ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with consideration of four fundamental elements of a university’s very identity: student segmentation; cost and access; levels, curriculum and outcomes; and academics and their roles. A university shapes itself in response to its mission, regulatory obligations, operational results and assumptions about how education is best provided. Most universities seeking adult enrolments are catering specifically for second-chance learners, and all universities make specific provision for disabled and minority students. The decision of qualifications, subjects and disciplines is also fundamental to a university operating model. The level of qualifications on offer is one of the main determinants of a university’s education practice. A personal frustration is the oft-cited belief that distance education courses have a 20-percentage-point deficit retention rate when compared with on-campus and blended on-campus courses. A well-designed digital distance education model that includes a systematic application of data analytics might even give distance education an edge.
