Embracing a “One School” Approach for a Better Student Experience
Let’s draw a line in the sand. On one side, we have a university campus and its on-ground offerings. On the other side, we have the digital higher education space and the online programs that live within it.
Traditionally, this line has been stark and rigid, with universities treating the two modalities as separate entities with dedicated teams, technology, systems, budgets, and strategies.
The initial separation was, in part, driven by the perception of online education as a lesser counterpart to its on-ground equivalent. This view may have held some truth in the early stages of digital learning. But the division has come with a cost, as institutions have had to do double the work, which is inefficient.
We can all see that significant changes are underway. Traditional educational boundaries are fading, with online learning gaining respect and sophistication. There are online programs that outpace their on-ground counterparts in quality and rigor. We’re looking at a future where traditional, hybrid, and online modalities are integrated, balancing both quality and accessibility.
As we leave the comfort of land and head out to sea, embracing a holistic approach is the way forward for universities.
Separation Comes at a Cost
The traditional division between on-ground and online learning modalities increases costs and complicates operations for institutions, weakening their ability to present a unified, powerful brand to prospective students. Here are a few of the pain points:
Fragmented Systems
Multiple Platforms: Utilizing different customer relationship management (CRM) systems, student information systems (SIS), and learning management systems (LMS) introduces inefficiencies. Each platform requires its own set of training, maintenance, and integration protocols. Those protocols often don’t integrate well, either.
Increased Costs: The need to support various tech stacks and administrative systems significantly drives up operational costs, as resources are duplicated across the board.
Conflicting Marketing Strategies
Brand Fragmentation: With separate marketing teams for its on-ground and online programs, an institution risks sending mixed messages to potential students. This can lead to brand dilution and confusion about what the university stands for.
Measurement Challenges: Disparate strategies make it difficult to track and analyze the effectiveness of marketing efforts. This makes the decisions on where to invest marketing dollars effectively difficult.
Diluted Resources
Split Focus: Dividing an institution’s time, talent, and budget between its on-ground and online initiatives means neither receives the full investment needed to thrive. This can result in underperforming programs that fail to meet their potential.
By managing resources under one unified strategy, universities can maximize the impact of their educational offerings, ensuring that both online and on-ground programs benefit from full institutional support and cohesion.
Advances in Online Learning Have Closed the Quality Gap
Technology is rapidly advancing, and higher ed is keeping pace with the changes. As institutions become more skilled at applying learning technologies, the following shifts have occurred:
- Tech Innovations: Cutting-edge technologies have enabled more interactive and engaging learning environments. Tools such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence (AI) are being used to enhance classroom interactions and provide personalized learning experiences at scale.
- Instructional Design: Modern instructional design tailors course content for digital consumption, optimizing learning outcomes. This involves structuring courses to leverage digital tools effectively, ensuring that the quality of online learning is equal to that of traditional classroom learning.
- Faculty Training: Universities have increasingly invested in training faculty to excel in online settings. This includes equipping them with the skills to use digital tools effectively and to engage students who are not physically present.
Today, online courses match on-ground courses in their rigor and depth and offer the flexibility and accessibility that modern students demand. It’s a win-win. The shift isn’t just about maintaining academic standards; it’s about enhancing them to make education more inclusive and adaptable to students’ varied lifestyles.
The Case for a “One School” Strategy
As the distinction between online and on-ground academic quality becomes murkier, more universities are beginning to embrace a “one school” strategy. This holistic approach integrates online and on-ground modalities into a single, unified brand, ensuring a seamless and coherent student experience.
It’s kind of like how my son doesn’t see the athletics department, student advising, and his faculty members as being on different teams with different budget sources. They all make up one thing — his university and the way it feels to be a student.
By operating under a single brand, universities can streamline their processes, unify their messaging, and bolster their identity, enhancing their appeal in a competitive educational market. The unified brand experience provides students with a consistent set of resources and support mechanisms, which proves crucial in building trust and satisfaction.
The shift toward a one school strategy also aligns with the evolving preferences and expectations of students, particularly their growing desire for flexible learning environments. Modern students increasingly favor hybrid experiences — asynchronous learning modules combined with synchronous meetings. This allows them to manage their schedules while benefiting from real-time interactions.
Adopting this approach not only improves the overall experience for students but also positions institutions to more effectively manage their resources, enhance their operational efficiency, and strengthen their academic offerings across the board, redefining the educational experience to be more inclusive and adaptable to today’s learners.
Adopting a one school approach helps universities accomplish goals such as the following:
1. Establish a Unified Systems and Technology Stack
Currently, the existence of different application systems for different modalities often leads to disparate experiences and management challenges, increasing the risk of students falling through the cracks. A unified technology stack can address these issues, fostering a more integrated and seamless educational environment.
Using the same CRM and SIS systems across an organization can significantly streamline operations in all areas, from marketing through student retention. This unification not only reduces operational costs but also consolidates institutional data, enabling more effective tracking and support of student activities.
2. Create an Integrated Marketing Strategy
Universities often work with multiple marketing agencies that compete against each other using similar keywords but with slightly different visuals and landing pages. Bad idea. This not only dilutes the marketing efforts but also creates confusion for students who are comparing programs.
An integrated approach helps streamline these efforts, ensuring a cohesive, clear marketing message that effectively attracts and retains students.
3. Align Academic and Enrollment Calendars
A particularly troubling symptom of separate identities within a university is differing enrollment calendars for online and on-ground offerings. Online programs typically offer more start dates throughout the year.
With a single enrollment calendar, however, universities can eliminate this confusion and simplify the experience for students who might engage in both modalities. Additionally, as faculty members frequently teach in both online and on-ground formats, a unified calendar ensures that all students have equal access to faculty resources, regardless of the learning format.
A Note on Organizational … Resistance
While the theoretical benefits of integrating online and on-ground educational modalities are clear, the practical implementation can face organizational resistance. This stems from the “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset, presenting real challenges in terms of system integration and cultural adaptation.
Addressing these challenges requires a strategic approach and readiness to tackle potential roadblocks. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Data migration from separate systems can quickly become a miserable task. Institutions should consider a phased integration plan with substantial buy-in from technology teams. Prioritizing key areas and establishing a unified data strategy can streamline this process.
- Faculty and staff who are accustomed to operating within separate models may have concerns about changes to their job roles, security, workload, and work quality. That’s natural. Engaging stakeholders early, providing clear communication, and offering comprehensive training are important for easing this transition.
- Merging marketing strategies might initially increase confusion. A deliberate process beginning with a comprehensive brand audit can help align key messages and value propositions. Starting with a unified marketing plan that leverages institutional strengths can facilitate smoother consolidation, guiding teams toward a cohesive strategy.
You Don’t Have to Implement the One School Model Alone
Starting the journey toward overhauling the outdated model and creating a unified experience can be complex and challenging, but you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Archer Education is equipped to empower your institution at every step with our growth enablement approach, offering expert guidance in storytelling, technology, audience insights, and data analytics to support a seamless transition to the one school model. Then, once things are up and running, you’ll have the internal knowledge and capacities you need to cast us out to sea.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you integrate your educational offerings and maximize the potential of your institution.
