The coronavirus situation has led to disruptive changes in the academic workflow of students in universities and colleges. With an ongoing volatile market, higher education has been impacted immensely with a direct connotation about underachieving and unprepared pass outs from these educational institutes. This has also propagated stark declining numbers in college enrolments and projections and surveys across the United States point at as much as 450,000 drops in students in years beyond 2025. Previous research, undertaken by Harvard professor, DR. Clayton Christensen also states that in the scope of organizational sustainability in educational institutes, disruptive changes and innovation will lead to 50% of 4,000 colleges and universities in the country to go bankrupt in the next 10 to 15 years.
Dr. Daryl D. Green and Dr. Jack McCann suggest a new faculty model to infuse student-centered learning the midst of disruption in higher education. Their research examines a new faculty model that includes an entrepreneurial mindset to stimulate innovation and creativity in the constant, changing environment in higher education. In researching the current crises in higher education, this paper describes a set of strategic implications that will aid faculty wishing to create sustainability education programs.
Higher education is under tremendous pressure due to market disruption. In fact, economic pressures are forcing higher education to make drastic decisions especially strategic vision, curriculum, hiring, and vision. Furthermore, many people are questioning the value of higher education with growing pressures centered on the merit of post-secondary education against student debt and job readiness. In addition, businesses, government officials, and the general public complain about the number of unprepared college graduates produced by today’s colleges and universities. According to a Pew Research study, 61% of Americans believe that the higher education system in the United States is going in the wrong direction. Dr. Clayton Christensen, who has done extensive research on organization sustainability and disruptive innovation, conveyed doubt about the future of traditional universities; he has argued that in15 years from now half of US universities may be in bankruptcy. Dr. Green argues that the status quo isn’t enough: “Disruption is all around us. Gen Z students are demanding more value for their education. I’m big on practical experience and engaging our students with innovating thinking. That behavioural is what we are talking about in an entrepreneurial mindset for faculty.
In their article, Dr. Green and Dr. McCann argue that today’s faculty must transform academic institutions with an entrepreneurial mindset. Dr. McCann adds, our research focused on a new faculty model that includes an entrepreneurial mindset to stimulate innovation and creativity in the constant, changing environment in higher education. In analyzing the current crises in higher education, our paper describes a set of strategic implications that will aid faculty wishing to create sustainability education programs.”
To view this research, please visit at https://www.arjonline.org/american-research-journal-of-business-and-management/volume-6.
For more information about the researchers, you may contact Dr. Green at daryl.green@okbu.edu or 405-585-4414
About the Researchers
Dr. Green is the Dickinson Chair and an Associate professor in the College of Business at Oklahoma Baptist University. The Paul Dickinson College of Business is part of Oklahoma Baptist University. This qualified and Christian-based education is addressed to those who want to pursue a bachelor degree in business. The university provides the skills needed by the business graduates in contemporary professional careers as a leader. The business degree programs of the Oklahoma Baptist University are accredited and acknowledged by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. He is a former US Department of Energy program manager with over 25 years of professional management experience. He is a nationally syndicated columnist, where he writes in the areas of leadership, decision-making, and culture. Dr. Green has a doctoral degree in Strategic Leadership from Regent University.
Dr. Jack McCann currently serves an appointment at Union College in Barbourville, KY, as Associate Professor in Marketing and Business. He teaches courses in management, marketing, and other business topics. Prior to joining Union College in August of 2018, he served an appointment as Dean of the School of Business at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN, from 2008-2014. His research interests are leadership, management, marketing, emerging markets, sustainability, and corporate strategy and ethics. He also has many years of management experience in operations, business ownership, consulting, and customer service.
For more information on this research or these researchers, please contact Dr. Green at www.okbu.edu/business.