I would like us to do less with less. Focus more on outcomes and quality, using the tools and technology available to us. This is especially important in healthcare education where we always try to emphasise doing more.

Sharon Black

Higher education today

The concept of doing the same or more with fewer resources is a reality faced by many higher education institutions around the world. It feels like every strategic planning meeting focuses on the same metrics: increasing student numbers, expanding the offer, reaching new markets and making savings, while simultaneously demanding cost savings.

Yet as departments strain under increasing workloads with dwindling resources, we are seeing signs that the drive for expansion is undermining the essence of what makes higher education valuable – the ability to create transformative learning experiences through meaningful human connection; connection with our students, our wider stakeholders, and with each other. But what if we could meet this need by embracing a different approach?

What if we embraced the power of doing less, better? When we strip away the pressure to continuously do more, we can focus our energy on deepening the impact we have on the students already in our care. This isn’t about lowering our ambitions – it’s about redirecting them toward quality over quantity.

Practical strategies for sustainable academic work

We can build value through focused attention, whether working individually or leading a team.

• Understand who you are. Who are you as an academic or team? What unique value do you bring to your students and field? While institutions strive to be comprehensive, individuals and teams can focus on their distinctive strengths. Don’t be afraid to develop your unique academic identity rather than trying to be all things to all people.
• Define your vision and purpose. Ask “why are we here and what truly matters?” Whether you’re planning your own research agenda or leading a department, clarity of purpose helps focus limited resources on what’s important. The most impactful academic work, like successful products, connects to a clear vision and set of values that resonate with others.
• Rethink how you work. Redesign your teaching and research to emphasise depth over breadth. Focus on fewer but more meaningful projects and assessments. Look for opportunities to streamline overlapping work and reduce unnecessary repetition. Preserve face-to-face time for activities where human connection adds the most value.
• Focus on sustainable practices. Address workload actively, both for yourself and your team. Question administrative tasks that pull academics away from core scholarly work. Make every activity count by asking: Why are we doing this? What impact will it have? How will it improve outcomes? Build workflows that energise rather than exhaust.
• Know your stakeholders. Identify the key people and groups your work serves – students, research partners, practitioners, wider society. Invest time in understanding their needs and building meaningful relationships. Strong connections with stakeholders amplify your academic impact.
• Build community. Foster stronger connections within your immediate academic circle. Create opportunities for peer learning, mentorship, and collaboration. Small, engaged groups often achieve more lasting impact than larger, disconnected ones. Focus on building loyalty and belonging within your team.
• Develop resilience. Structure your work so you can adapt to change without burning out. Concentrate resources on fewer priorities pursued with excellence. Build sustainable practices that help both individuals and teams maintain high-quality work over the long term.

A different kind of growth

There’s a quiet revolution happening in pockets of higher education, where educators are creating spaces for deeper learning, meaningful connection, and sustainable practice. This isn’t about lowering our ambitions – it’s about clarifying them and redirecting them toward what truly matters. When we focus our limited resources on doing fewer things with greater care and attention, we often find that the impact of our work grows naturally, carried forward by the students whose lives we’ve genuinely touched. Perhaps this is the kind of growth that higher education really needs.

Co-authored with Sharon Black. Sharon is an Associate Professor for Nursing and Director of People and Culture in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham.