A SMART APPROACH Using technology effectively can redefine how campus space is used, maximise its potential, make it more environmentally friendly and help business schools create connected, thriving communities. Smart places consultant Charlie MacDowall explains how
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ig or small, campuses are critical to enabling the vision and strategy of business schools. From excellent learning outcomes to impactful research or the health and wellbeing of staff and students, they need to create a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows a range of diverse stakeholders to flourish. Managing higher education campuses has always been a mammoth task. Spanning teaching and research facilities, communal and service areas, as well as a range of community initiatives, the stakeholder landscape and array of facilities required are vast. Business schools must now also factor in major shifts in user needs to accommodate hybrid working and learning, as well as taking the lead in tackling issues such as climate change. Furthermore, they’re expected to accommodate these demands simultaneously, at a time when skills shortages are at an all-time high. An effective use of technology could go a long way towards overcoming these challenges. While the shift to hybrid working and learning presents some challenges, it is also an opportunity to redefine how space is used and embrace innovation to drive sustainability and create connected, thriving communities. Here are five key challenges facing business schools today, together with a roadmap for how technology and digital solutions can enhance operations for maximum value. • Creating a competitive student experience Standing out from the crowd has never been more important for higher education institutions and the impact of Covid-19 has made global competition for international students all the more fierce. Campuses play a major role in any student’s journey and can be a big differentiating factor when it comes to choosing where to study. Creating a compelling experience is not just about providing top-of-the-range facilities. Institutions that can harness the data available to them and bring on- and
off‑campus services together in one connected offering reaching beyond campus walls are more likely to stand out, especially if these can be used to foster compelling links with the local business community. Solutions range from functional features, such as locating lectures and accessing library services, to those with a community focus. Connecting with campus-based and local amenities via loyalty programmes can help provide a differentiated student experience. Leveraging analytics to improve how spaces deliver links and collaboration with business and prospective employers, meanwhile, can offer additional benefits for onsite or local businesses. • Getting staff back to campus Like all organisations, higher education institutions have struggled with the return to campus following prolonged closures during the pandemic. Simply reopening the doors hasn’t brought staff back in pre-pandemic numbers and mandating days working on campus risks harming morale.
36 | Ambition | JUNE 2023
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