As higher education leaders, decision makers and governments look to the future of colleges and universities, the decisions they make now will have impacts on our higher education system for years to come.
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on our colleges and universities. But there is more to come. While many seek a return to “normal”, they will need to adjust to the new normal. What does this involve?
- A Hybrid Campus: All services, not just teaching and learning, will need to be offered online – advising, careers guidance, counselling, registrar, finance.
- Rethinking the Academic Portfolio: Teaching and learning will need to be provided in every case as both blended and online – we can no longer assume that social gatherings in large numbers will be possible. We can also better serve a more diverse population through a hybrid approach.
- Refocus Learning and the Student Experience – focus on lifelong learning, engaged and authentic learning and collaborative learning experience. Intensify project-based learning and strengthen ties with alumni.
Becoming hybrid will encourage innovation, increase access, improve quality and lower costs. It will be a compelling new model for many colleges and universities, not just in the U.S. and Canada, but around the world. It requires a real rethinking and reimagining of all workflows, technology adoption and opportunities at colleges and universities.
There are several institutions already exemplifying some key features of this future – University of Central Florida, Georgia State University – which will be used to illustrate this thinking.
In this interactive webinar, Cole Clark, Managing Director of Higher Education at Deloitte will share his thinking and the findings from some recent explorations.
Key Takeaways
- How the academic portfolio will be reshaped by a shift to the hybrid campus.
- What the hybrid campus means for the college and university workforce.
- What the hybrid campus needs in terms of technology supports, analytics and professional development.
- What students will be able to experience in the hybrid campus.
- What challenges will be faced in the shift to hybrid campus, especially in unionized environments.
- What the medium to long term outcomes of this approach would represent.
