Visiting a wide selection of UK universities as part of the 2014, undergraduate intake ‘open day’ round, it is interesting to see how a cross section of ‘top ten’ universities are responding to the changes in the funding and delivery of higher education and the challenges they all now face.  Universities fall into one of four categories in this context:

• Aware and responded
• Aware and responding
• Aware and reacting
• Unaware (or in denial)

There is a fifth category: ‘Oxbridge’, which currently stands outside this process.

The best university visited has already completed a £750m upgrade programme, with aspirations to double that in the next five years.  Their new buildings and facilities are student and faculty focussed, with a joined-up, blended learning environment, including full, online video and audio lecture capture, and first-class student study spaces which are supporting increased student numbers and attracting world-class academics.  The event was hosted by a variety of staff and students all of whom are 100% ‘enthusiastic boosters’ of the university.

The least prepared institution is indistinguishable from a provincial university of the 1970′s with no VLE anywhere to be found.  An academic hosting the course tour explained that he didn’t know the answer to any questions and regaled everyone with interminable stories about the unfairness of his recent demotion from Head of Department.

The universities who were aware and responding to the demands of students, put on a professional ‘open day’ experience, with committed and informed staff and good quality materials.  They were also much more flexible in the way their grade offers are structured (including both ‘with-STEP’ and ‘without-STEP’ offers for example) and fully supported, tutor-led industrial placements.

Below that, it is a continuum of gradually worsening performance where some universities have not realised that they are now ‘marketing’ themselves in a highly competitive arena.  Every prospective ‘customer’ lost, due to inept handling or inappropriate course structures, is a £27k – £36k revenue gain for one of their competitors.  One of the universities visited said their decline in student applications was a bonus because, in previous years, they had been over-subscribed (possibly because of their London location, rather than their academic excellence).  So rather than using the revenue from those extra students to secure investment and enhance their facilities, they had instead, previously raised their grade boundaries to moderate the intake.  This year applications have fallen.  They may realise, too late, that when they relax the grade boundaries, applications will instead continue to fall uncontrollably because they have become uncompetitive.

This is one of the biggest issues faced by institutions which suddenly find themselves ‘aware and reacting’; with their student numbers already declining and no improvement programmes in place.  Remaining competitive in the current landscape requires significant investment and experienced organisational management.  Securing development funding when revenues are plummeting requires ever more innovative finance schemes and may ultimately be unsuccessful in the short timeframe available to them.

An exception to this is Oxbridge.  In a discussion with some prospective students at the aforementioned ‘best’ university, they were all very impressed by the staff and the environment, and how it was presented to them during the open day. This university had immediately moved to the top of their list.  Except that some of them were also applying to Oxbridge, whose facilities many thought, were not as good.  However, given the choice, they would still choose an Oxbridge university because the ‘reputation’ was more likely to improve their employment prospects once they graduate.

It has been a very interesting two weeks, which have really highlighted the broad variation in readiness for the new world of UK higher education.  Many have embraced the changes and are responding effectively.  Sadly, some may not survive.  For the others, I hope they are able to embrace change and new technology, including the opportunities available from MOOC’s and the benefits available from the enhancement of their distance learning programmes.  It is a fact that, in times of great change, come great opportunities.  For sure, in five years time, the UK ‘top ten university’ list will look very different from how it looks today.