The Winds of Change

A new report from the Chronicle of Higher Education, "The College of 2020: Students," is illuminating not so much for what it envisions, but how much faster demographic and pedagogical change will happen.  Besides an accelerating demand for digital coursework and time-shifted instruction (old notions of a school day or year will become obsolete), the authors say, "The college student of the future will be older, more technologically savvy, and more likely to see going to college as a retail transaction."  Outcomes, in short, will be what attracts students to different schools.

Here's a strategic question: What would it mean for us to think of ourselves as being in the retail business?  Kick that one around at your next board retreat.