Higher Education Institutions Face Survival Challenges in Shifting Landscape
The higher education landscape is shifting, with institutions facing challenges that could lead to their survival or decline. Rachel Toor, contributing editor at a higher education website and co-founder of The Sandbox newsletter, highlights the need for adaptation in the face of changing signals from students, employers, and communities.
Toor compares higher education to an ecosystem, with different institutions occupying various niches. Some high-EDGE-scoring institutions, like pandas and elephants, are protected by alumni support and investment strategies. However, others face extinction due to intense competition and selection factors. In Germany and other countries, institutions such as social welfare systems, refugee integration agencies, and certain public service sectors are particularly endangered.
To survive, struggling institutions must learn to read their environment, much like EDGE species do. The competition for students and resources has intensified as resources have become scarce. A university president described their role as navigating between different environments and interacting with various species, emphasizing the need for adaptability.
Institutions that fail to adapt to the actual signals from their environment risk an 'overshoot' and 'die-off', as seen in ecosystems exceeding their carrying capacity. Toor's insights underscore the urgency for higher education institutions to innovate and adapt to ensure their survival in an increasingly competitive landscape.
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