The period ahead is likely to be a challenging one for many universities and colleges, and various factors will have implications for determining and measuring strategy, including:
A significant underlying factor is that the 18-21 UK age cohort is projected to decline in the next few years, and as a result a number of institutions may find it harder to fill places, raising numerous strategic issues. For a useful discussion of some of the implications see 'Demand for Higher Education to 2020 and Beyond' produced by the Higher Education Policy Institute. Universities UK has also published a research report on the future size and shape of higher education in the UK.
A more immediate issue is that of fees and funding. In England the review of higher education funding and student finance Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education in England, the subsequent white paper Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System and subsequent changes have created major planning uncertainties for the HE sector.
As the section on international strategy makes clear, there are a number of potentially conflicting trends which may make the future international market for higher education highly volatile. Two useful source of information are:
Pressures from declining demand and financial challenges are likely to see mergers and other forms of cooperation between institutions becoming more commonplace, raising major issues for governing bodies.
UUK is facilitating a project on futures for higher education, undertaking scenario planning, looking ahead to 2040.