Challenges Facing Universities Today

1.      A new coalition government has changed the funding arrangements in HE and are making massive cuts.

·         How can a university ‘do more for less’ by demonstrating it is a public good, not just for the benefit of students?

·         Will traditional methods for learning and research lead to disruptive and revolutionary innovative solutions to address this challenge (e.g. Incremental change may not provide the solutions)?

·         Who will provide the necessary ‘thought leadership’ rather than commentate and stagnate as the competitive rivalry, industry dynamics is driven by those external factors outside the control of a university?

·         Is there new ground to exploit in the increasing paradigm shift in political rhetoric (consensus between political parties globally), and the economic climate plus the government’s desire to ‘place power’ in the people’s hands through an increased role for ‘citizenship’ and inspiration from businesses and the wider community to deliver this?

·         How will technology provide potential substitutes to challenge the role of the university and how a university provides the added value to empower and equip students with skills for employment, citizenship and civic engagement?

2.      The relationship between the university and the student in regards to ‘adding value’ and enriching the student experience as well as the barriers that facilitate this as well as means for communication will change as students become more of a consumer than a product based focus?

·         What differentiates one degree from an institution in terms of ‘quality and distinctiveness’ from its competitors?

o   In terms of the inputs to HE?

o   In terms of the outputs to HE?

o   In terms of how the inputs are utilised to transform (the added value that differentiates one student from the next, plus the reputation of one institution to the next) them into the desired outputs?

o   Is there a need to question where and whom owns the ‘strategic control points’ that govern the quality and distinctiveness of the inputs (the entire educational system)?

o   Is there a need to question where and whom owns the ‘strategic control points’ that govern the quality and distinctiveness of the outputs?

3.      The new idea of the UK being a ‘Big Society’ and the traditions in teaching methods, potential changes to these and the transformation of the current teaching boundaries which will allow universities to adapt to demands.

·         What is a university’s role in relation to the idea of a ‘Big Society’ and how do they need to develop and adapt to the demands and constraints proposed?

4.      The effect of the increasing financial constraints on universities.

·         What is the true value of a degree?

·         How can universities demonstrate greater value to HE in relation to Colleges offering FE and other HE courses?

·         Should there be a varied tariff for the type of degree which students study? If so how can this be justified?

·         How can universities provide more for less without losing value in the services they currently offer?

·         What can the university do to create further external investment enabling the consistently high quality service required?

·         What can they do to enable normal running of the university without damaging the quality of output (students and research)?

5.      In India they produce the £1000 car. With universities being allowed to charge what they want for the courses they offer, it is only a matter of time before iTunes offer the ‘Pick and Mix’ degree.

·         How would this impact upon the perceived value of other, ‘more traditional’ degrees which are offered?

·         What sustainable competitive advantage can be gained from a change in the perceived value of a degree?

6.      Spiralling fees will result in a significant drop in the social diversity of student intake.

·         How can universities maintain the level of social diversity of new students in the future?

·         How could the utilisation of social media allow for the promotion of a university as a progressive social good with students and other key stakeholders?

7.      The need to use new technology to help develop the university (and its reputation) to make it stand out as being at the forefront of technological innovation.

·         What physical resources are required for the successful delivery of a HE course?

·         In what way could a university develop its use of IT to surpass the expectations of potential students and also be best utilised to reduce overheads in the running of the University?

8.      A growing need for consumers to be more responsible for their consumption habits and environmental impact.

·         How can the university promote environmental responsibility and draw a sustainable competitive advantage from this?

9.      Growing rise in UK universities having resources located internationally.

·         How can a university utilize resources and strategic alliances internationally to provide students with an enriched and unique university experience?

10.  Shift in the demands on the lengths of HE courses.

·         How quickly can a HE course be delivered without jeopardising the quality of delivery?

11.  A university is a public good, and should be able to demonstrate this more effectively to the communities in which they exist.

·         How can a university improve its standing within the local community and adjust the student experience to provide improved appreciation for social conscience and responsibility?