Challenges, Threats and Opportunities: A Summary

Challenges, Threats Challenges, Threats and Opportunities:and Opportunities:

A SummaryA SummaryACUCA President’s Visioning

Workshop October 26 2007

ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN ASIA

2007 ACUCA MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

The Questions:The Questions:

1. What are the challenges, threats, and opportunities that you face today as a Christian University?

2. How are you responding to these challenges, threats and opportunities?



The Questions:The Questions:

3. How can ACUCA support the members in responding to, or addressing these in the future?

a. Improving your competitiveness as a Universityb. Reinforcing your mission as a Christian

University?

4. What programs and activities should ACUCA engage in, to fulfill its role?

5. How should we organize in order to be more responsive to the needs of members?



ChallengesChallenges

Balancing attention to the Christian Mission and responding

to the market forces

Coping with the demands of a global environmento Building agility (flexibility and speed of

response)o Impact of technology on teaching, need

to adopt despite high cost




Operating in a complex, fast-changing diverse environmento Relevance of being Christian in the modern

world, o Relevance of a Christian University in a multi-

cultural, multi-religion environmento Challenge to project image as Christian

University in an “appealing way”o Declining moral values in societyo Different orientation of younger generationo Increasing number of incoming students

without a Christian education




Job opportunities as driver for student choices of school and courseso Changing metrics of “quality education”o Maintaining standards and traditions of

excellence

Managing human resourceso Identifying and preparing leaderso Attracting and retaining high quality facultyo Non-academic staff have more attractive

options



ThreatsThreats

Declining number of students o low birth rate (Japan, Korea and Taiwan) o competition from other institutions

Competition o Local (state schools with government subsidy,

low-cost schools)o Foreign (students move abroad, schools from

countries with aging population coming to Asia to recruit, schools abroad wanting to make a presence in Asia)

o Diploma mills offering “job-relevant” courses



ThreatsThreats

Brain drain o faculty, administrators

Increasing costs of educationo Private education becoming

unaffordableo Schools dependent on tuition

Government mandates on Education



OpportunitiesOpportunities

Globalization makes Internationalization necessary

Linkages and Partnerships are availableo Local and international institutionso Alumnis, professional organizations, o Industry (corporate social responsibility)

Competition drives Quality, new and innovative Programs

Unique Christian education may be attractive to address decline in values

Emerging Markets (e.g. Myanmar, need for English language, foreign students seeking lower cost quality education)



Responses Responses

Global Environment

Investment in TechnologyInternationalization Programs

Competition Focus on Quality, Benchmarking, Strengthen ResearchAggressive Marketing and Promotions, Partnerships

Brain Drain Human Resource Management and Development , Strategic Leader DevelopmentPartnerships and Linkages

Relevance of Christian Mission

Strengthen and Project Unique Value of Christian Education (Whole person focus)

Job Market Partnerships with Industry, Strengthen Basic Education

Financial Concerns

Aggressive Funds Sourcing, Cost and Efficiency Management

How ACUCA Can How ACUCA Can Support Members Support Members



Improve CompetitivenessImprove Competitiveness Strengthen collaboration

o Benchmarking among memberso Venue for sharing best practiceso More information dissemination

Expand Internationalizationo Student mobilityo Faculty exchange

More academic collaborationo Programs, e.g. Englisho Team teaching among member universities (on-line, and

off-line)o Research and publication (including fund sourcing)



Improve CompetitivenessImprove Competitiveness Joint human resource development

programso Administrators, o facultyo Staff

Mechanism for mutual recognition of graduates to facilitate mobility (MRA)

ACUCA Publications to featureo Mission of the Asian Christian Institutiono What the member universities stand for, (helping in the marketing efforts of the Universities)



Reinforcing Christian MissionReinforcing Christian Mission

Clearly defined indicators of the unique features of a Christian University

Training program for Leaders on how to build and develop a truly Christian academic community

Venues (seminars, conferences, workshops) that forge the Christian mission and allow for candid and honest sharing of challenges and experiences

o value enhancement, o community service learningo struggles with being a Christian university, giving witness

to Christian education and its contribution to societyo Meetings for campus ministers, chaplains



Reinforcing Christian MissionReinforcing Christian Mission

Conferences and activities to support leadership concerns of ACUCA (United Board is interested in giving support)

Joint service programs o Chaplain exchangeo Cross cultural awareness evento Summer School program,o Internship programo Mutual visit of volunteer organizations, o Promotion of community service clubs based on Christian

values Nationwide activities on certain festivals or a

common theme among local Christian universities (e.g. lighting of Christmas trees in unison in Taiwan)



Other ProgramsOther Programs

Member privilegeso Establish database of learning resourceso Student collaboration through the internet

On-line degree program Annual summer camp instead of biennial

ACUCA ACUCA STRUCTURESTRUCTURE



StructureStructure

Should be based on Mission or Purpose Present structure seems to be working

well There is a need to get more active

member involvement National Chapters

o Japan and Taiwan experience positiveo Countries should decide, depending on their

needso Should not overlap with existing structure o Should not entail more expenses for members

(e.g. meetings)



General SecretariatGeneral Secretariat

Permanent Location (9 respondents)o Is ideal if we have enough funding, otherwise it

is too expensive. o But where and who?

Where ACUCA should have offices, where UB CHEA is in less developed country where it is not expensive, Where political situatlon is stable and safe accessible from various countries, communication is easy, reliable and inexpensive (Philippines, Taiwan, Japan or Korea)



General SecretariatGeneral Secretariat

Rotate (7 respondents)o Retain present system wherever the President iso Present GS is doing great work

No preference (3 respondents)o It does not matter, as long as the work is done o Internet, videoconferencing, websites should make it

easier

Visioning Visioning Workshop Workshop

ACUCA Presidents26 October 2007



Workshop QuestionsWorkshop Questions

In order for ACUCA to support its members in responding to these challenges, threats and opportunities

o What programs and activities should the network engage in ?

o How should ACUCA be organized to move forward in the future? (e.g. location of secretariat, National chapters)

o How do we encourage increased involvement and participation of members?



Workshop QuestionsWorkshop Questions

In the light of the suggested changes in direction, should we revisit our Mission and Purpose?

How should we do it?



ACUCA PurposeACUCA Purpose

Through cooperation, mutual support and encouragement, the association endeavors to help the Christian universities and colleges in Asia:o develop and maintain their Christian charactero enrich the quality of their educational

programmes and those of the other institutions of learning; and

o re-examine the relevance of their objectives and programmes in relation to the needs of a changing society



Workshop ResultsWorkshop Results1. ACUCA Mandate, Purpose and Objectives as

written still reflect the Mission of the network.

2. Some important questions to ask are: Who is ACUCA? How do we differentiate it from other groups of academic institutions pursuing the same goals?

3. ACUCA can be defined through its core values of Christianity, the quality of education its member institutions provide that manifest these values.



Workshop ResultsWorkshop Results What are the qualities of a person educated in a

Christian University in Asia?

o Committed to social mission or care for the underprivileged (as demonstrated by participation in service learning experience, or immersion in marginalized communities)

o A whole person - with developed knowledge, skills and attitudes (reflective of Christian character)

o Open to, or promotes inter-religious (or peace and conflict) dialogue,

o Faith and transcendental values are integrated into personal life

o Understands the Christian perspective and values (through formal courses, and formation experience)



Workshop ResultsWorkshop Results Next Step: this output to be shared with all

members, and encourage more conversations to take place

o Sharing “best practices” that fom students in abovementioned qualities

o This can be started immediately through the internet, egroups, blogs?

o Future conference themes may also revolve around reinforcing these qualities

o Future directions, programs and activities may be guided by this (e.g. internationalization that addresses migration issues)



Workshop ResultsWorkshop Results

Other points that were agreed on:o Focus on programs and activities that

are distinct and not duplications of programs of other organizations (e.g. chaplain exchange)

o Create and maintain data base of all the information that members can benefit from. for example:

what members are doing differently and well research for possible collaboration (e.g. on

Muslim-Christian peace efforts)



Workshop Results: Workshop Results: Organization StructureOrganization Structure

General Secretariato Doing wello Keep the structure o GS goes where the President iso Review after three years

National Chapterso Taiwan and Japan experience o Members to be ENCOURAGED to form,

depending on their perceive needs.

Documents

Challenges, Threats and Opportunities: A Summary