Page 132 - Crisis in Higher Education

A Customer-Focused, Resource Management Perspective • 103

5.2.1 Coping with Multiple Customers:
Universities as Mediators

Many academic leaders believe that students attend universities to be edu-
cated and earn a diploma, but most students, supported by their parents,
other family members, and friends, attend because they want opportu-
nities for good jobs and happy lives. The degree is a step in the process.
Admittedly, a few students enroll because they like to learn and are not
interested in employment, but these students will face the harsh economic
realities of adulthood and want a good job—unless they win the lottery or
have wealthy parents. Most universities do not understand the needs of
employers that want qualified and capable employees, so universities must
adjust their focus.
When examined from this perspective, universities are mediators or
brokers that match the needs of potential employers and the desires of
the students. This role is different from companies that buy resources,
1,2
change them in some way, and sell their outputs. To act as mediators,
universities must do the following:

1. Gather information about the knowledge needed for careers, and
then design and deliver curricula, thereby ensuring that students
have the “right stuff” to work effectively. These efforts set the content
in the major field of study. For civil engineering, this would include
structural design and other technical skills. This does not mean
that education is devoid of topics that create well-rounded citizens,
including cultural opportunities, political awareness, and historical
context. Curricula must also deliver knowledge in key topics like
mathematics, science, and economics.
2. Provide data about current and future jobs so students can chose
careers they enjoy in fields where they excel. Universities, possi-
bly working together and using government data, should provide
reliable information about current and future job openings and
salaries.

When universities are successful mediators, governments are satisfied
because students graduate and have financial and societal success, and
organizations flourish because they have qualified employees.
Although working with potential employers is relevant for many uni-
versity degrees, especially professional degree programs such as business,