What IT leaders need to know about the state of the higher ed sector
At every turn, higher ed institutions must now compete to be the institution of choice—for their students, their talent, their research funding—all of which present with heightened scarcity post-COVID. Alternatives for each stakeholder have proliferated across (and even beyond) higher ed, intensifying the competitive playing field. With advantage conferred to scale, flexibility, and clearly articulated (differentiated) value propositions, institutions must understand the quickly evolving dimensions of competition and develop capabilities that allow them to become and remain institutions of choice.
EAB discussed these challenges with chief information officers and IT leaders in a roundtable, The Fight to be Chosen: A Dedicated Session for CIOs on the Higher Ed State of the Sector.
Review the Key Takeaways
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The talent crunch is here to stay
40% of HR/IT higher education professionals will be likely to look for new jobs in 2022.
The talent crunch is not a short-term problem addressable with compensation. Talent shortages will be a long-term reality that requires central leadership (not just the HR department) to solve. Institutions should bring the talent conversation to the cabinet level to discuss how to become an employer of choice and help prospective employees understand all the benefits higher ed provides.
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The gap between high school graduation and college enrollment is widening
32% of the U.S. 18-24 year old population have graduated high school but not enrolled in higher education.
The undergraduate non-consumer market is getting larger, and it’s more reachable than many colleges and universities assume. The majority of non-consumers are open to attending college, but face addressable barriers. Sizing the non-consumer market, appealing directly to this population, and removing the barriers they face can have a significant impact on enrollment for many institutions.
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The dominance of elite institutions in the online grad market is growing
The domination of a few “ultra-winners” in world markets has been a trend during the pandemic, and the same is true in the higher ed industry, especially when it comes to the online graduate degree market. One in five online graduate students attend one of seven institutions, but many AAU schools are not far behind.
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How to find success in a winner-take-all research funding market
1 in 4Â R&D expenditures were institution-funded in the last five years.
Research funding is increasingly a “winner-take-most” environment, with more funding going to the top 50 research institutions than all other institutions combined. Institutions must pay out of pocket to be successful, and they may need to rely more on a hub-and-spoke, multi-institutional funding model to receive federal funding.
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