Competitive Advantages for Branch Campuses
No matter how much disruption and change I see coming, I want branch campuses to thrive. Long before I explored the concept of disruptive change, I argued that university branch campuses, at least in Ohio, had many advantages over main campuses, especially for first generation students, adult learners, and others for whom we were a good fit. Moreover, branches offer opportunity and support that are important to many people, and they tend to engage with their communities in meaningful ways. Today, I believe branches continue to have an important role, although exactly how it is expressed may change in significant ways. The catch is that branches face so much more competition and risk than ever before. As a result, I expect to see some branches go under, even as new branches are created. Successful branches will do a great job of market research and position themselves to serve specific audiences. Although they will excel at ser...