JISC

Is the concept of the ‘customer’ appropriate for a university, or should we refer instead to ‘partners’ and ‘learners’? Should institutions become more business-like or more like businesses?

This dynamic and interactive session, an open goldfish bowl-style event, encourages vigorous and inclusive debate on this issue.

Undeniably students are the main ‘bread and butter’ of a college or university and they are increasingly treated as customers, whether through enhanced marketing and promotion of courses, more attractive accommodation, or paying potentially uncapped fees.

However, perhaps regarded as more traditional ‘customers’ are the growing number of businesses (public and private sector), community groups and other organisations that interact and transact with universities through services such as workforce development and continuing professional development, collaborative and contract research, consultancy, public lectures/debates and business support.

Such services require relatively flexible business systems, but in shaping processes around client expectations, do institutions damage academic integrity or somehow dilute independence of thought? Or is such a customer-focused business model the essential engine of a competitive, up-to-date and cohesive organisation that the successful institution needs to be?

This debate will explore the tensions between the traditional and non-traditional institutional customer and the strategic changes that may be needed to meet their needs.

• Business and Community Engagement (BCE) practitioners
• Heads and managers of internal central resources such as IT, library, estates and administration
• Publishers
• External partners/clients