Higher education institutions are among society’s most stable organisations. They have been enduring centres of learning, discovery and innovation for decades, even centuries. But this very stability can also be their greatest obstacle, especially when it comes to adapting quickly to meet rapidly evolving student needs.
We have found ourselves at such a crossroads at the University of Alberta. As enrolment grows, we need to make tangible investments in high-impact areas that support success for all students, both undergraduate and graduate.
Our answer to improving the student experience? We looked to start-up culture for inspiration.
Start-up thinking for institutional change
We learned something powerful as we embarked on this inaugural initiative: a start-up mindset can catalyse meaningful change in higher education, especially in student experience, in ways that traditional bureaucratic strategies often can’t replicate.
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We brought this to life through Igniting Purpose: The Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP), a three-year plan that defines the university’s promise to students and sets out our shared goals for creating an exceptional experience. Using co-creation – an approach that goes beyond simply asking for feedback and instead involves community members at every design stage – meant that the outcomes weren’t just positive; they were transformative.
The challenge: why a student experience action plan was needed
The action plan emerged during a period of strategic restructuring and enrolment growth. The university needed to make tangible investments in high-impact areas that supported success for all students. At the same time, some core student engagement indicators were flat or in decline. We were seeing:
- student needs changing quickly from year to year
- more students but not enough new resources to match
- growing pressure for measurable results, stronger collaboration across teams and better cultural alignment.
Traditional methods including lengthy consultations, slow implementation and layered approvals weren’t going to deliver fast enough on what students and our community needed.
Borrowing from start-up culture: key principles
Start-up culture is often associated with risk, hustle and innovation – qualities not always associated with academia. But we saw surprising overlap. At its best, start-up culture is about passion, iteration and empowered collaboration; these are the exact conditions needed to respond to a fast-moving student landscape and ones reflected in the ethos of academia.
Here’s how the start-up principles can inform change initiatives in higher education:
1. Innovation and risk-taking
Start-ups build quickly, often with a goal of scale, with intentionally flexible structures. There is a culture of making space to fail fast. We tried new approaches to longstanding problems and accepted that not everything would work – but we discovered that we learned fast.
2. Flat organisational structure
Diverse voices with equal opportunity to contribute often produce the best ideas. Our action plan brought together undergraduate and graduate students as well as staff and faculty. Hierarchy gave way to co-creation.
3. Open communication
Embrace radical transparency to build trust and momentum in the context of student issues. We made the plan and our ongoing learning visible from day one, regularly communicated updates and welcomed feedback from across campus.
4. Rapid iteration and learning
Rather than waiting for perfect data or final approval to progress an initiative, short cycles allow you to pilot, test, adjust and repeat. We were able to respond quickly to student feedback and refine solutions in real time.
5. Strong team dynamics
Shared goals and strong collaboration foster a sense of unity and people want to be part of it, including students, staff and faculty. The SEAP needed a high-functioning, cross-unit team that was deeply invested in the student experience.
Cultural shift and tangible impact
A clear, compelling mission to improve the student experience became our north star, aligning team efforts and inspiring others to get involved.
The impact was both cultural and operational:
- Campus-wide buy-in: The SEAP created a buzz. The university community wanted to contribute.
- Quick wins and tangible outcomes: We saw notable improvements in engagement and satisfaction metrics within the first academic year, as demonstrated by a 10-point increase in our student net promoter score. Our data showed more student participation in key initiatives and higher satisfaction in targeted high-impact areas.
- Better investment decisions: The plan was a data-informed road map for leaders for allocating limited resources. For example, our data showed that cleanliness and maintenance in student learning spaces was a key driver of positive student experiences. A recent budget reduction had triggered a reduction in the campus cleaning standard, but as a result of the SEAP data, reinvestment in cleaning led to above-average satisfaction with campus spaces.
- A “halo effect”: Other departments began applying similar agile approaches to their own initiatives.
It turns out that universities aren’t as far from start-ups as we think – or at least they don’t have to be. While innovation can often bump up against legacy structures, competing priorities and risk-averse cultures, the SEAP showed us that when efforts align around shared values and goals, even complex institutions can move quickly and decisively.
Scaling success for lasting impact
This approach has potential for any high-impact initiative that demands broad buy-in, tangible outcomes and cultural transformation. The SEAP has garnered national and international interest, with 72 initiatives having been launched since its inception, addressing priority areas identified by students.
In a sector often known for slow change, the University of Alberta’s experience with the student experience action plan offers a compelling case: start-up thinking doesn’t just belong (or in fact exist solely) in the private sector. When thoughtfully applied, it can help propel postsecondary institutions, drive meaningful change and – most importantly – deliver better outcomes for the students we serve.
Melissa Padfield is the deputy provost for students and enrolment, and Sarah Wolgemuth is the associate vice-president of student experience, both at the University of Alberta, Canada.
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