The COVID pandemic has created an existential challenge to higher education in the United States. As we have argued in earlier blogs, however, the cracks in the higher education business model were evident long before any of us had heard of the coronavirus. Demographic and financial challenges to the long-term growth and profitability of colleges and universities, especially for small private colleges in the northeast, were well known if not well understood.
Shifting demographics of potential students, rising costs, challenges to the value of higher education, and academic inertia have placed higher education at a crossroads. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened and turned the industry on its head. In our latest blog series, our principal consultants Elmore Alexander, Michael Ginzberg, and Nuno Couto detail many aspects of the current crisis and propose effective strategies to overcome it.
By bringing in RSS feeds from numerous reputable sources in higher education, our blog offers a snapshot of what is happening now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Search our blog for the most up-to-date news articles and blog posts related to higher education.Continue Reading
Although everyone has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education has been hit especially hard by the crisis and many institutions are struggling to shift to our new reality. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources to help us stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead of the challenges we’re facing due to the coronavirus.Continue Reading
Needless to say, 2020 has been an unprecedented year for higher education, as it has for nearly every other facet of our lives. With uncertainty around every corner, it’s more important than ever to stay up to date on what’s happening across the industry. In this month’s article, our principal consultants highlight some of the articles and publications that have caught their eye so far. Continue Reading
In a blog last spring, I argued that universities needed to respond to the uncertainties created by the COVID pandemic by utilizing scenario planning to identify possible futures for their institutions and to develop strategic and operational responses to those futures. I described a six-step process for identifying possible scenarios and planning organizational responses for each. Continue Reading
Before 2020, higher education was faced with increasing financial challenges caused by declining demographics, a dwindling international student base, and numerous other issues. The COVID-19 crisis forced schools to transition their spring semesters online very quickly. Technology proved not only useful but vital for them to survive until the fall semester. It seems that digital transformation has now become less of an “if” and more of a “when” for higher education, something essential for all but the largest organizations that are likely already utilizing the technology.Continue Reading