Future of Work at beyondacademics.com.
I have been in Higher Ed for almost thirty years. Just the thought of that is mind boggling to me. From the humble beginnings of a registrar clerk’s desk to the high honor of serving as a Partner at Deloitte, my journey has been very fulfilling. I feel the best is yet to come.
I have seen Higher Ed transition from paper to faxes to computers. I remember when students had to register for classes in large gymnasiums. The age of scantrons came and went, and IVR soon followed. It is amazing to see how far we have come today with mobile enrollment. I have used mainframes to manage SIS transactions and then gone on to help numerous schools migrate to client-server environments, and eventually, the cloud. I have seen the decision lens move from process optimization to a more student-centric approach. For those of you in Higher Ed, you know what a seismic shift that has been.
While all that historical change was somewhat transformative, it pales in comparison to the mega-disruption we have experienced over the past few weeks as institutions were forced to shift to online classes almost overnight. As painful as that process may have been for many, the disruption has shed a much brighter light on what the future of Higher Ed must look like, and the change we will need to embrace. It is safe to say that it will be an interesting next few months and years. That is for sure.
As I leave Deloitte to return to the entrepreneurial roots that led me there in the first place, I can not help but reflect on the many unselfish people who have mentored me, the colleagues who have supported me, dedicated coworkers that have enabled me, and clients who have trusted me; that’s many of you are reading this. I thank you for being part of this incredibly impactful part of my journey.
I was inspired by the amazing and transformational people in Deloitte Human Capital who befriended and equipped me to think about what we really do for clients and how to be innovative through a “human-centric” mindset. Thank you.
In the next few weeks, you will hear more about the narrative that pushes me forward. I hope it is one that resonates with you. It is all about the Future of Work, Future of Student, and Future of Learning…the reality is that the Future is now. As many of you know, over the past few years my focus has been centered on Smart Campus and Future of Work. The topic is more relevant now than ever before. The pandemic has accelerated the need to have discussions on digital transformation and how campuses serve.
My first step out of the gate will be to assemble the best and brightest minds in Higher Ed, entrepreneurship, innovation and industry, to accelerate the narrative that is so needed at this time.
My sincere hope is that this next chapter of life will have an impact on Higher Ed, my kids, and the generations that follow. I look forward to collaborating with many of you on this movement that I truly believe in. I will leave you with a statement that drives much of who I am. I share it with you in hopes that it will inspire you to think differently as we face these very interesting times.
“ You can design what you do Today for Tomorrow or you can Design Tomorrow, Today.”
In the 1890s, retail was dominated by local general stores. With U.S. mail’s increased speed and efficiency, two entrepreneurs decided to produce a new, also unfamiliar concept, selling products in a catalog. The Sears Catalog was born, and this nice innovative approach allowed them to maintain greater inventory, reduce costs of goods, and give access to more customers than the familiar general stores. By 1989, Sears Roebuck & Co. had become the biggest retailer in the U.S. (1), operating more than 3,500 physical stores in addition to their catalog business (2). All it took was an innovative idea.
Ironically, only ten years later, many brick and mortar retailers would be too slow to recognize new opportunities in the market – coming from the Internet. The web gave consumers greater access, choice, and price visibility. By the late 1990s, upstart online retailers became the “Sears catalog” of their generation – with their lower-priced items and data-driven, personalized experiences. Many brick and mortar stores insisting on using traditional tactics began a long, slow decline to irrelevance in the market. Some were forced to close their doors permanently.
Much like brick and mortar retailers at the dawn of the Internet, Higher Education institutions are at similar crossroads, brought on by advanced technology. They should use the story of retail as inspiration to better serve their changing constituents.
With technological advancements disrupting most industries, companies and organizations across the world realize that they must urgently transform to stay relevant. Technology has caused students, faculty, and staff to not only rethink how common tasks should be approached, but how the whole system should evolve. Like other industries, Higher Education institutions now face a crossroads of unprecedented opportunity – knowing that many will likely face irrelevance if they do not innovate quickly. These institutions must recognize new, available opportunities and shift their campus towards innovative practices.
Transformation Driven by Future of Work
These innovative practices can be fostered through a Future of Work (FOW) lens. With changing advancements on the way consumers interact, many organizations address the following FOW questions: “WHAT” work can be automated, “WHO” can do the work, and “WHERE” will the work be done (3)?
In addition, Higher Education also needs to address another question, “HOW” can a campus prepare students for the work of the future? Answering these questions helps shed light on four disruptions facing Higher Education and the innovative opportunities each presents.
1. Next Generation Technology is Everywhere
As we progress through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, next generation technologies will play a disruptive role in transformation. Innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual and augmented reality, high-speed Internet, and high-tech sensors will be leveraged by leading industries and businesses who want to meet the demands of a changing marketplace.
According to Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends Report, 81% of respondents expect the use of AI to increase significantly over the next three years and 66% expect to reskill current employees due to automation (4).
However, the percentage of AI being used in Higher Education is significantly less. According to Susan Grajek, Vice President of Communities and Research at EDUCAUSE, AI is influencing IT Strategy at only about 13 percent of colleges and universities (5).
Opportunity of Next Generation Technologies
The prominent Higher Education model has not changed in centuries. Students still typically gather in large lecture rooms with little of the deep interaction that many of them want and need. Additionally, most college administrations still function with outdated processes, requiring students to follow inefficient, manual methods of service (as any student who has navigated campus to wait in a physical line would likely tell you).
As digital natives, we all experience smart technologies in our daily lives – the way we interact with airline companies, banks, and retail has vastly changed, yet in Higher Education the adoption of innovative practices have been stifled. And when institutions do adopt technology; they often replicate old antiquated processes in a new system instead of rethinking their approach entirely.
Institutions should leverage next-generation technologies to create a “digitally connected,” smart campus – making communication easier, manual processes faster, learning more interactive, and experiences more enjoyable.
Imagine If …
Admissions decisions took 24 hours instead of months.
Attendance was auto recorded when students walk into a classroom.
AI could recommend and schedule a students’ classes, based on personal preferences, needs, and history.
2. Tsunami of Data
Living in a digitally connected ecosystem, data is everywhere. The sheer volume and the speed in which data is collected is creating a Tsunami of Data. The ones that can ride the tidal wave and thrive in today’s market are those that harvest data for insight. As organizations get more efficient in collecting and analyzing huge caches of information, the better they can manage their businesses, serve their consumers, and rise above their peers. The enormous amount of data is also formulating insight around processes and preferences of constituents. Whether it’s algorithms figuring out what tasks should be performed or initiating nudges to encourage particular behaviors, data is driving how organizations operate.
Opportunity of Tsunami of Data
Data can be used to drive needed transformation on campus to meet the needs of today’s students. Digital natives’ demand for personalized and smart experiences can only be met by systems built on a well-designed data framework. As they manage their campuses, colleges and universities collect enormous amount of data from different systems and connected devices. Harvesting this data would enable institutions to gain insight, pivot offerings, and improve their services to their student body, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Imagine If …
Advisors were notified when student engagement patterns change and can act to prevent potential issues.
Faculty and advisors knew which students were more likely to struggle on a specific topic or course and could give them extra support.
3. Focus on Human Essential Skill
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing disruption to the political, economic, and social fabric and it is having an impact on work, workers, and employers as never before (4). Using the available digital capabilities, organizations are innovating new practices, developing new products and services to meet constituent expectations. For this reason, new industries pop up and old ones decline faster than ever. Jobs that exist today likely won’t look the same 10 years from now (or exist at all). As automation, next generation technologies, and machines take on mundane, repeated, and transactional tasks, human-to-human skills will be more important to businesses and employees.
Leaders are placing a higher premium on essential “soft” skills (6):
60% on problem solving
50% on social skills
46% on cognitive abilities
These human essential skills are creating “superjobs” where people complement machines to serve customers more personably and effectively.
According to Deloitte’s 2019 Trends report, to be able to take full advantage of technology, organizations must redesign jobs to focus on finding the human dimension of work.
This will create new roles called “superjobs”: jobs that combine parts of different traditional jobs into integrated roles that leverage the significant productivity and efficiency gains that can arise when people work with technology (4).
Opportunities of Human Essential Skills
The prevailing Higher Education model of this century has been “domain expertise,” where a student focuses on one or two areas of study (majors and minors). As next generation technologies shift how work will be done and who will do it, graduates will need to be well-rounded, especially with skills to manage human elements of the market. They will need to complement the innovative and evolving workplace with social and cognitive skills that cannot be replaced by machines.
It’s important for Higher Education to reinvent with a human focus and create a culture that can be as flexible as the changing marketplace, shifting the traditional education model when needed.
Colleges should weave industry relevant insights into their curriculum to prepare students for applying their human essential skills to a fast-changing world.
Imagine If …
Students were measured on how well they applied conceptual understanding to real-life situations, not fact retention.
Curriculum was focused on complementing human essential skills with technical ability.
4. Demographic Diversity
Thanks to changing demographics, the Higher Education student body of today looks vastly different than of the past. New cohorts with diverse backgrounds, ages, and life experiences have more access to universities, and a premium is given to diversity and inclusion.
Economic changes in the U.S. have also resulted in delayed retirement, with more need for retraining. The constant evolution of jobs has shortened regular learning cycles. In fact, today’s average half-life of technical and functional skills is only 2.5-5 years (7). The demographic changes are also driving a rethinking of who, exactly, employers need to engage for work (4).
Opportunity of Demographic Diversity
A larger portion of students have “non-traditional” paths to Higher Education.
According to the Lumina Foundation, more than one-third of college students are 25 or older. And 64% of college students work (40% work full-time) (8).
Institutions should adjust the way they serve the changing student body, with emphasis on making education accessible, available, and flexible. In addition, the perpetual learning model has already influenced the personal development plans of corporations across industries. It will soon seep into Higher Education learning strategies. Institutions who seek to serve a student repeatedly over the course of their lifetime (instead of just 4-6 concentrated years) can fill the new need for perpetual or lifelong learning.
Imagine If …
Colleges allowed students to create an academic path tailored to their goals and lifestyle.
Financial burdens could be lessened through corporate partnerships.
Institutions collaborated with companies to provide perpetual learning for its employees.
Creating Innovative Opportunities in Higher Education
Today’s students are informed consumers empowered with choice – based on purpose, value, and personalized experiences – in almost every facet of life. Faculty and staff also expect an efficient, digital workplace, free from antiquated processes and more time to focus on their students and advancing the mission of their organizations.
For this reason, institutions should reflect on their goals and reshape how they move forward using advancements that other sectors have already made part of their strategies. To enable opportunities, next-generation colleges and universities should…
Ask “why” they use each process (“we’ve always done it that way” is not an acceptable answer) and refresh obsolete processes with emerging technologies. Revisit outdated policies with innovative practices and end policies that no longer serve a purpose.
Rethink traditional models with insightful data and redesigned interactions. Adopt practices where next-generation innovations make the campus streamlined and efficient.
Revolutionize experiences through a digitally connected campus and emphasize personalized engagement.
Develop curriculum that prepare students for current and future ‘superjobs’ by cultivating lifelong learning and human essential skills. Tailor education models to the needs of each learner.
All of these changes require an innovative mindset that fosters a transformational ecosystem with new, exciting, and relevant experiences for all.
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Special thanks to Danny Rasmussen, Emily Omrod, Ransel Salgado, Tushar Halgali, Sureya Alex, and Chelsea Gleason who contributed their time to this article. Additional thanks to the Future of Work team led by Nicole Overley, David Parent, Jeff Schwartz and Steve Hatfield who have done extensive research on FOW and created frameworks to create the narrative that fosters the change that is needed.
For people that know me, it is no surprise that I am an unshakable optimist for whom the glass always remains half full.
Through this highly uncertain period, I have stayed passionate and confident that Higher Ed will improve and come out stronger than ever before. As much as this may feel jarringly new and unfamiliar, paradigm shifts and interruptions in modus operandi take place more than we realize. Seismic changes in human history play a major role in the way we live and operate.
Our world has already been through three major “industrial revolutions”– Mechanization, Mass Production, and IT Systems. We are currently living in the 4th, Cyber Physical Systems, where we are impacted by innovations such as Internet of Things (IoT) [1]. The COVID-19 Pandemic has hit the fast-forward button on its inevitable outcomes.
In order to understand the potential impact of this accelerated disruption, we simply need to revisit the third industrial revolution, when the Internet and automation quickly shook the bedrock of big brand businesses. The fundamental outcomes of that time were driven by technological, socioeconomic, and cultural change [2].
Mobile connectivity made many companies obsolete as the consumer was presented with more convenient ways of doing everyday activities. The former staples of society, such as the postal service, video rental stores, malls, and taxi services, felt the brunt of the pain as they fought to stay relevant while also resisting change.
They failed to view and embrace reform as an opportunity. Instead of taking advantage of technological advancements and pivoting towards new ways of serving their customer, they focused on cutting costs and driving better processes. They were (and still are) confused as to why smaller entrepreneurial disruptors gained so much traction.
As the 4th Revolution takes a “much earlier than expected” seat at the table, Higher Ed is in its bullseye. Unfortunately, we do not get to sit this one out. The consequences for us are just as dire as they were for industries impacted in the 3rd Revolution.
The struggles facing Vermont State College and the devastating news of the closure of Urbana University are early confirmations that the pandemic has accelerated the impact of the 4th Revolution on Higher Ed.
Unfortunately, we will continue to see closures of other unprepared colleges and universities. No matter how unprepared you were for what hit the past couple months, there is still time if you are willing to embrace reality and change.
At a very practical level, here are two shifts C-Suites in every Higher Ed institution must embrace immediately.
Foster Your Digital Culture: Put together a comprehensive, digital reinvention plan that designs the student experience so that the expectations of today’s digital natives is still met. The sudden move to virtual campuses is making students question the value of their college journey and what is important to them. Senior leaders who believe that yesterday’s value propositions will resonate in the new normal need to reconsider what parts of the campus experience are truly meaningful and ways to deliver those digitally in the upcoming terms and beyond. The unexpected shift to digital classrooms is shining a light on ill-prepared institutions. While schools are trying to figure out what scenarios will play out in the fall, they have to do more than simply rethink how their offerings are delivered and supported. Institutions have to recognize how to replace inherent traditional factors such as affinity, peer to peer interactions, professional networks, and social communities within the digital DNA of your campus culture. Using innovate human-centric strategies will differentiate yourselves among peers and be one of the factors that determine who remains relevant. There is still a small window of time to make changes, but there is not a moment to lose. [Watch the video]
Re-prioritize Investment: The CFO’s office on every campus is likely busy slashing costs and racing to stop the bleeding. The strategy to simply conquer the obstacles in our path is not a real strategic roadmap that positions you for sustainability. It may get you through the next few months, but it does not involve a futuristic mindset. This may ruffle some feathers for those who are emotionally attached to transactional systems and infrastructure project, but those are likely NOT the solutions needed for the transforming digital world that we live in. In the past few years, institutionally-centric campuses have had their heads stuck in the “cloud.” They have been overlooking readily available, cost-effective developments that will foster digital culture, reduce the ripple effects of the pandemic, and keep them relevant. Whether it is mobile-first solutions, online meeting platforms, or messaging technologies that the digital natives love, there is a lot to consider and adopt. Simply put, we can no longer miss the aspects of micro innovations that allow you to stay successful in the new normal, an easily navigated digital culture.
This is just the starting point, and there are many more steps to take. If you embrace the digital culture and prioritized investment, you are well on your way to a bright future. Digital natives will embrace you, and you will reap the rewards. However, if you are not willing to follow these initial steps, you are setting yourself up for more challenging days ahead.
Your campus does not need to be a casualty of the 4th Revolution.
Copy editing and research by Sureya Alex
Source: [1] – Gartner Says 6.4 Billion Connected “Things” Will Be in Use in 2016, Up 30 Percent From 2015 +++ [2] – https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution
