Pete Moss is a former manager at Staffordshire University and is now the director at Ellucian, whose SaaS software helps higher education institutions to create a connected campus.
Higher education in the UK is at a significant crossroads. Growing concerns over financial strain, job cuts and shifting student demographics have prompted many institutions to explore international expansion, new research partnerships, and IT overhauls to improve efficiency and weather the storm of uncertainty.
Change is key to the long-term sustainability and success of the sector, but it’s rarely easy. Change in the form of digital transformation adds extra layers of complexity, requiring new technology, processes, and mindsets to give universities a competitive edge.
At Ellucian, our SaaS technology solutions support universities worldwide to become agile, scalable and efficient. Below are four common obstacles to effective digital transformation, along with strategies that can help universities achieve their goals.
Don’t underestimate the scope of technological change
Discussions around digital transformations can sometimes involve only a select group of people, such as department heads and IT leaders. However, this narrow focus can lead to missteps and slow progress. A more comprehensive understanding is needed of how change will affect every part of the institution. This can only be achieved by talking to the staff members who will see the impact directly.
“Conversations need to happen at every level,” says Krissi Sanft, managing director at change management consultancy, Portare Solutions.
“Everyone from admissions, faculty, student services and stakeholders can provide unique insight into how a new IT system or purchasing process will affect their ability to do their jobs.”
The student’s view is important too. Get a clear picture of students’ priorities – from how they want to learn or contact their subject advisors, to what support services they need.
A well thought out plan for change, which takes into account the impact on all involved, is more likely to get buy-in for change and new ways of working.
Future-proof your investment
Standardise processes and technology as this will give your university more flexibility, adaptability and resilience to respond to whatever change the future might bring.
Standardisation does not mean a restrictive one-size-fits-all structure, leaving no room for creativity. With more joined-up systems and services, institutions can reduce administration, improve efficiency and encourage collaboration across departments. This creates more time and space for creativity and innovation to thrive.
Share the whole stratergy across the orgnasiation
Make sure people have a clear understanding of the institution’s vision for change, including the steps to achieve it and the expected outcomes.
The vision might be to become a more commercially minded organisation to navigate financial pressures or operational challenges, for example. This can be a big leap for people to understand and accept.
But if they are given more detail, such as how their roles might change, and can see the positive outcomes – improved student recruitment or more manageable workloads –they will be more willing to embrace the new vision and work harder to support it.
Don’t let fear put the brakes on progress
Project managers can dread hearing complaints about current working practices or negative feedback about how an institution is run. But these difficult conversations are vital to delivering effective and meaningful change.
Employees need a safe space where they can voice their opinions without fear of retribution, even if the feedback is tough to hear. If you understand staff anxieties – whether they are based on real issues or misconceptions – you are more likely to address the right problems first time and can better support the workforce through change.
For key strategies to drive successful change and digital transformation in higher education, download the Higher Education Future Proofed white paper from Ellucian.
