It has been an interesting few weeks for Higher Education.  Last week, the Economist published a great article on the need to reform education—the challenges demanding it, and the factors accelerating the ability to transform.

In the past few weeks, several Pennsylvania liberal arts colleges announced a wide spread coalition to discuss ways of “helping with costs” and creating advantage.

In mid June, leaders of several Philadelphia Universities met to discuss ways to collaborate to help Philadelphia Universities enhance their abilities to cope with an increasingly competitive environment and substantial cost pressures.

These are great signs.  The common press is starting to bring the issues both into focus and position them in an appropriately broad context.

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21605906-cost-crisis-changing-labour-markets-and-new-technology-will-turn-old-institution-its

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/campus_inq/Ten-Pa-liberal-arts-colleges-to-collaborate-on-cost-savings.html#YlsCvbs6ekVxE2XI.9

Attached is a brief US Higher Education Industry Analysis.  This was used as part of the workshop materials with the Philadelphia University leaders.  We purposefully kept the analysis broad, because we believe that the industry change conversation needs to be broad based and generative.  20140706 US Higher Education Industry Analysis

US private mainstream higher education institutions will have to do a lot of things quickly and well to get ahead of the daunting competitive wave. The level, intensity and pace of change of course will vary depending upon each university’s perceived competitive position, its capacity to change and its resolve.