1. Innovation and the Dynamic Future of
Mass Higher Education
Dr. Michael K. Thomas
President & CEO
New England Board of Higher Education
Boston, Massachusetts

2. New England, USA
• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• 260 HEIs
• ~ 1 million
postsecondary
students
• 14.3 million residents
• ~ 5th largest U.S.
“state”

3. Innovation
• What forms might it take in HEIs?
• What can be learned from the science
of innovation?
• What are the innovative capacities of
HEIs and their prospects for self-
reinvention?

4. Purposes
• Integrate multiple frameworks
• Aid structured innovation thinking:
forms and opportunities
• Provide a common language
• Understand how, when and where it
might occur in HEIs.

6. Fostering Innovation
Leadership, Goals and Culture
•Executive/senior champions
•Formal and leader-supported innovation goals
•Building an innovation culture
•Creation of special teams
•Deliberate change leadership strategies
•Clear growth agenda, investments, freedom and flexibility
•“Chief Innovation Officer”

7. Fostering Innovation
Understand Innovation & Disruption
•Range of innovation forms (disruptive and sustaining) and
business models
•Whom could we be serving?
•What new, lower-cost, more convenient alternatives could
make them consumers?
•How are definitions/perceptions of quality learning
changing?
•How do they differ from our own?
•What are the real needs of such consumers?
•How can technology enable low-cost alternatives to meet
their needs?

8. Fostering Innovation
New Entities and Spaces
•Repurpose, reinvigorate and incentivize existing entities
•Divisions of continuing education or professional studies?
•New entities and spaces--outside existing strictures or
structures
•Separate standalone entities - wholly owned nonprofit
organizations
•Standalone joint ventures with outside, for-profit investors
•OESPs, or “online education service providers”

9. Fostering Innovation
Resources and Incentives and Freedom
•Incentivize formal innovation goals
•Consider overall incentive systems, including faculty
advancement
•“Innovation funds” to provide dedicated resources
•Versus performance-base funding

10. Fostering Innovation
Strong Customer (Learner) Focus
•Rather than faculty-focused
•“Crowd-sourced” ideas and innovation
•Elicit and leverage user-generated insights
•Engage users in co-creation of next-generation
learning models

11. Fostering Innovation
Experimentation, Failure and Guidelines
•Cultivate ability to experiment and willingness to accept
failure
•Fail fast and often
•Clear decision processes, guidelines and stage-gate
rules
•Don’t apply inappropriate measurements and decision
criteria

12. Dr. Michael K. Thomas
New England Board of Higher Education
mthomas@nebhe.org
www.nebhe.org
617-357-9620
45 Temple Place
Boston, MA 02111