Forces of Change in U.S. Higher Education

1
Forces of Change in U.S. Higher Education

• A
• Presentation By
• John F. Ebersole
• Associate Provost Dean
• Extended Education
• Boston University
• And
• President
• University Continuing Education Association
  (UCEA)
• July 2002
• Puebla, Mexico

2
My Perspective

• Limited to U.S.
• 18 Years in Higher Education
• Four Institutions
• Two Private
• Two Public
• Dean/Assoc. Provost Positions
• Non-Traditional Focus
• 11 Years in UCEA

3
My Institution

• Americas Most International
• Private, Research Focus
• 30,000 Students
• 3,000 Faculty
• Established in 1839 as a Religious Institution
• Home to such Nobel Prize Winners as Martin Luther
  King, Jr. and Elie Wiesel

4
Forces for Change

• Economics
• Technology
• Globalization
• Demographics
• Expectations
• Competition

5
Economics

• Rising Costs
• Factors of Competition
• Declining Traditional Markets (Regional)
• Decreasing Public Support
• Increasing Emphasis on Self-Support New Revenue
  Sources
• Business Skills of Growing Value
• Ronald Ehrenberg, Tuition Rising

6
Technology

• Dancing with the Devil
• Hardware, Software, Training, Organizational
  Needs
• Part of Curricula
• High Cost of Providing
• Short Use Life
• Means of Delivery
• On-Campus
• Off-Campus

7
Globalization

• Curricular Change
• Study Abroad
• International Demand
• Portability of Credits and Credentials
• Distance Learning Opportunity
• Non-Tariff Barriers

8
Demographics

• Only 27 of U.S. Students now Fit Traditional
  Label
• Older Students
• Demand for Credentials and Access Beyond
  Undergraduate Experience
• Growing Immigrant Population
• Two-thirds of High School Graduates go to College
• Half of all Higher Education Enrollments are
  Part-Time
• Fastest Growing Group Over 35

9
Expectations

• By Students
• Services
• Facilities
• By Parents
• By Faculty
• By Employers
• By Politicians

10
Competition

• From Abroad (Emergence of International
  Institutions)
• For-Profit Providers
• Corporate Universities
• Virtual Providers

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The Response

• From Teaching to Learning
• New Initiatives
• Consolidation
• Differentiation

12

• Todays Structure of Higher Education
• Research Universities
• Four-Year Colleges
• Two-Year Colleges
• For-Profit Colleges
• Profession-Related and Specialized Institutions

• Tomorrows Structure (in addition)
• Software and Hardware Cos
• Telecom Providers
• Information Service Cos
• Entertainment Companies
• Corporations and Govt. Agencies

13
A New Taxonomy

• Brand-Name Providers
• Mass-Providers
• Convenience Providers
• Zemsky Massey

14
Looking Ahead

• Alliances Mergers
• The Open Model
• Certification of Knowledge
• Diversification

15
Further Reading

• A University for the 21st Century
• James J. Duderstadt
• University of Michigan Press