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Thinking in Loops

Circularity is the pathway to Sustainability.
Achieving circularity in HigherEd lays the foundation for success.

Closing the Loops

The circular economy concept can be traced back to the late 1980s. It found its way into the academic curriculum many years back. However, it has yet to become a management guide for higher education leaders. 

Education is, in many dimensions, a One-Way-Street: 

  • A candidate joins the university, graduates - and never comes back.
  • A faculty dedicates an important fraction of his time to research, publishes a paper - and it gets archived.
  • The marketing budget to attract new students is growing yearly - and people wonder why.

Imagine how powerful the transformation would be if your graduates become lifelong learners, the faculty leverages the student community for ongoing feedback, and the marketing budget decreases as happy alumni continue recommending new candidates. 

 

University Success Framework

Leveraging 75 years of experience in Higher Education

In our framework, we are exploring four dimensions:

  1. Central to our approach is the learner's experience. This journey is encapsulated in the ONBOARDING loop from the initial attraction to the university through the selection and enrollment process.
  2. The path doesn't end there; it evolves as students immerse themselves in a vibrant community, celebrate graduation, and transition into valued alums, all within the COMMUNITY loop.
  3. The robust backbone of the institution, the INSTITUTION loop, supports such endeavors.
  4. Completing our holistic framework is the INTERNATIONALIZATION loop, where we ambitiously extend our reach to the global stage.

University Success is created by the alignment of processes throughout those four dimensions. 

University Success Framework-Aug-23-2024-10-26-51-3596-AM
Scroll down to explore the different concepts further and see how you can upskill your team around those dimensions. 

The Yin-Yang of
Student Attraction

Onboarding captures the journey from the first contact until enrollment. It entails strategies and processes for student recruitment, admissions, enrollment, and financial aid.

The goal is to make joining your community a seamless and joyful experience while maintaining rigor and selectivity.

Building the Sense of Belonging

Fostering enduring bonds and instilling a deep-rooted sense of community within the institution and its members through student engagements, academic experiences, and shaping post-graduation trajectories. 

Community 3
Community 4

Contextualizing
Your Positioning

This dimension embodies the institution's strategic growth, reputation, engagement with key stakeholders, and economic resilience. Your academic strategy in terms of product portfolio, research initiatives and faculty selection is intertwined with the previous dimensions. 

Entering the
next phase of growth

Although this aspect might not be the ultimate challenge to achieving university success, the importance of excelling in earlier stages must be considered for success in this area. Our approach includes developing a comprehensive partnership framework, refining recruitment tactics, and enhancing research partnerships. This dimension aims to elevate our university's reputation and foster a global platform for expansion.

Community 2-3