Introduction
HRD minister in India is emphasizing in press or otherwise very regularly that India needs to double GER gross enrolment ratio) for higher education from present 14% to 30% by 2020 (HRD minister in Jaipur – April 2011). Already the number of university we have and more institutions coming up face the uphill task to in attracting and recruiting suitable faculty. Even the infrastructure resources required to achieve the above are not within the reach of the govt. What we feel as per the observations and inferences in this paper, a 25% average reduction in the cost of a degree is attainable and can help increase the GER by 25% with minimal extra provisions. Institutes and universities need to publish the cost of degree and the best practices. Accreditation or grading process also can consider the cost of a degree as an important parameter and funding agencies will have a raison the etre to fund efficient and quality institutes.
Lead by Example
The top schools, institutions and universities in India can show the way on boosting productivity of higher education in India by utilizing their resources optimally. This can be achieved by evolving and implementing efficient and innovative management practices. Business schools like IIMs and other top schools can come out with a framework, so its efficacy by in house implementation. Show casing of a working scheme to bring down the cost of a degree substantially without compromising on the quality will have a domino effect and other institutes of higher education can implement the framework as per their needs and requirements.
The top schools, institutions and universities in India can show the way on boosting productivity of higher education in India by utilizing their resources optimally. This can be achieved by evolving and implementing efficient and innovative management practices. Business schools like IIMs and other top schools can come out with a framework, so its efficacy by in house implementation. Show casing of a working scheme to bring down the cost of a degree substantially without compromising on the quality will have a domino effect and other institutes of higher education can implement the framework as per their needs and requirements.
Immediate areas for improvement, efficiency and innovation
Some of the areas in managing the higher education, where innovation and efficiency could be brought in are:
Some of the areas in managing the higher education, where innovation and efficiency could be brought in are:
Using technology support to impart the instructions efficiently. Higher education is all about enhancing ones learning. It makes sense that technology and on line resources be used to acquire pre requisite understanding and learning and a mentor or a teacher enhances that learning in the class room. Many institutes are already doing this in India but most of these are in the private sector. These institutes are also able to deliver quality learning by using more of part time quality faculty as mentors.
Using Shared resources. The biggest pain point in higher education, if we ask any administrator or director, is the non-availability of quality faculty. However, we have observed that, some of the institutes have embarked upon a costly and long term programme to develop quality faculty in house. There is still a lot of scope available to leverage the quality faculty with in an institution and across institutions. Many schools ask their star faculty to teach, utilizing the biggest class room available. This practice is old, at CALTECH, physics lecture series by Feynman used to be conducted in the auditorium. At technical university of Delft, Netherlands, the undergraduate physics classes by Ted Young were conducted in a dome to 600 students. Subsequently the assignments are overseen by the graduate teaching assistants. With ICT infrastructure in place, some institutions are already increasing teaching delivery of their star faculties by putting big video screens in the multiple class rooms for a lecture. The future could be that a renowned star faculty lectures are streamed over the net in a syndicated manner, thus leveraging the best of teaching across the globe with economy of scale.
Improving efficiency in core support services*. Like any other enterprise, efficiency improvement by leaner processes, in service functions like management, student services, auxiliary power supplies and air conditioning, purchasing can reduce the cost substantially. There are some private schools in India taking these services very seriously with continual cost efficiency. However this cost reduction as of now may not be reducing the cost of the degree for the students as majority of the schools services level are already minimal!
Other functions such as hostel services, mess and cafeteria services, logistics and guest house services can also be managed innovatively and may generate revenues and profits to bring the cost of a degree.
A small study by Mackenzie* has shown that the cost efficiency could be of the order of 25%.
*Boosting productivity in US higher education, APRIL 2011, Adam Cota, Kartik Jayaram, and Martha C. A. Laboissière. http://e.mckinseyquarterly.com/15a3c74c1layfousiblvux3aaaaaaatxjrnhcjvo5i4yaaaaa
Other functions such as hostel services, mess and cafeteria services, logistics and guest house services can also be managed innovatively and may generate revenues and profits to bring the cost of a degree.
A small study by Mackenzie* has shown that the cost efficiency could be of the order of 25%.
*Boosting productivity in US higher education, APRIL 2011, Adam Cota, Kartik Jayaram, and Martha C. A. Laboissière. http://e.mckinseyquarterly.com/15a3c74c1layfousiblvux3aaaaaaatxjrnhcjvo5i4yaaaaa
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