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VC’ s corner
Essential attributes universities should embody to deliver solid student outcomes.
By Justin Beilby
More students than ever are making the decision to enrol in higher education in this country, an outstanding milestone, but it also comes at a time when students are more discerning than ever about what a prospective university should offer them. It’ s a challenge university leaders need to embrace.
Whilst there will always be a proportion of students enrolled purely for the love of learning, which is admirable, this is not the case for the majority. Most are well aware that in a competitive and increasingly international marketplace, obtaining a higher education qualification is virtually a prerequisite to secure a professional post. Most are seeking to improve their employment prospects upon graduation, and it’ s the responsibility of progressive institutions to help them achieve that goal, by crafting programs and creating a learning environment that will give graduates the best possible opportunities once they leave the halls of higher education.
So what attributes should a university offer, in 2015 and beyond, to help students achieve this?
There is no standard approach, but there are common elements that directly target and improve a student’ s prospects of obtaining the role that’ s right for them and right for their employer. It could be termed the duty of care in the unwritten contract between students, academic staff and other interlocutors at higher education institutions.
Firstly, engagement is essential. Regardless of how good a program’ s academic credentials are, if students don’ t see the program through they have fallen at the very first hurdle, so it is vital today’ s universities are geared to engage today’ s students.
Whilst lecture theatres of the past were fit for purpose then, the contemporary‘ serve me now’ world of instantaneous reinforcement and the desire for individual recognition means they are no longer the best way to meet students’ objectives.
Rather, today’ s students – young and mature-aged – are better suited to smaller class sizes with a more hands-on experience – so experts are present not just at the point of need, but throughout a student’ s program of study. This should take place in innovative learning spaces designed to foster discussion and collaboration, rather than the model of old, where it was one speaker to many listeners. It may seem obvious, but it hasn’ t always been.
Offering flexible programs that students can realistically complete whilst balancing work, personal and other commitments alongside study – and enabling students to enter the workforce sooner – should also be central planks in helping students stay the course through to graduation.
Flexible study modes, including a hybrid of campus and online learning and options to fast-track study and enter the workforce sooner without compromising program quality are evidence of universities lending an ear and acting upon what they hear, to meet the needs of the contemporary student. This enables ease of study by integrating programs as seamlessly as possible for today’ s time-poor students. We know working and studying together is beneficial to a student, but getting the balance right is fundamental, too.
Working in tandem with industry should also be part of a university’ s commitment to its students.
The Australian Graduate Survey suggests employment seekers need to cast their nets widely in order to obtain a full-time position after graduation. What this demonstrates, to me, is that universities could do better in matching programs to market demand, ensuring that the experience, knowledge and skills they gain whilst enrolled at our institutions will put them in the best possible position not just to get a job, but to be able to quickly become productive in that role and deliver the skills their employers’ seek – and not just on paper.
Ensuring programs are matched to industry needs, via industry partnerships and regular consultation, should mean the companies where graduates will ultimately end up are having direct input into how programs are designed.
Through the facilitation of work placements during a student’ s program, the connection between prospective employer and employee will have, ideally, already been broached by graduation day. Again, so graduates can be given the best possible start to their professional lives or, for those finishing postgraduate study, the best chance of securing a better role than the one they left behind.
As Dr Alessandro Piacentini wrote in a paper commissioned by the South Australia Department of Premier and Cabinet, it is the mutual integration between university and companies that can advance the“ service mission of universities as they become more involved in their community’ s growth and prosperity”. And he is right. There are benefits universities offer industry and vice versa – from highly skilled graduates to new ideas, market awareness to the enrichment of higher education programs. If we think about it, the collaboration between higher education and industry is key to positive student outcomes and innovation. It also makes sense in meeting market demand and improving our national productivity.
And the market, understandably, is vastly different to that of our parents’ generation – domestically and internationally. Globalisation has opened up doors and broken down barriers to jobs in countries far outside Australia’ s borders. It is, therefore, essential that higher education institutions – particularly those in the increasingly interconnected Asia-Pacific region – recognise our students are global citizens, and future jobseekers, in a truly global marketplace.
Initiatives such as international mentoring, partnerships with sister institutions in other countries and leveraging the latest international curriculums are just some of the ways universities can deliver a global context to a student’ s learning.
The facilitation of meaningful, international student exchanges is another – the benefits of which have been embraced by policymakers. This is evidenced by programs such as the Australian Government’ s New Colombo Plan to support overseas internships and mentorships in the Indo-Pacific region.
Finally, looking beyond teaching a student the necessary technical skills, there is still a fundamental area universities can do more to deliver positive graduate outcomes: strengthening so-called soft skills.
For contemporary universities, a focus on soft skills such as public speaking, team dynamics, project management and communication – whatever the undergraduate or postgraduate program – is more important than ever but what do these look like in the workforce, and how can we teach them at a university level?
Obviously it looks different in different industries, but the principles remain the same. It means a graduate employed in graphic design, for example, should be able to deliver convincing visual presentations, to talk in depth about his or her portfolio, to take a detailed client brief, to liaise and work with copywriters and other creatives and have a sound knowledge of industry best practice.
Returning to my original question of what today’ s universities should be doing to deliver solid student outcomes, it comes back to the unwritten‘ contract’ between students and their learning institution. The success of the university is measured by its ability to deliver a learning environment and quality program specifically designed to boost employability upon graduation. n
Professor Justin Beilby is vice-chancellor of Torrens University Australia.
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