The Campus of the Near Future: Risks and Opportunities

Thought Leaders Report 2024

I have been honored to participate in several of APPA’s Thought Leaders Symposiums over the years and have found them all to be insightful.

APPA’s 2024 Thought Leaders Report on the Campus of 2030 provides campus facility professionals with insights into what the future campus will look like, who will attend it, and how it will operate. The remaining years of this decade will not be easy for already stressed management and staff but understanding where higher education is headed as an industry along with the associated challenges will help us plan and prepare.

Highlights of the 2024 Report:

Higher Education in 2030

• A smaller but more diverse population of students
• A stripped-down, but highly skilled workforce
• An industry struggling to prove its worth
• A campus fully immersed in digital services
• Many colleges and universities still struggling to remain financially sustainable

The Higher Education Campus in 2030

• Smart, adaptable, and resilient
• Lean, focused, and operating under financial constraints
• Optimized campus facilities to reduce costs and risks
• Operated and maintained by a smaller, more diverse facilities workforce

Critical Actions Required to Meet the Campus of 2030

• Assess the current state of the physical assets and Facilities Management (FM) programs
• Manage and optimize campus space to prioritize the long-term financial stability of the institution
• Better communication of facilities’ needs, priorities, and opportunities
• Train and educate facilities management staff and leadership to confront new challenges
• Update or create a Facilities Management strategic plan that includes new priorities, financial constraints, and opportunities
• Create FM policies and processes to govern the use of AI technology
• Commit to a culture of innovation within the facilities organization