Between 2017 and 2018, there were 2.34 million students in 164 educational institutions in the UK. The number of people attending University has increased gradually year on year. Whilst this means there are more people advancing their knowledge through learning, the pressures faced by Higher Education Institutions are also increasing.
Political Climates
Brexit has never been far off any topic of conversation for the last couple of years. Britain’s exit from the European Union poses challenges to the higher ed sector. Students from across the world travel to study in the UK, bringing over £4.8 billion pounds into the UK in tuition fees alone. Brexit risks fewer international students travelling to the UK to study. The EU has also provided £5 billion in research, with £500 million going directly to Universities. Brexit means Universities will have to develop new ways to gain funds. As a result, Higher Ed Institutions face less income and will need to manage their money and budgets more effectively, whilst also planning ways to raise funds with past and existing alumni.
Value
With the current price of tuition fees being £9,250 per year, students are placing significant investment in their university. Universities face the difficulty of providing exceptional value for money. As generation Z were brought up with technology, they will expect high levels of innovative techniques and tools to access at University. If a student does not receive value, they could potentially change course, change university or leave higher education altogether.
Student experience
The opportunities provided by a University need to be of a high quality to attract and maintain students. Events create a significant impact on university culture, from weekly social nights to open days and graduation. A university that puts on engaging events is likely to gain a good reputation amongst students, which benefits the university when advertising to prospective students. The demand for a connected campus experience is also growing, meaning students can easily access a variety of needs on one platform. Offering students increased control of their events is one way to increase their engagement with the University. A connected campus fosters a sense of community and inclusion that extends beyond graduation to build a long-lasting relationship with the University.
Innovative Technology
Having the right technology in place can make running your University events much easier. An events management tool built into your CRM solution provides the tools necessary to track and boost event engagement. Creating an event attendee list and sales revenue can be simplified with access to your existing CRM dashboards. The data analysis provided by your CRM lets you identify and focus on your most successful and lucrative events. Boosting the effectiveness of your events is a key way for your institution to increase revenue and invest in providing the best experience for your students.