Lesson 1: \u201cThe physical campus will be smaller and smarter \u2013 but still the social heart\u201d<\/h3>\n

COVID bought both VET and HE to focus more heavily on online and remote learning. However, those in the universities they spoke to believe that \u201cthe physical campus still has a critical role to play in the overall student experience.\u201d This is because the on-campus experience is particularly important for students, including international students, \u201cand will continue to bring people together for face-to-face learning, collaborative work and social interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

This may involve repurposed libraries and learning spaces, as well as social spaces. Like VET, \u201ccourses that have practical components will continue to require physical infrastructure such as laboratories and workshop space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The authors believe that it is likely that campus footprints will shrink and underutilised spaces will be \u201crepurposed to meet current and future needs.\u201d And there will be moves to make them more environmentally sustainable.<\/p>\n

And they also note:<\/p>\n

\u201cA key feature of the campus of the future will be greater collaboration with industry to activate surplus space, offer integrated learning opportunities for students, enable research collaborations, and provide a source of revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lesson 2: Capital investment will need to flow into digital as well as physical infrastructure<\/h3>\n

This is an important message for both VET providers and governments. Students will want \u201cflexibility and choice of physical and digital learning environments,\u201d the authors suggest, and this will mean more spending on digital infrastructure \u2013 including \u201cto bolster aging digital platforms and invest in better systems for student management and interactive learning.\u201d They are suggesting that the investment split to move from its present focus on the physical to be more likely to be around 50:50%.<\/p>\n

Capital outlays \u201con the physical campus over the short to medium term is likely to focus on maintaining existing facilities, adapting facilities to improve amenity, and upgrading existing facilities to support blended learning formats for a seamless hybrid physical and online learning experience,\u201d they believe. Thus, the \u201cbusiness case for new investment in a \u2018bricks and mortar\u2019 capital project will be closely scrutinized.\u201d<\/p>\n