Universities are faced with rising costs and shrinking margins, and the challenges are many. Student attraction and retention remains a priority, amid an ever changing mix of domestic and international students. There is no doubt the competition for international and other highly sought-after students has been heightened by COVID, and the ability to manage profitability through this change is important. Cybersecurity remains one of the biggest threats to campus reputation, who can’t afford to see their systems brought down by hackers. Not to mention the staffing pressure.
Since 2014 the number of higher education students in the UK has increased by 400,000, while in the same time frame 15,000 academics have left the sector, pushing up the staff-to-student ratio dramatically. These are thought provoking statistics to say the least, particularly as UCAS predicts UK universities will see one million applicants by 2028.
The trend is clear – universities are going to need to do more, better, with less. With the number of students rising and the number of staff falling, we need to put care and attention into how to protect and improve the student experience.
Despite the drive for efficiency, hybrid learning and the digital transformation many universities have started undertaking, the staff-to-student ratio, at least superficially, presents a challenge to the student experience, all of whom expect high teaching standards, exemplary services, and a focus on their wellbeing.
