The Role of the University - Part II

If the role of colleges and universities are going to change in this brave new world, then what will this change look like? Let us begin by looking at how these institutions will need to change.

First, students will no longer value a degree in a particular area that may not exist by the time they complete their studies. Students enroll in a degree program with the expectation that a field of study will be there when they enter the job market. With the rapid pace at which change is taking place, that expectation may be nothing more than wishful thinking. How many fields can you think of that have been radically altered, if not eliminated in the past 5-years, 10-years, your lifetime?

In this brave new world, the community colleges are best positioned to confront this brave new world. The mission of the community college is to serve the needs of the local community. They are positioned to change rapidly to meet the needs of this community. For example, a new area of expertise is required to work with law enforcement installing and repairing surveillance equipment. A community college can rapidly fill this need with a certificate and/or training program to prepare individuals to fill this need. The community colleges are able to address the changing dynamic that technology is forcing upon society.

What about the major research universities? The research institutions will continue to operate but the business model has become outdated and change will be forced on them. Some research intuitions will be able to adapt to this change better than others, but not all are ready for this change. For example, future students that enroll in research universities will be looking for careers in university and education rather than skills to obtain a job in the job market. Why? Because it will become more and more difficult to justify the expense of a university education, e.g., $200,000+ when there is no guarantee that a job will be waiting for you upon graduation, let alone a career in that field!

What about the colleges in the middle, i.e., the small and mid-size colleges? Well these guys are going to be fighting over every student dollar. They will be competing for the same students, not just the physical students that reside on campus or commute to-and-from campus, but online students. Competition will not just be between these institutions, but the for-profits that have the marketing budgets to advertise to prospective students. How many small and midsized colleges have an advertising budget to compete in their own market against these wall street traded corporations, let alone online to attract students? I’d be willing to bet, not many!

So the real battleground is only now beginning to reveal itself. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will survive unscathed? Who will be closing their doors? The jury’s still out on this . . .