Innovation and the Dynamic Future of Mass Higher Education

Dr. Michael K. Thomas

President & CEONew England Board of Higher Education

Boston, Massachusetts

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”

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?

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.

Fostering InnovationLeadership, 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”

Fostering InnovationUnderstand 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?

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”

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

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

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

Dr. Michael K. ThomasNew England Board of Higher Education

mthomas@nebhe.orgwww.nebhe.org617-357-9620

45 Temple PlaceBoston, MA 02111