Why is Lean Needed in Higher Education?

A few days before William Balzer published the second edition of his groundbreaking book Lean Higher Education: Increasing the Value and Performance of University Processes, I had a chat with him about the successful applications of Lean concepts at major universities. During the conversation, I asked him directly: "Why is Lean needed in higher education?” Here is his complete answer:

Lean provides a proven problem-solving framework to address challenges in any organization or business sector, and higher education is no exception. Universities must be more responsive, efficient, and effective to address the growing number of external challenges disrupting higher education including: 

• Eroding financial support from the government coupled with freezes or caps on cost increases.

• Rising costs at universities to maintain their educational mission coupled to the growing price sensitivity of students and families worried about the long-term burden of student loan debt.

• Attracting and retaining the best faculty and staff in a labor-intensive operations where we have not resolved how equitable compensation increases can be offset with gains in productivity.

• Greater competition such as online universities and free Massively Open Online Courses that compete for a shrinking demographic of college-aged students and employers who question whether a college education is really the best preparation. 

As we speak, COVID-19 is already sending shock waves through the higher education community.

The application of Lean to improve processes in higher education, grounded in the principles of continuous improvement and respect for people, offers a way forward, as documented in my book by 16 exemplar universities from around the world that are using Lean. When correctly implemented, practiced, and sustained, Lean Higher Education (LHE) will meet – and even exceed – the expectations of those served by these processes, engage and develop university faculty and staff who deliver critical academic and support processes (including teaching, curriculum development, and research), and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the university through cost avoidance, cost reduction, and greater revenue generation. 

The potential of LHE is great at any university regardless of mission, size, and resources; in the 10 years since the publication of the first edition of Lean Higher Education, LHE has demonstrated that it can help universities reinvent themselves to earn or grow their reputations as preeminent institutions that should be valued and supported. 

Are any readers affiliated with universities or colleges that have implemented some type of Lean initiative?  Have you experienced the benefits that William Balzer described? 

William Balzer Makes the College Connection

William K. Balzer (author of Lean Higher Education: Increasing the Value and Performance of University Processes) will appear on the College Connection radio show discussing the implementation of Lean in a university administration environment.

College Connection is the public’s radio link to information about Oklahoma’s colleges and universities and the importance of college degrees for individuals and for the state. On the air since 2004, the state-wide, weekly program targets a general audience and features news on higher education issues and interviews with education experts and newsmakers from around the state and nation.

Here are the air times and radio stations:

Saturday 10:00 a.m. & Sunday 10:30 p.m.
KOKC- AM 1520 Oklahoma City

Sunday 6:00 a.m.
KOCU-FM 90.1 Altus
KLCU-FM 90.3 Ardmore
KYCU-FM 89.1 Clinton/Weatherford/Elk City
KCCU-FM 89.3&102.9 Lawton/Ft. Sill/Duncan
KMCU-FM 88.7 Wichita Falls, TX.

Sunday 6:30 p.m.
KOSU-FM 101.9 Okmulgee
KOSU-FM 107.5 Stillwater
KOSU-FM 91.7 Tulsa/Bartlesville

Monday & Wednesday 4 p.m.
KSSU-FM 91.9 Durant

The show will also be archived on the College Connection web site.

Lean in Higher Education

Many initiatives and interventions in higher education have met with mixed success --The objective to dramatically improve colleges and universities has often plateaued after intial benefits or outright failed. I asked William K. Balzer (author of Lean Higher Education: Increasing the Value and Performance of University Processes), "Why would the results be any different after the application of Lean in a higher education environment?" His response makes some strong arguments in regard to the benefits:

"Lean Higher Education (LHE) is different in many important ways and can result in significant improvements in the critical services and processes that are central to colleges and universities. First, LHE is a comprehensive approach to institutional change and improvement based on an established set of principles and practices, increasing the likelihood of a long-term impact on faculty and staff attitudes and behaviors.

Second, LHE strikes a balance between the long-term needs of the institution and its employees. The elimination of unnecessary steps and activities that add expense and no value to the university saves resources, and it also allows overburdened employees to redesign their work so that it is more meaningful and satisfying.

Third, LHE offers an established set of practical tools for implementing change and improvement. LHE provides an established set of steps to understand, diagnose, and improve college and university services and processes with confidence.

Finally, there is considerable evidence of support for the effectiveness of LHE principles and practices. More than 50 years of use in a broad variety of organizations, business sectors, and cultures provides strong support for the 'transportability' of Lean principles and practices to higher education. In fact, a growing number of applications of LHE demonstrate significant improvements in college and university processes that result in better service to students, reduced costs for the institution, and greater employee ownership over how their work is done. Overall, LHE holds great promise for improvements in higher education at a time where resources are declining, greater accountability is expected, and higher education’s role in economic development and quality of life is increasingly important."