The document discusses critical issues facing higher education leaders in 2014. It identifies five key areas of focus: continued scrutiny of higher education; prioritization of outcomes; retention culture; blended learning opportunities; and regionalization of online education. It provides data and analysis on each issue, noting the importance of clearly communicating value to stakeholders given concerns over cost and debt. Career preparation is outpacing other factors in attracting students, so institutions must ensure their career training meets expectations.

1. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Priori7ze,
Focus,
Evolve.
March
2014
Cri7cal
Issues
Facing
Higher
Educa7on
Leaders
in
2014

2. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Eduventures
is
the
industry
leader
in
research,
data,
consul7ng,
and
advisory
services
for
the
higher
educa7on
community.
For
20
years,
college
and
university
leaders
and
educa7on
industry
providers
have
looked
to
Eduventures
for
innova7ve
and
forward-­‐
looking
ideas,
for
insights
into
best
prac7ces,
and
for
help
with
making
the
strategic
and
opera7onal
decisions
vital
to
their
success.
More
about
Eduventures
can
be
found
at
www.eduventures.com.
About
Eduventures
2

3. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Overview
3
At
a
7me
when
higher
educa7on
is
facing
more
cri7que
than
any
point
in
recent
memory,
it
is
cri7cal
that
colleges
and
universi7es
priori7ze,
focus,
and
evolve
their
opera7ons
and
their
offerings.
Here
are
the
areas
we
believe
that
higher
educa7on
leaders
should
pay
par7cular
aOen7on
to
in
2014:
• The
con7nued
scru7ny
of
higher
educa7on
• The
priori7za7on
of
outcomes
• The
reten7on
culture
• The
blended
learning
opportunity
• The
regionaliza7on
of
online
higher
educa7on
This
presenta,on
offers
an
overview
of
the
data
points
that
are
discussed
and
analyzed
in
the
report
Priori%ze,
Focus,
Evolve:
Five
Cri%cal
Issues
Facing
Higher
Educa%on
Leaders
in
2014.
For
the
full
report,
contact
your
client
services
advisor
or
visit
www.eduventures.com/priori,ze2014

4. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Con,nued
Scru,ny
of
Higher
Educa,on

5. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
value
of
a
college
educa,on
has
never
been
called
more
into
ques,on.
In
fact,
24%
of
alumni
who
have
graduated
in
the
last
ten
years
think
the
cost
of
their
educa,on
exceeded
its
value.
The
Con7nued
Scru7ny
of
Higher
Educa7on
5
73%
3%
64%
6%
52%
9%
43%
15%
34%
24%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Value
exceeds
cost
Cost
exceeds
value
1972
and
Earlier
1973
to
1982
1983
to
1992
1993
to
2002
Young
Alumni
Source:
Eduventures
Alumni
Pulse
Survey

6. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
impact
of
the
percep,on
of
value
is
not
abstract,
par,cularly
when
taken
in
context
with
debt
load.
The
average
student
debt
load
is
$27,000.
At
that
level,
it
impacts
your
alumni’s
propensity
to
give
back:
The
Con7nued
Scru7ny
of
Higher
Educa7on
6
Source:
Eduventures
Alumni
Pulse
Survey
16%
12%
6%
3%
2%
2%
1%
15%
13%
9%
4%
3%
4%
2%
12%
13%
10%
6%
5%
8%
3%
Less
than
$10,000
$10,001
-­‐
$20,000
$20,001
-­‐
$30,000
$30,001
-­‐
$40,000
$40,001
-­‐
$50,000
$50,001
-­‐
$100,000
More
than
$100,000
Current
Donor
Lapsed
Donor
Long-­‐Lapsed
Donor
Debt
at
these
levels
significantly
impacts
alumni
giving.

7. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Con7nued
Scru7ny
of
Higher
Educa7on
7
What
This
Means:
Even
amongst
higher
educa7on’s
biggest
cri7cs,
it
is
s7ll
acknowledged
that
there
is
value
in
the
tradi7onal
college
educa7on.
However,
it
is
incumbent
on
university
leaders
to
clearly
define
that
value
they
offer
their
stakeholders,
and
communicate
what
it
is
and
is
not.
Ques,ons
to
Consider:
q What
is
your
ins7tu7on’s
unique
value
proposi7on?
How
does
it
stack
up
against
your
compe7tors?
q Do
your
marke7ng
materials
discuss
features
or
benefits?
q What
is
your
assessment
strategy?
Do
you
faculty
buy
into
and
ac7vity
par7cipate
in
it?
q What
is
the
average
debt
load
of
your
students?
How
is
that
impac7ng
your
alumni
par7cipa7on?

8. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Priori,za,on
of
Outcomes

9. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
For
the
first
,me,
career
prepara,on
is
outpacing
academics,
social
environment
and
affordability
as
the
top
driver
of
college
enrollment
among
tradi,onal-­‐aged
students.
The
Priori7za7on
of
Outcomes
9
Source:
Eduventures
College
Bound
Market
Update
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
Career
prepara7on
Core
academics
Academic
environment
Affordability
Social
environment
Advanced
academic
opportuni7es
Physical
environment
Diversity
of
academic
opportuni7es
2011
2012
2013

10. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
If
the
career
prepara,on
you
provide
your
students
once
they
enroll
does
not
meet
expecta,ons,
it
will
impact
their
propensity
to
make
a
giX
aXer
they
graduate.
The
Priori7za7on
of
Outcomes
10
Source:
Eduventures
Alumni
Pulse
Survey
33%
57%
8%
27%
59%
13%
19%
57%
23%
Exceeded
Expecta7ons
Met
Expecta7ons
Did
Not
Meet
Expecta7ons
Will
make
a
gie
Unsure
Will
not
make
a
gie

11. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Con7nued
Scru7ny
of
Higher
Educa7on
11
What
This
Means:
It
has
never
been
more
cri7cal
for
colleges
and
universi7es
to
integrate
career
services
throughout
the
student
lifecycle.
This
effort
should
be
driven
by
a
career
development
office
that
is
heavily
integrated
with
all
aspects
of
the
experience,
from
admissions
to
academics
to
alumni
rela7ons.
Ques,ons
to
Consider:
q How
early
are
your
students
proac7vely
engaged
in
career-­‐related
programming?
q How
does
your
career
development
office
engage
with
alumni?
q How
does
your
career
development
office
partner
with
the
admissions
office?
The
faculty?
The
alumni
rela7ons
office?
q How
are
you
tracking
the
outcomes
of
your
graduates?
How
are
you
repor7ng
that
informa7on
to
your
stakeholders?

12. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Reten,on
Culture

13. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Reten,on
is
usually
considered
to
be
a
top
revenue-­‐producing
strategy.
However,
only
32%
of
colleges
dedicate
a
full-­‐,me
posi,on
to
the
effort.
The
Reten7on
Culture
13
Source:
Eduventures
Study
of
Reten7on
Outperformers
32%
64%
Full-­‐7me
posi7on
whose
primary
role
is
reten7on
management
Reten7on
commiOee
*Ins%tu%ons
are
allowed
to
select
both
op%ons

14. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
While
the
majority
of
colleges
provide
ongoing
programming
to
aid
reten,on
efforts,
the
target
of
those
popula,ons
is
wildly
inconsistent
across
student
popula,ons.
The
Reten7on
Culture
14
Source:
Eduventures
Study
of
Reten7on
Outperformers
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Living-­‐learning
communi7es
Academic
difficulty
interven7on
program
Mandatory
no7fica7on
of
grades
Mandatory
repor7ng
of
aOendance
Academic
tutoring
or
coaching
Debt
management
programs
for
enrolled
student

15. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Reten7on
Culture
15
What
This
Means:
When
it
comes
to
retaining
students,
colleges
need
to
think
holis7cally,
addressing
aspects
of
the
experience
for
the
full
mix
of
student
types
on
an
ongoing
basis,
including
academic,
social,
and
financial
factors.
Ques,ons
to
Consider:
q Who
is
accountable
for
reten7on
strategy
at
your
college?
What
percent
of
their
7me
do
they
spend
focusing
on
it?
q What
tac7cs
make
up
your
current
reten7on
strategy?
q How
well
do
you
prepare
new
students
to
know
what
they
need
to
do
to
complete
on
7me?
q How
do
you
support
the
success
of
your
online
and
adult
learner
popula7ons?
q How
do
you
support
or
incen7vize
faculty
to
support
student
reten7on
through
advising?

16. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Blended
Learning
Opportunity

17. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Interest
in
returning
to
school
is
declining
among
adult
learners.
The
Blended
Learning
Opportunity
17
Source:
Eduventures
Adult
Higher
Educa7on
Consumer
32.6%
44.8%
22.6%
31.1%
45.5%
23.3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Go
to
school
in
3
years
Don't
an7cipate
school,
but
interested
Don't
an7cipate
school,
not
interested
2012
2013

18. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
preference
for
adults
of
every
age
–
from
18
to
65-­‐years-­‐old
and
above
–
is
for
a
blended
learning
experience
which
incorporates
a
mix
of
box
campus
and
online
to
varying
degrees.
The
Blended
Learning
Opportunity
18
Source:
Eduventures
Adult
Higher
Educa7on
Consumer
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
18-­‐22
23-­‐24
25-­‐29
30-­‐34
35-­‐39
40-­‐44
45-­‐49
50-­‐54
55-­‐59
60-­‐64
65
and
above
Even
mix-­‐
campus/online
Campus
only
Online
only
Most
campus,
some
online
Most
online,
some
campus

19. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Blended
Learning
Opportunity
19
What
This
Means:
We
believe
that
the
future
of
the
university
is
a
mul7-­‐channel
strategy
that
leverages
technology
to
enhance
teaching
and
learning,
drive
down
costs,
and
produce
desired
learner
outcomes
across
a
variety
of
delivery
mediums.
It’s
the
overlap
and
increased
number
of
op7ons
that
will
dis7nguish
the
brand
and
aOract
new
students,
while
also
scaling
to
provide
a
more
robust
all
around
academic
experience
at
a
reduced
cost
to
the
university.
Ques,ons
to
Consider:
q Where
are
you
currently
offering
blended
learning
opportuni7es?
Where
are
the
opportuni7es
for
expansion?
q How
are
your
online
and
campus
offerings
currently
structure?
Where
is
there
opportunity
for
integra7on?
q Does
your
current
technology
support
an
integrated,
mul7-­‐channel
delivery
approach?
Does
your
organiza7onal
structure?

20. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Regionaliza,on
of
Online
Educa,on

21. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Last
year,
we
reported
that
growth
in
the
online
market
was
going
to
plateau.
With
just
7%
growth
in
2013,
that
trend
is
holding
true.
The
Regionaliza7on
of
Online
Educa7on
21
Source:
Eduventures
Online
Market
Update
66%
20%
9%
7%
2%
16%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
0
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Es7mated
Online
Headcount
%
Growth

22. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Though
large
scale
providers
(5,000+
online
students)
make
up
only
3%
of
the
market,
they
control
45%
of
total
online
student
enrollment,
leaving
middle
market
providers
(1,000
–
4,999
students)
and
small
scale
providers
(less
than
1,000
students)
figh,ng
for
55%
of
the
remaining
share.
The
Regionaliza7on
of
Online
Educa7on
22
Source:
Eduventures
Online
Market
Update
77%
20%
20%
35%
3%
45%
Small
Scale
Middle
Market
Large
Scale
Percent
of
schools
in
the
online
market,
by
headcount.
Percent
of
the
online
market
they
control,
by
scale.

23. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
The
Regionaliza7on
of
Online
Educa7on
23
What
This
Means:
The
satura7on
of
the
online
market,
combined
with
the
plateaued
growth
of
online
headcount
and
increased
regula7on,
means
the
wise
online
strategy
for
new
providers,
or
current
small
and
mid-­‐sized
providers
seeking
growth,
is
a
regional
one.
Ques,ons
to
Consider:
q What
is
your
short-­‐term
online
strategy?
Your
five
year
plan?
Ten
year
plan?
q How
much
do
you
want
to
grow?
Is
your
goal
to
be
a
small
scale,
middle
market,
or
large
scale
provider?
q What
is
the
compe77ve
landscape
for
online
educa7on
in
your
region?
How
does
your
school
fit
into
it?
q What
careers
are
poised
for
growth
in
your
region?
How
are
you
online
academic
offerings
addressing
the
local
need?
q What
are
your
marque
online
academic
offerings?
What
programs
may
you
want
to
consider
sunsekng
in
the
next
several
years?

24. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
Addi,onal
Resources

25. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
o College
Value
and
Affordability:
Thoughts
on
the
President’s
Proposed
College
Scorecard:
hfp://bit.ly/valueandaffordability
o The
Importance
of
Communica7ng
and
Delivering
Value
to
Your
Students:
hfp://bit.ly/communica,ngvalue
o The
Rising
Cost
of
Not
Going
To
College:
hfp://bit.ly/pewcollegevalue
o What
Really
MaOers
to
Alumni
(Complimentary
Webinar
Recording):
hfp://bit.ly/whatreallymaferstoalumni
The
Con,nued
Scru,ny
of
Higher
Educa,on
Addi7onal
Resources
25
o Integra7ng
Career
Development:
hfp://bit.ly/integra,ngcareer
o An
Era
of
Scru7ny:
hfp://bit.ly/eraofscru,ny
The
Priori,za,on
of
Outcomes

26. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
o Eduventures
Reten7on
Ra7ngs:
hfp://www.eduventures.com/reten,on
o Reten7on
and
Adult
Learners:
hfp://bit.ly/adultlearnerreten,on
The
Reten,on
Culture
Addi7onal
Resources
26
o The
Coun7ng
Wars
–
The
Size
Debate
of
the
Online
Learning
Market:
hfp://bit.ly/coun,ngwars
o What
Happened
to
the
Online
Market?:
hfp://bit.ly/theonlinemarket
The
Regionaliza,on
of
Online
Educa,on
o Trend
to
Blend:
hfp://www.eduventures.com/trendtoblend
o Today’s
Adult
Higher
Educa7on
Consumer:
hfp://bit.ly/adulthigheredconsumer
The
Blended
Learning
Opportunity

27. ©
2014
Eduventures,
Inc.
This
presenta7on
offers
an
overview
of
the
data
points
that
are
discussed
and
analyzed
in
the
report
Priori%ze,
Focus,
Evolve:
Five
Cri%cal
Issues
Facing
Higher
Educa%on
Leaders
in
2014.
For
the
full
report,
contact
your
client
services
advisor
or
visit
www.eduventures.com/priori,ze2014
Want
more?
27