Here is what gets lost in our drive for optimization
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The relentless pursuit of efficiency and optimization in higher education — driven by data metrics, performance benchmarks, and administrative cost-cutting — is stripping away the less measurable but essential elements of a quality education, including mentorship, intellectual exploration, and genuine human connection. When universities treat students as customers and education as a product to be delivered at maximum efficiency, they undermine the slow, often inefficient processes through which deep learning and personal development actually occur. The drive to optimize everything from advising to course delivery risks producing graduates who are credentialed but not truly educated.
Originally published: July 24, 2026
Author: Colleen M. Hanycz
Position: President
Institution: Xavier University
Published by: University Business