Response of Private Higher Education Leadership to Pandemic Crisis

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 was one of most disruptive, life-changing events, causing a seismic shift in our way of life. Higher education institutions lacked a structured framework to guide leaders through a period of disruption. Most of these institutions had contingency plans in place, but they had not been tested for a high-level disruptor like Covid-19. Although some institutions of higher learning were negatively impacted, others experienced a smooth transition to online learning without missing an academic day. In the post-lockdown era, there are emerging systemic threats that require these institutions’ leaders to develop a framework that will incorporate artificial intelligence to help them predict and manage disruptors in their institutions in the future. The market environment in which private higher education institutions operate is becoming increasingly complex, placing them in a complicated domain. This study suggests that leaders re-evaluate their strategies and provide disruption training to all employees, to future-proof their institutions against disruptions. The process proposed, which is inclusive and low-cost, includes practical and virtual simulations of disruption management using augmented reality. The immersive world is also recommended because it may be feasible to simulate a real disruption.