Oxford Expertise for University Committee

 
INDUSTRY
Educational Services
SERVICES
Subject Matter Expertise
SKILLS
Quality Control
Biotechnology
Oxford expert offers perspectives.
The Challenge

A vocational university (HBO) with approximately 12,000 students had created a committee to address the needs of their laboratory education department with approximately 1,000 students. The aim of the committee was to evaluate the overall strategic educational goals, create better engagement, and encourage the students to enter the industry after graduation. The school is continuously striving to improve its curriculum to lead to the best possible outcomes for its students. During the committee meetings, they found that their focus was too heavily weighted towards fundamental research and determined that they needed to widen their scope, as 40% of their students continued with their university education while 60% moved into the industry. In addition, they wanted to better prepare their students with skills that could be leveraged in a professional environment.

The Solution

Oxford provided an expert resource to sit on the committee and offer her perspectives. She met with the committee every three months to advise them which skills were most in-demand in their area based on her industry knowledge. At these meetings, she counseled them to improve their curriculums around Quality Control and introduce a program wherein students validate a machine and set up a protocol as their thesis project.

The Result

As a result of her efforts, the university has worked on changing its education systems and are implementing the new program. Once this program is in effect, students will enter the workforce armed with the experience they need to succeed.