Key Takeaways for Higher Ed from My Conversation with Ian Dunn
- Wesley Hallam
- Mar 5, 2024
- 2 min read
After my recent podcast interview with Ian Dunn, Provost at Coventry University, I wanted to highlight some of the key actionable ideas and tips that higher education leaders and academics should take note of:
Get creative with financial sustainability – Tough constraints on incomes mean institutions have to be stringent about costs. Explore efficiency gains through shared services, procurement partnerships to drive down expenses, streamlining administration etc. Even consolidations/mergers are an option. The goal is freeing up more money for teaching and learning.
Use data and AI to support students – With troves of student data available, leverage analytics and AI for issues like early alerts on struggling students, personalized learning pathways tailored to capability/needs, nudging better engagement. This moves data use beyond just reporting for compliance.
Rethink the lecture format – Great educational content can often be delivered online freeing up facetime for richer in-person learning activities. Flipped classroom approaches also hold promise. Even our definition of “attendance” may need revisiting if the goal is participation.
Accommodate student lives and demands – With many working jobs, commuting, or having commitments outside academics, build in flexibility whether through online options, recordings/playback, non-fixed schedules. The student body’s needs are too diverse for a rigid “one-size-fits-all” policy.
Explore consolidation and partnerships – In an constrained funding environment, teaming up with peer institutions can unlock efficiencies and synergies. Local access can still be preserved despite back-end mergers. Considering such strategic moves may soon no longer be optional.
The key takeaway from my engaging chat with Ian is that higher education cannot continue with a business as usual mindset. Whether innovating around teaching, becoming student-centric, or addressing financial viability - significant changes lie ahead.
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