All know the importance of higher education. In today’s world, it has become a crucial part of life without which a person may find himself lagging behind others in terms of career. Unfortunately, there are numerous challenges in higher education not only for students but also for the administration of higher educational institutions like colleges and universities. Here are some key challenges in higher education.
High expectations of students:
With the increasing saturation in the job market, the competition is more intense than ever for the students. They are aware of the fact that they need to be highly qualified and adequately skilled to compete with others in the market. In this situation, their real expectations rest on their university and teachers for the provision of the best possible education. This is a challenging situation for the universities and their administration to meet the expectations of students with their services. The government of the UK has taken initiatives such as Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) to cope with this challenge.
Technological advancement:
Nowadays, technology and its applications have taken everything by storm. We use technology in almost everything we do and are bound to use them as a part of our lives. Digital innovation and technology have become a norm in the educational process, even at primary and secondary level education. It is, therefore, a challenge for the universities to integrate the use of the latest technology in an innovative way to enhance the learning experience for the students. The use of technology can revolutionize the research methods and overall research process. Universities have used enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Student Information System (SIS) tools in this regard. With the use of modern technology, academic writing services like assignment writing service are easily available on the internet for students.
Globalization:
The revolution in transportation has increased the mobility of students from and to remote places, which has expanded the higher education marketplace. This means that universities should design certain policies considering this fact and create a conducive environment for students that promotes equality and discourages discrimination. It is also seen that students prioritize universities that provide their students with a chance to connect with other countries through exchange programs, internships, and other working opportunities. It is a challenge for universities to make amendments in their policies with respect to globalization and its concerns.
Acquiring and retaining talented human resource:
As there are a number of higher education institutions and thanks to globalization, that means there are numerous career opportunities for experts in the field of education. It is, therefore, difficult for the universities to attract and acquire the best talent for their organization. To attract good talent, it is essential that you provide some additional benefits than others, and your institution must have recognition. Moreover, retaining the acquired staff is also a challenge. For this purpose, universities need to work on their reward policies, staff motivating strategies, and working conditions for the benefit of their human resource. They should create a healthy environment to promote peaceful working. Otherwise, they will immediately as soon as they find a better opportunity than yours.
No control on large datasets:
As everyone knows, research is a crucial element in higher education. For the purpose of research, students need access to large authentic databases that are unfortunately not controlled by the university authority. They usually do not allow access to the public and do not operate in public domains. These datasets are usually held by companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc. Universities find it a great challenge to cope with this problem and make their research process smooth. It becomes difficult for students to find credible sources to gather data, thus affecting their research results.
Shifting funding:
The cost of higher education is really high, and in this situation, if the government’s funding decreases or terminates, it becomes a challenging situation for that institution. Every university needs a considerable amount of money to carry on its operations and providing the best learning facilities to the students. When government funding shifts, universities go for increasing tuition fees which puts a great burden on students and increases the cost of higher education. Moreover, the impact of inflation also plays a great role in increasing costs.
Students also face many challenges in getting a quality higher education. Some of them are mentioned below:
Getting admission:
The foremost challenge facing a student who wants to study is to secure admission to the university of his choice or at least a high-ranking university. Every university has different criteria, eligibility, and policies. A student must comply with the desired requirements to secure a place. He must have adequate knowledge as well as creativity, intelligence, and a disciplined personality. Along with these requirements, he must have the required aptitude.
High cost:
A big problem and challenge that most university students face are that the cost of higher education is very high, which makes it nearly impossible for low-income group students to fulfill their dreams to get higher education. Tuition fees, transportation charges, hostel expenditures, examination fees, and many other expenses add up to the total cost making it a challenge for students. Students either have to find a part-time job, seek a scholarship or apply for a loan. Some students overcome this challenge with their hard work, while others surrender to it and sacrifice their dreams. This is really a saddening situation that discourages students from studying; instead, they opt for doing jobs.
Bullying and on-campus violence:
Although bullying and ragging are also observed in schools and high-schools, it becomes severe and more intense in universities. Therefore, the students of universities are mostly young and, therefore, emotional and impatient in quarrels, thus promoting violence in universities. Severe kind of bullying is observed in universities which causes a lasting impact on the person being bullied. They may lose their confidence and the desire to outshine others. It is also seen that such students face mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress which sometimes drag them to the verge of suicidal attempts. It is the university administration’s foremost responsibility to ensure discipline and adherence to rules at the campus.
