Toby Margetts

The need to manage and disseminate content digitally, on the internet, has been around for the best part of 30 years. From rudimentary content management systems (CMSs) in the 90s through to the fully-fledged digital experience platforms (DXPs) that we see today, the evolution has been rapid. But despite this rapid rate of change in digital technology and behaviour, business and IT leaders are still expected to make technology decisions today that will have a critical impact on tomorrow’s success.

The million dollar question. What does your institution need to do to ensure it’s prepared to survive the threat of Covid-19 and thrive into the future?

As we near the end of 2020, you’ll do well to find a single organization that hasn’t faced severe disruption at the hands of the Covid-19 pandemic. Higher Education is certainly no exception. Student acquisition strategies across the globe have been re-written, torn up and re-written again in response to mass uncertainty, fundamental rule changes, and an unprecedented level of competition. It’s really no wonder then that 42 percent of university presidents listed ‘enrollment’ as their primary worry about the pandemic, according to a 2020 survey (Source: ABC Survey).

Clearing has been gaining in popularity over the years and we have an inkling as to why. But what impact will Covid-19 have on Higher Education in 2020 and beyond?

The US higher education sector is in the midst of a dropout crisis. The overall dropout rate for undergraduate college students is 40%, with approximately 30% of college freshman dropping out before their sophomore year. It is the job of a university to proactively engage with their customers digitally as well as physically, providing guidance, support and encouragement across all of the touchpoints in the student journey.

Understanding the 3 pillars of personalisation with a digital experience platform (DXP): Customer Data Management, Analytics, and Multi-channel delivery.

Even before Covid-19 emerged, we were seeing profound changes in student behaviour and the tactics employed by universities to help them remain competitive – particularly during Clearing. The pandemic has thrown a bucket-load of fuel onto a rapidly growing fire and there are going to be some explosive implications.