This report focuses on the workforce, cultural, and technological shifts for seven macro trends that are continuing or emerging in higher education in 2024. Across these three areas of shift, we report the major impacts and steps that institutions are taking in response to each trend. Many of the trend topics and issues remain consistent with the 2023 Higher Education Trend Watch.
Source: EDUCAUSE
Colleges and universities continue to face challenges with enrollments, rising costs and uncertainty in funding, resignation and migration of leaders and staff, and increasing security and privacy threats. Yet, many institutions have moved from early reactive phases to a stronger focus on improvement and sustainability. For example, institutional leaders are devoting more efforts toward digital transformation and institutional resilience and, as part of this, are making data-informed decisions in addition to strengthening their technology infrastructure to protect against the growing threats to personal privacy. In response to the demand for flexible work and learning options, institutions are continuing to implement and improve hybrid and remote work and learning arrangements. Finally, institutions are also devoting significantly more attention and resources to individuals’ mental health, wellness, and belonging while increasing efforts toward creating equitable and inclusive environments and experiences.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
