Future View of

Education at Post
Universitys Main
Campus
STEPHANIE MCCORMICK
POST UNIVERSITY
EDU505: FUTURE OF EDUCATION

The Educational Context of Post

Universitys Main Campus
Founded as a business school in 1890
The main campus is built in 1965
Becomes a 4-year, degree-granting institution
in 1976, primarily catering to local business
students
Over several decades, Post expands to offer
more degrees to a more diverse student
body, including traditional day students,
military veterans, and full-time workers
The college becomes Post University in 2005
and grows its main campus population to
~800 students
The university offers programs in business,
liberal arts, human services, and education
with a focus on professional development

Moving Forward at Post

Flipped Classroom

Adaptive Learning

Post currently emphasizes small and

interactive classes, utilizing parts of
the flipped classroom method such
as facilitated class discussions and elearning tools

Post has a strong tradition of studentcentered learning, offering a great

deal of resources for students to
succeed

Adaptive learning, specifically

employed in tutoring provided to
students, could increase
effectiveness and efficiency while
unburdening faculty and staff

Large organizations like Pearson and

McGraw Hill are having success with
ALT

Posts community would likely be

receptive to this technology and the
diverse student body would certainly
benefit from it

Both professors and students are

receptive to modern instructing and
learning techniques

Would act as a motivator for

students to work independently and
be invested in their learning

Examples such as the University of

Calgary prove this method is
effective and appreciated by both
students and instructors

Futuring: The Techniques of

Scenario Building and Scanning

Predicting and analyzing the possible futures of an educational

organization is critical in order to anticipate and prepare for
whatever is to come, both positive and negative

Scenario building, or the creation of predictable situations that may

arise in the future, is a incredibly effective way to establish long-term
goals for an organization

Scanning, or gathering and analyzing data that may influence the

future of an education organization, and using said data to act
preemptively, is also an important part of assessing the future and
achieving success for an organization

The Benefits and Drawbacks of

Scenarios and Scanning
Pros

Utilizes the most current

information, including numerical
data, trends and media
Gives an organization a clear and
focused direction, allowing them
to pursue goals efficiently and
effectively
Forces an organization to
challenge their conventional
wisdom and use an improved,
innovative logic to make decisions

Cons

Time consuming and effort

intensive

Difficult to determine what is

relevant and what will have very
little impact on the future

Futuring can be influenced by the

current mindset/assumptions of
the organization

It is impossible to gather ALL data

or forecast all scenarios

Trends Impacting Post:

Reputation as a For-Profit
University

For-profit institutions (FPIs) are stigmatized as being universities that

are more focused on making money than serving their students

Although this stereotype is true of some FPIs, Post breaks the mold:
the Main Campus is student-centered and works hard to provide
each and every student with everything they need to be successful

Additionally, Post is held accountable by a dedicated board of

trustees and investors and is accredited by both national and
regional accrediting organizations

This reputation will be a challenge Post will have to continually

work to overcome

Trends Impacting Post:

Internationalization of Higher Ed

Internationalization is a term used to

explain the increasingly global nature of
higher education

This includes the increased interaction

between universities all over the world,
including study abroad/exchange
programs and an international exchange
of research, ideas, and teaching
methods

Post is actively participating in this trend,

with a large international student
population and several articulations with
universities in the Caribbean and Asia

Trends Impacting Post: Funding and

MOOCs
Investment or Endowment?

Traditional universities rely on

donor-based endowments

As an FPI, Post is funded by

investors who own portions of the
university, placing limitations on
the universitys budget

Post will potentially turn to

fundraising and the establishment
of an endowment, congruent with
their transition towards being a
more traditional university

Massive Open Online

Courses

MOOCs provide an opportunity for

students to access high quality,
flexible higher education at no
cost

Post will likely increase the

incorporation of online learning in
order to meet the needs of
students in the modern day

This technology will be easily

transferred from the Online
Education at Post to its Main
Campus

Vision for Posts Main Campus

Post Universitys Main Campus, in the next five years, will expand its
offerings, campus, and student body, while increasing its reliance
on technology and internet-based learning

Challenges that will likely be faced: cost of expansion, transition

from more traditional learning to blended learning, status as a forprofit institution, publicity, and physical space on campus

Opportunities for the University: growing interest in Posts academic

and athletic programs, increased alumni base/investor pool,
potential transition from for-profit to non-profit, new educational
technology, and growing Master and Doctorate degree
opportunities

A Plan for Change

Posts Main Campus should prepare for the next five years in the
following ways:

Increase and expand recruitment efforts

Research and test new and emerging educational technologies

Locate and acquire more physical space for the campus

Train faculty and staff on any changes being made to the

classroom

Increase fundraising/investment efforts

A Call for Action

First, holding campus-wide meeting to discuss future initiatives to

expand Post Universitys campus, student body, and
academic/athletic offerings to ensure that everyone is prepared to
play a role in the efforts, no matter their place in the Universitys
faculty or staff (Creating a slogan for the initiative could be helpful
for promoting participation)

Second, organizing a series of brain-storming sessions for all full-time

faculty to discuss and experiment with new classroom methods and
technologies in order to develop and improve upon the identity of
Posts Main Campus learning experience

References
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http://horizon.unc.edu/courses/papers/AntiMgt/
Aydin, O. 2014. Current Developments and Trends in Higher Education. Retrieved from:
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Bailey, D. (2009). Communication Renaissance: Environmental Scanning and Futuring in the Composition

Classroom. Retrieved from:

http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2009/2009/73
Beaty, S., Feng, P., Hoffman, N., Lee, J., and McDermott, B. (2015). Traditional Instruction Reformed with Flipped Classroom Techniques.
Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/50494
Israel, M. 2015. Effectiveness of Integrating MOOCs in Traditional Classrooms for
Undergraduate Students. Retrieved from: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=86473cae-51e2-41b7-863e2b6f470c6903%40sessionmgr4004&vid=5&hid=4108

References contd
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. . (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015 Higher Education Edition. Retrieved from:
http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-HE-EN.pdf
MacKinnon, P. 2014. University Leadership and Public Policy in the Twenty-first Century: A Presidents Perspective. Retrieved from:
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cb8a123ad8d8@sessionmgr4004&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_69&rid=0

Mietzner, D. and Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and Disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight. Retrieved from:
http://www.lampsacus.com/documents/stragegicforesight.pdf
Morse, S. 2015. For-Profit Schools: A History of Abuse and the Need for Reform. Retrieved from:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=100d850e-2101-4a52 ad0%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4203
Post University Inc. (2015). The History of Post University. Retrieved from
http://www.post.edu/about/history/

References contd
Sobrero, P. (2004). The Steps for Futuring. Retrieved from:

http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php

Stadler, B. 2016. Post University Blog Post: 5 Questions with Bill Stadler: International students
in the US hits record high. Retrieved from: http://blog.post.edu/2016/02/5-questions-with-billZimmer, T., Forbes. (2014). Rethinking Higher Ed: A Case for Adaptive
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ccap/2014/10/22/rethinking-higher

stadler.html

Learning. Retrieved from

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learning/#74f562cd6293