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By Jeff Denneen - EvoLLLution. 1. Why are higher education institutions under so much pressure to streamline internal processes and reduce operational costs?
It’s a problem that has been brewing for a long time. If you go back over the past 30 years, the annual growth rate in expenses at a university has been roughly seven percent per year. Over time that has translated into [increased] tuition for students, increased borrowing and financial aid through loan program for students, or increased state support for public institutions. More...

By Timothy Renick - EvoLLLution. 1. How do systems built around predictive analytics, such as the GPS at Georgia State University, support staff productivity?
The goal is really twofold. It is in the first instance obviously to help students. We can use data more effectively to do so. There are all kinds of data points that we really had at our fingertips for years that we haven’t used aggressively, proactively enough to actually benefit our students. More...

By Scott Greenberg - EvoLLLution. Bureaucracy: “A system that has many complicated rules and ways of doing things (Merriam-Webster); A system of administration distinguished by written and inflexible rules, regulations and procedures (Business Dictionary.com).”
Colleges and universities work hard to provide a supportive academic community that fosters student success, but they often miss their mark when it comes to serving adult learners. The bureaucratic nature of our institutions—with its policies and procedures wrapped in a one-size-fits-all model—can often be a hindrance for adult learners. More...

By Sharon Blanton - EvoLLLution. I just returned from an exhilarating and exhausting two weeks of conferences. The content at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference and Gartner Symposium was significantly focused on what is often called Institutional Research or Business Intelligence. Why? Because all organizations are focused on achieving a strategic advantage. More...

By Kenneth Hartman - EvoLLLution. 1. What is the biggest roadblock stopping senior institutional administrators from taking steps to make their institutions more efficient?
Every institution is different but many of them have some of the same issues. For example, the governance structure — how strong or influential the board is, the faculty senate, unions, etc. There’s an issue of leadership in the experience of today’s presidents; we’re seeing a great turnover of university and college presidents at the two-year and four-year level. More...

By Michael Horn - EvoLLLution. 1. How does operational efficiency impact the cost of the higher education “product”, both for the institution to deliver and for the student to consume?
It’s a really important issue. The one that grabs headlines is the debt crisis for students and the cost to students. That would be one reason to think about it — to lower the cost to students — but the other reason that concerns the institution itself is the one that gets far less coverage. More...

By Diana Wu - EvoLLLution. 1. How can better operational efficiency help institutions become more nimble and responsive to market needs?
One way I think about operational efficiency is, “Why do we need to be more efficient?” Your end goal is not just to streamline or to reduce cost or to even think about how to better serve your customers. The end goal is actually about your organization’s broader goals; how to become nimble and responsive to market needs. More...

By Shaul Kuper - EvoLLLution. For a long time, efficiency was seen as an enemy of the Academy. Lurking in the shadows and threatening to take away from rigor and performance, efficiency was all but avoided at top institutions. But it’s no secret that the business model of higher ed is changing, and as a result, efficiency is being looked at through a different lens. More...

By Robert Wensveen - EvoLLLution. 1. What are some of the operational improvements that can help institutions effectively react to new opportunities and serve new marketplaces?
The first thing to consider is time to market for new courses and programs. If you can take a course and program or a new program and meet the demand the industry or the public has efficiently and quickly, then you’re going to be successful. More...