By Jim Fong
The saying “who’s in the driver’s seat” commonly refers to driving a car and the decision of whether one person should lead or if input is necessary. Similarly, the term “backseat driver” describes someone not in control attempting to influence or take charge. Both phrases suggest notions of control and ego. One could argue that for decades (or even the better part of a century), colleges and universities were in the driver’s seat in providing educated human capital into an economy that would otherwise buck or jerk forward without them. Over the past two decades, the car that institutional leaders were driving has changed dramatically. The fuel has changed (funding). The look has changed (perception and brand). The engine has changed (delivery). Our roads and cities where they drive have changed (policy and politics). There are also more alternative forms of transportation (competition). Theoretically, the car could also potentially drive itself (MOOCs and other fully asynchronous learning). The higher education car of the future requires more input and collaboration for it to be successful.
According to a recent snap poll conducted by UPCEA and MindEdge, it’s evident that more institutions are increasing their efforts to collaborate closely with employers. While colleges and universities have always claimed strong relationships with employers, one could argue that many of the discussions have been lopsided … more in favor of higher education. In the past, colleges and universities traditionally managed high level advisory boards, held their career fairs, curated internships and fostered relationships with well-placed alums. Over the past few decades, economic pressures have pushed more employers and colleges closer together to address workforce development challenges. Of the 75 UPCEA member institutions responding to the survey, 75% said that revenue generation was driving corporate outreach initiatives for their online and professional continuing education units. Another 61% said program development while just under half (49%) said credential development were factors.
One-third of responding institutions were satisfied with their unit’s corporate outreach being effective in reaching their intended goals. Just one-in-four feel their corporate outreach initiatives are adequately staffed. Past UPCEA research and interviews suggest that formal and fully resourced corporate outreach initiatives favor larger institutions, with smaller institutions often redirecting existing staff and resources to respond to more immediate or short-term corporate needs.
Recent UPCEA studies in partnership with Collegis and InsideTrack show that employers desire a stronger, but more balanced relationship with colleges and universities. The research shows that employers acknowledge the need for degrees, but also want other options, including certificates and digital badges as milestones earned for training. Employers want a stronger workforce and often seek reskilling in a number of areas. Given these needs, they also want to be more involved in the process, including input or guidance in curriculum design or serving in active advisory committees. Additionally, the studies identify a need to improve communication between the college and university and the employer.
With unfavorable demographics, the politization of higher education, declining high school graduate participation and perceived high tuition, colleges and universities will need to diversify their offerings beyond the 120-credit bachelor’s degree. New credentials will need to be created to keep pace with a fast-moving economy. Greater engagement with employers will also be critical to offset the anticipated loss of eighteen year-olds on campus.
Imagine the perfect college experience: it gets you where you need to go, ensuring safety and resource conservation along the way. That’s the goal for the future of higher education. But just like a car that needs upgrades to be super-efficient, colleges will need some changes to reach this ideal. The future higher education vehicle can operate more efficiently, faster, and safer, but it’ll need modifications. Some parts might need a complete overhaul, while others just need fine-tuning. But reaching our destination will be a collaborative effort. Planning our route beforehand, involving institutional leaders, employers, and learners, is crucial. Egos must be set aside for this journey.
It is early August 2024. I am about to begin the fall term of teaching, research, administrative tasks and advising with the help of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools and assistants.
My syllabus was already submitted a couple of months ago so it is available online to all who may want to register. I did the annual update using a couple of GenAI chatbots that added a new lecture or two, some new graphics and a new introductory field-specific vocabulary quiz. They also created upgraded new authentic assessments to adjust to changes in the field, keeping the material up to date and relevant. The grading rubrics were refined and adjusted as necessary. The entire update process was completed in one afternoon hour last May.
I have added a module on professional applications in the field. This will involve a weeklong study during the middle of the term. My AI personal assistant reached out via emails it had found for the directors of HR at three regional firms who have hired many of our graduates in the past. The personal assistant briefed them on the course and got on their schedules to do in-class interviews via Zoom. All are on my schedule with times and connections. A reminder will be automatically sent out to the HR directors as well as put on my calendar and in the updated syllabus. I will be asking the HR director about their hiring needs this coming year for new graduates as well as certificate completers from my university. Students will have a chance to pose some individual questions. I am hoping we will get into some serious career advice on where employment in my field is going.
Students in the class will have access to their GenAI apps to formulate questions that are relevant to their own preferences and career choices. This is part of our department-wide emphasis on career development in an AI world. Also, part of that initiative is group work by the students using GenAI apps to lead their groups. Each group will report out with a collaboratively-written 10-page paper.
Fortunately, this fall I will have a version of the Khanmigo tutor that will answer students’ questions about assignments and discussion topics. Khanmigo will also help students with mini-lessons and quizzes to bring them up to speed in areas in which they fell short on prerequisites for the class. Khanmigo serves as a 24-hour smart tutor which has been trained on the course materials as well as other associated topics. The tutor, like the one developed by Khan Academy, is both empathetic and helpful.
Meanwhile my research project continues to percolate along with my personal AI agent sending out surveys, gathering data, crunching the numbers and applying advanced analytics to find previously-hidden correlations among demographic characteristics gathered from the samples. My AI agent is communicating with my co-author’s agent to ensure that we both are up to speed even though we live on different continents. The two agents are scanning journals and international conferences for the most appropriate venues for delivery of the final product of our research.
I am planning to go to the annual UPCEA conference in Denver in the spring. Today, I’ll ask my personal digital agent to gather all of the relevant registration, hotel and travel materials and give me a report to send to the dean’s office. I should get approval by the end of the week, and I’ll redirect that to the agent who will book the travel, hotel and registration.
It’s so hard to keep up with the field, especially when you teach in communication technologies. Fortunately, my agent thoroughly scans all relevant articles and videos that come out from many hundreds of different sources, including research reports, journals, events coverage, YouTube videos, and associations. I get a daily, prioritized summary which I read each evening. I can extract entire articles with citations and put them in my very large cloud storage site. It’s easy to transfer AI-generated summaries to handouts for the class and put them into the ever-growing reading list for the class.
I am most thankful for the technology that spares me much of the pain of my five committee assignments. It seems a shame that faculty committees still run most universities. While we hate to surrender our oversight, the committees are the bane of so many faculty members, taking up far more time than seems worthwhile. Fortunately, our meeting software takes the minutes, advises on Roberts Rules of Order, summarizes the meetings, finds meeting times that work out best on all members’ calendars, and prepares the corrected minutes for the record.
As with so many of my colleagues, I am on the outlook for a new position where the financial conditions of the institution are stable, the community offers opportunities for my family, research support in my field is strong, and there is the opportunity to engage bright graduate students and postdocs into my field of research. Once again, it is my personal autonomous AI agent who is at work 24 hours a day seeking opportunities from the point of rumors on discussion boards to official position opening announcements.
The above is what I anticipate will be reality for savvy faculty members in the fall of this year. Versions of the technology capabilities mentioned are already available. We are likely to see even more robust autonomous artificial agents than I describe. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is predicted to arrive this fall. And, some scientists predict Artificial Super-Intelligence will follow in 2027.
The technology is advancing at a much faster speed than most anyone predicted. It is propelled by unprecedented investments by many of the largest corporations around the world. The promise of massive profits for those who develop advanced marketable programs drives previously unexpected partnerships.
The message for those of us in higher education is that we must pay close attention to these developments for the sake of our students, our institutions and ourselves.
This article was originally published in Inside Higher Ed’s Transforming Teaching & Learning blog.
Learner preference for digital experiences continues to rise as questions about the OPM model mount from regulatory bodies and OPM customers. UPCEA’s recent snap poll found that 61% of higher ed leaders anticipate making changes to their OPM partnerships in the next 1–2 years.
As colleges and universities contemplate developing internal capacity and expertise for supporting online programs, they are often surprised by the extensive resources needed. Effective implementation demands a level of coordination across various departments to ensure seamless delivery and support. Institutions transitioning from an OPM are finding the process to be complicated and full of new and unexpected internal responsibilities.
Whether a school is transitioning from a third-party provider or seeking to optimize their in-house online program support, the choice of model will be critical. There are advantages and hurdles associated with each option:
- Build an internal OPM by developing all key services for online programs in-house, including marketing, recruitment, student support, and instructional design.
- Build internal strength and outsource expertise by leveraging existing in-house capabilities for functions where there is sufficient competency and engaging external partners to fill any gaps and level-up resources.
- Partner with a fee-for-service company who supports most functions yet relies on the institution to help set goals, make decisions, and implement some tactics.
Key factors to consider
Investment levels, time horizons, ROI expectations, financial frameworks, business operations, and internal talent are just a few of the considerations for effectively supporting online programs. In a recent ebook, Collegis shared lessons and tips gleaned from experience supporting online programs for institutional partners:
- Leadership — A strong, experienced leader invested with the authority to make decisions and drive change is essential.
- Change management — To be successful, organizational change initiatives require long-term investment in resources, adoption, and sustainability.
- Goal setting — Establish realistic, achievable goals and clearly communicate the progress toward those goals to gain alignment across the institution.
- Financial structure — For online programs, revenue must be continually reinvested into building the portfolio and scaling operations to meet enrollment demands.
- Technology ecosystem — Architecture will likely need to be modified to accommodate the flexibility, multiple terms, and overall student experience necessary to support online programs.
- Partnerships — Building and sustaining a successful model for supporting online programs requires a strong partnership ecosystem, including relationships across institutional units, community employers, and external experts.
- Assessment and outsourcing — An objective assessment can help you determine whether your institution currently has the in-house talent across critical functions to support your chosen model.
Online program management in higher ed is constantly evolving. The breadth and depth of expertise required to remain relevant will only continue to grow. Institutions should choose a model (and potentially a partner) that has the flexibility to adapt to changing needs.
Get the ebook “Building an In-House OPM” for an exploration of each model and detailed considerations for choosing the right model for your institution.
About Collegis Education
Collegis Education is higher ed’s innovation enabler, empowering schools with a better vision of how they fit into learners’ lives and what’s possible when they do. With more than 10 years’ experience as industry pioneers, we’ve proven how leveraging data, tech and talent can transform everything from student experiences to business processes. As higher ed evolves, you’ll need a thought partner and tactical pro, not a pre-packaged product or platform. Our strategic services allow institutions to leapfrog from wondering to doing, implement long-term growth plans and build in-house capacity to thrive in a complex market. Learn more at CollegisEducation.com.