The Hub of

Higher Ed

The latest news from AICU Mass and its member colleges and universities

From the desk of Rob McCarron


Long before the pandemic abruptly disrupted the traditional higher education model in March 2020, college presidents and industry experts were contemplating the future of higher education and the essential role it can play in workforce development. They foresaw that the continuing evolution of technology and artificial intelligence, coupled with changing definition of a traditional college student and the different ways all students access learning, would demand the reimaging of the college experience and increased partnerships with the business community. The overarching goal is to ensure that higher ed’s core missions of teaching and research are aligned to provide students with the full breadth of skills needed to succeed in the evolving workplace.


Earlier this month, AICU Mass was pleased to co-sponsor a Boston Business Journal event that examined the future of higher education and asked how colleges and universities can apply lessons learned from the pandemic to better prepare students for the workforce of today and over the course of their careers. During the event, Boston Business Journal reporter Hilary Burns moderated a discussion among four leaders higher ed leaders in the Commonwealth: E. LaBrent Chrite, president of Bentley University; Stephen Spinelli, president of Babson College; Jackie Jenkins-Scott, interim president of Roxbury Community College (and former president of Wheelock College) and Susan Fournier, dean of Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.


Throughout the conversation, it was evident that these visionary and innovative leaders are prioritizing the changing needs of students and faculty, while ensuring that students are prepared to succeed not only in the careers, but also along the path of lifelong learning. While listening to the discussion, I was struck by the forward thinking from the panelists, as they seek to anticipate the changing needs of the workforce and importance of students finding their fit in the workplace.


• President Chrite highlighted the role that artificial intelligence will have in disrupting the labor market, focusing on the changing nature of the accounting industry. For example, Bentley University is leveraging its strong accounting program to work with accounting firms to better understand and prepare for the changing needs within the industry by bringing those real-world lessons into the classroom.


• President Spinelli focused on efforts at Babson College to expand relationships between higher education and the business community, touching on the importance of providing opportunities for students to connect with businesses from day one of their college experience to help students to identify and nurture their unique skills and passions.


• BU’s Dean Fournier discussed an in-depth study that Questrom School of Business at Boston University recently completed that engaged alumni, faculty and industry partners and led to the creation of a comprehensive strategy to bring together all facets of the career journey that are embedded in programs around campus. This allows the institution to better utilize all resources (alumni relations, career advising, academic advising, business development, etc) to help students find their first job after graduation.


Years from now, many may point to the pandemic as a strategic turning point for higher education and workforce development – a time where institutions more fully realized the potential of remote and hybrid learning models, a time when colleges and universities came together to help solve vexing, indeed historic, public health challenges and when employers and employees alike sought to rebalance the work/life balance. However, while there is little doubt that the pandemic has been a catalyst for a number of far-reaching changes on campus, the fact is college presidents were moving to meet these challenges well before March 2020 and will continue to do so as the world move beyond the pandemic. The conversation at the BBJ event left me feeling incredibly optimistic about the future of higher education in the Commonwealth, and confident that our colleges and universities will continue to serve as the pipeline for the talented and diverse workforce that Massachusetts’ knowledge-based economy needs. 

AICU Mass Fact of the Month

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News from Our Members

Bay Path University:

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Boston Architectural College:

Mobile Makers Parks its Truck at the BAC


Dean College:

Dean College Extends Exclusive Partnership With Kraft Sports + Entertainment


Emerson College:

New This Fall: Health & Social Change and Media Psychology Majors


Tufts University:

On Match Day, It's Ready, Set, Match for Medical Students


Wellesley College:

Boston Globe

Opinion: How to build an economy that works for women

A Perspective from Beyond Higher Ed

Sustaining Massachusetts’ Talent Advantage in the Biotech Industry 

By Joe Boncore, CEO, MassBio and Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, President & COO, MassBio 


A steady supply of innovative and entrepreneurial college graduates and post-docs coming out of our state’s colleges and universities remains the number one reason why Massachusetts’ biotech cluster is constantly ranked as the best in the world. For decades, biotech companies looking to launch or grow their operations know that being in Massachusetts gives them a competitive advantage because of the proximity to our biotech talent pool. Yet, as the biotech sector, and life sciences industry more broadly, continues to expand across Massachusetts, our education system from the bottom up must take a step back and recognize the status quo won’t be enough to meet the coming workforce demand – up to 40,000 net-new jobs in the next five years across the life sciences. 


Solutions to this significant new demand for talent will be multifaceted and require both short-term and longer-term planning. As we at MassBio seek to facilitate the most efficient and effective solutions to align our education systems with employer needs, one thing we know is that any strategy must be data driven. Right now, MassBio is in the process of surveying and interviewing our member companies to better understand what types of roles will be most in demand in the coming years and what qualifications and education levels employers will look for in applicants to those roles. 


As we finalize the collection of these data, some necessary pathways forward are clear. Massachusetts’ colleges and universities must continue to produce as many brilliant biology and chemistry majors as possible. Those degree programs should also create opportunities for students to see and learn first-hand about careers in the biotech and life sciences industry. We’ve heard from many in education and in industry that even for students committed to receiving a biology or chemistry degree, a career at a biotech company is often not on their radar. Career awareness for these students can benefit all. Additionally, jobs at biotech are expanding beyond wet labs to AI and machine learning applications in support of drug development. Data scientists are one of the most in-demand positions in the life sciences. Lastly, we all must be more pro-active about diversifying the talent pipeline. Whether that is encouraging more diverse candidates to pursue science degrees to simplifying the process for Associates Degree earners to pursue their four-year degrees (and beyond), this work must be intentional and far-reaching. 


The future of Massachusetts’ biotech ecosystem is bright, but only will be sustainable if higher education continues to produce the right people for the right jobs. 

Affiliate Insight

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Healthcare. Now more than ever, it’s something people value and need. Comprehensive coverage—medical, behavioral, and prescription drug—is something educational institutions value offering their faculty and staff. It’s also a benefit that helps attract and retain quality employees. The rising cost of healthcare, however, is a concern for schools across the nation. Schools coming together to address the cost of employee healthcare is how edHEALTH began. Since its beginning in 2013, edHEALTH continues to grow thoughtfully by adding new member-owner educational institutions while also continuing to bend the trend in health care costs. 


How edHEALTH helps schools to save on healthcare costs. As an organization, edHEALTH provides savings through group purchasing, ownership of a medical stop-loss captive, and data-driven innovative programs. edHEALTH offers the strength of collaboration with its member institutions and best-in-class business partners. Schools choose from a variety of self-insured plan designs from both leading New England-based insurers and a national third-party administrator (TPA) with access to numerous provider networks. The average health insurance premium equivalent increase from edHEALTH is well below the plan book of business. 


In addition to actual dollar savings, schools receive additional services or programs by being a member-owner of edHEALTH. For example: 


• Person-centric clinical intervention program to help control costs and improve the care for employees and family members dealing with complex medical conditions

• Wellness opportunities, including an annual walking challenge among participating schools that drives engagement among hundreds of faculty and staff and healthier behaviors

• Member forum that brings together schools, especially helpful during these unprecedented times, which allows for important conversations to share best practices and networking among human resources and finance leaders as well as their trusted benefits advisors

• Thought leadership series that offers new insights and information about relevant topics in the areas of human resources, finance, and healthcare. These sessions offer the opportunity for our members and business partners to learn from leading experts in the industry.

 

Ways to learn more about how edHEALTH works and how it’s helping schools to save on healthcare costs and strengthen collaboration among educational institutions:


Learn more about edHEALTH’s history and mission.

Discover edHEALTH member schools and recent results.

Sign up to receive periodic updates from edHEALTH (scroll to the bottom of the page) or start following edHEALTH on LinkedIn.

• Contact edHEALTH directly by connecting with Nancy McConaghy or calling (866) 692.7473 ext. 702.

Stay up to date with the latest AICUM Insight podcasts

Interview with Senator Eric Lesser, Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies


Interview with Representative Alice Peisch, Chair of the Joint Committee on Education


Interview with Senator Michael Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means

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