by TIM WINKLER

You can’t wait for the traditional off-site planning retreat

Data from millions of student queries to the independent Good Universities Guide, demonstrates huge changes in student information searches – and clear evidence that universities cannot take domestic student demand for granted, regardless of their ranking (CMM September 6).

With research funding in decline, lectures being replaced by more engaging teaching practices, a rapid uptake in direct entry applications, enduring caps on undergraduate places, and a federal election imminent, we don’t know anyone willing to bet that HE will be anything like used to be.

So CMM and Twig Marketing will convene our third conference for the year, focusing on issues that once were put in the marketing and recruitment box but are now core-focus for every higher education policy maker and shaper.

Nine vice-chancellors and a bunch of other experts will tackle topics on reshaping and reclaiming the identity of HE institutions, and the gap that can often occur between educators and employers in working out which graduates Australia really wants.

It is no longer sustainable to fall back on traditional expectations of what courses should be offered, how they should be delivered, what research can be afforded and prioritised, when recruitment campaigns should occur, how applications should be evaluated or even fundamental questions about the value people place value in traditional education and training.

Students have tools to seek and achieve credentials outside the academic system, meaning there are big questions about both the opportunity and threat of alternative admissions criteria – with new systems and approaches being developed by institutions and states.

Line up some big ideas for the new-year offsite @ Redefining Value online Conference Dec 1-3 : here