The Agile University

Beyond Digital
The Agile University

Higher Education is continually changing.

[ Student information system ]
[ Web portal ]
[ Data warehouse ]
[ Business planning ]
[ Research intelligence ]
[ Collaboration ]
The “performance culture”
Increasing public scrutiny as a response to increasing
scale and complexity of the HE sector.
The “consumerisation of education”
Greater variety of delivery models as a response to
tertiary education becoming a value for money route.Sustained focus on
Widening Participation
1992 re-definition of HEI
landscape
Increasing “freedom” in
revenue generation
Introduction of market
forces
Increase in
scale and
complexity of
students and
courses
Shift from
research to
fees as
primary
“manageable”
funding
stream
Increased scale of
transnational education
Increasing links between
HE & enterprise
Over the last few decades, Higher Education has had to
react to sector-reshaping policy decisions…

Next?
Nearable technology?
Open learning?
3-D visualisation?
Flipped classroom?
Expand transnationally?
Industry collaboration?
Cut courses / schools?
Add courses / schools?
Collaborate with other unis?
Virtual Learning Environment?
Implement CRM?
Agile delivery skills?
Two speed IT?
Attendance recording?
Social media engagement?
Digital tours?
Open day app?

Marketisation of
Higher Education
will not be reversed
and will accelerate The continued
emergence of
substitutes will start
to materially impact
demand for
traditional degrees
Digital will disrupt
every part of the
institution
Introduction of the
‘Teaching Excellence
Framework’
The pressure to respond to change is set to continue…

Niall Lavery
Director, Innovation, PwC
Dan Babington
Higher Education Digital Lead, PwC

[ Digital is not about technology, it’s about people. ]

IT-alone-led approach to solving
business problems
can be like ‘laying train tracks’
Great for getting places – but only
certain places
If your stakeholders want to go
somewhere different,
you need a more flexible approach

Digital programmes are
created by the right
departments, not just IT
All digital activity is
linked to the university’s
overall strategy
The end user is fully
involved in all the
decisions about digital
Academics, staff and students
receive the right training
and ongoing support

Benefits-focused approach to
project delivery
Common IT function capabilities
required by all HEI functions…
Structured programme & project
delivery lifecycle
Digital literacy by default
(supported by L&D)
User-centricity and willingness to
change
Common IT function behaviours
required by all HEI functions…
Structured problem-solving
(“project thinking”)
Digital adoption and comfort with
new ways of working
Software licensing & vendor
management
Common IT function activities to
leave in the IT function…
Systems maintenance &
deployment
Hardware & network design and
management

• Planning staff seconded to the project: none.
• Academic / college involvement: minimal.
• Training approach: eGuide.
• Good technology platform delivered: yes.
• Business impact: slightly different monthly report now
used for SMT reporting.
• Project over-ran by £500k.
One simple example: the impact of under-investment in business change
• Ambitious Russell Group University.
• Invested ~£1m in a new web-based Business
Intelligence platform.
• Objective was to “join up disparate data” and
enable “performance reporting”.
• Project led by the Planning team.
Project context
• Finance staff seconded to the project: two.
• Academic / college involvement: regular, structured.
• Training approach: User involvement in development,
testing and formal training with follow-on support.
• Good technology platform delivered: yes.
• Business impact: game-changing long- and short-term
planning capability.
Same software  Same University Same IT team  Same supplier Very different outcomes
• Ambitious Russell Group University.
• Invested ~£1m in a new web-based modelling
and analytics platform.
• Objective was to allow colleagues from different
teams to collaborate in business planning.
• Project led by the Finance team.
Project context

“Thinking digitally means taking a whole
institution approach – this is the only way
that the levels of innovation and cultural
change required to become a digital
university can be achieved.”
The 2018 digital university: staying relevant in the digital age, PwC 2015

[ Digital is not about technology, it’s about collaboration. ]

You don’t need a digital strategy, you need
a business strategy fit for the digital age.

Securing
employment
(Continuous) Self-
development
Scientific &
humanitarian
advancement
Contribute to the
community &
economy
Generate income
Provide fulfilling
careers
Purpose of an
Agile University

• Design and implementation of a new Directorate: The
Office for Digital Learning.
• Academic-led strategy development
• A new “ecosystem” approach to the learning
environment delivered by IT and the ODL.
• Ambitious Post-1992 University.
• Recognised need for new educational approach.
• Project sponsored by SMT.
Project context
One simple example: collaboration to deliver better education
“Dissatisfaction reduces steadily
in line with increasing amounts
of contact.”
The academic experience of students at
English Universities, Bekhradnia, 2012
The nature and volume of time
spent with learners is critical.
1
“~40% of students say managing
to balance working hours and
study hours is having a negative
effect on their education.”
Student Experience Report, National
Union of Students, 2008
The timing and flexibility of
learning activities is important.
2
“It is obvious to students where
blended learning is implemented
as an add-on. It needs to be
planned.”
Student Expectations and Perceptions,
Kandiko, Mawer, 2013
Pedagogical change is complex
and it can go wrong.
3

[ Digital is not about technology, it’s about me. ]

The HE landscape is getting more and more competitive, and each and
every stakeholder in your University will be getting more demanding.
Agile Universities need to have the ability to engage with each and every
one of them on a personal basis – whatever the channel of engagement.
Gaining a clear understanding of who these stakeholders are, and be
responsive to their needs is a critical success factor – and current systems
and processes generally don’t support this.
The University’s stakeholder community is complex and constantly changing…
Stakeholders’ needs will change as their relationship with the University progresses

Exceeding stakeholders expectations requires a joined up approach…
Which types of prospective students do I want to target?
• Do I know which location, language, socio-economic group, gender, academic field,
learning style, social behaviours, etc. represent a student that I want to attract?
• Similarly, do I know which students are most likely to be successful at my University?
How do I convert them?
• How do these students decide which University to apply to?
• How do I honestly compare against my competitors against these criteria?
• What can I do to improve this performance and effectively communicate that?

Proximity to home is the primary decision making criteria for 31% of prospective
students….but:
• In socio-economic group A, it is only 22%; and
• In socio-economic group DE, it is 53%.
Many students will decide on criteria that the usual “attraction” techniques won’t
influence:
• 81% of students at Russell Group Unis chose their University based on academic
reputation.
• 71% of post-1992 HEIs chose their University because it provided the specific course
they wanted.

However – there are many criteria that you can use to engage prospects very
effectively. What are the top 3?
1. Will I get value for money…specifically how will you educate me?
• Maybe by combining digital tech, academic input and clear policies and
processes to enable prospects to participate in SPOCs before applying.
• Maybe by providing a richness of narrative that can avoid misunderstandings
around SSRs.
• Can I see evidence that you have thought about, and care about, how you will
educate me in the best way possible?

However – there are a bunch of really important things that you can use to
engage prospects very effectively. What are the top 3?
2. Will I be able to feedback to the Uni on my experience, and will it be acted on
in time for me to benefit?
• “Feedback” is a very broad subject, and the perceived priority of this within
prospective and current students is something that surprises many unis.
• Students nowadays are used to instant communication, followed by immediate
action – which is not really compatible with how most Universities are currently
set up. This can be a real differentiator….

However – there are a bunch of really important things that you can use to
engage prospects very effectively. What are the top 3?
3. Once you convert me, then what – will you still value me?
• Whether or not everyone agrees, students perceive themselves to be a
University’s greatest asset, and they need to be convinced that they will be
valued – publishing a toothless student charter is no good – can I see evidence
that you’re living the principles it contains?
• Also, students are now wary of the “attention gap” following conversion – how
are the various parts of the university collaborating to provide a high quality,
“seamless” student experience from first contact forevermore?

How to win?
TECHNOLOGY METHOD PARTNERSHIP
+ +
Platform approach

Integrated student journey platform
Student Info
CRM
CMS
Registry
Welfare
Exams
Lecture capture
VLE
Collaboration
Performance reporting
Student analytics
Social media

Improved attraction, retention,
attainment
Coverage across the entire student journey
in a single integrated platform
Identify Attract &
Convert
Engage, Educate &
Enrich
Collaborate, Innovate
& Reward

attainment
Data-driven responsiveness, delivering a
truly personalised experience for all
Increase student satisfaction by acting on
feedback in real-time
Predict and resolve
retention issues

attainment
Designed from the ground-up for
the Agile University
100%
cloud-based
100%
open
100%
blended learning
100%
partnership

The Agile University

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