CEO Keys: The Year of the Student
In the monthly CEO Keys blog series, 91直播Education CEO Steve Fireng shares his thoughts and insights into the most prevalent topics in the higher education industry today.
You鈥檝e heard the adage that the customer is always right. It鈥檚 a saying that鈥檚 been around for decades. The problem is, until recently, it has only rung true in very narrow contexts. Salespeople may have told unhappy customers what they wanted to hear, but the stores still ran the show. Customers had to meet retailers, financial institutions, healthcare providers and, yes, universities, on the institutions鈥 terms.
Now, however, all that is starting to shift 鈥 and nowhere is the shift more apparent than in higher education. Our 鈥渃ustomers鈥 are our students, and they are demanding that we meet their needs. If we don鈥檛 allow them to influence the degrees we offer, the employment paths we encourage, and the flexibility to study on their own terms, we will lose them.
That鈥檚 why I have declared 2018 the year of the student. In my recent 2018 outlook blog, I said that in today鈥檚 competitive learning environment, 鈥渟tudents are taking control of their educational experience. Universities need to meet students where they are, not expect students to come to them. Those that don鈥檛 innovate will quickly be left behind.鈥 Putting students before profit, tradition, and even outcomes is more important than ever. Fortunately, when we put the students first, the profit, tradition and outcomes are sure to follow.
At Keypath, our mission is to create global access to online education. Effectively, we are helping universities put their students first, regardless of geographic location. We are deeply passionate about the student experience, and we are dedicated to bringing that passion to our university partnerships.
We believe in breaking down the misconception that online learning is inferior to campus-based learning. We believe in enabling access to higher education for everyone, and we believe in making sure our students know that however they choose to learn is the right way.
We believe in letting our students know that their reasons for choosing distance learning are as valid as they are varied. We think they deserve the same transformative higher education experience online as we鈥檝e delivered in the classroom for decades.
And across the globe, we鈥檙e making sure that students are being put first. Here are just a few examples of how our university partners are impacting students鈥 lives through exceptional online learning experiences:
- Paul Betts, MBA graduate of Southern Cross University Online on : 鈥淏efore I started my degree with SCU Online, I didn鈥檛 think I had time to do another degree. I have a wife, I have two children in primary school, and I like to compete in triathlons. The week I finished my course, I was offered a role as a general manager in an operational role. Without the flexibility of SCU Online, I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to complete this course.鈥
- Dana Pina, MSW student at Florida State University Online, on : 鈥淢y mother went back to grad school at 50 years old, so I had that as an example to look at. I knew I wanted to go farther and I knew it needed to be an online program because I needed that flexibility. I can鈥檛 commit to sitting in a class on certain days at certain times because I have to work and take care of my children.鈥
- Nicole Nerkowski, Master of Science in Lean Manufacturing graduate from Kettering University Online, on : 鈥淚 have a passion for the automotive industry and manufacturing, and I wanted to see that same focus in whatever school I chose for my degree. Another reason was because one of my idols in the automotive industry, the CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, is an alumnus. I figured if she could go to Kettering and get to where she is today, the school would bring great opportunities for me as well.鈥
The Year of the Student means opportunities for them to have their voices heard, their schedules accounted for and their dreams realized. It means opportunities for you, too: to adapt to the changing technological world, to create global access to quality higher education, and to prove to your 鈥渃ustomers鈥 that you are listening.聽
So I ask you: What will you do this year to make your student鈥檚 experience exceptional?