Your Customer's Voice: An Innovation Roadmap for Professional Education.

INTRODUCTION Innovation is in vogue in the increasingly competitive and globalized higher education landscape. This is particularly true in the world of serving working professionals in continuing higher education. Global media, university boardrooms, and faculty senates are alive with talk of “disruptive” innovations that include competency-based credentials; massively open online courses (MOOCs); adaptive learning technologies; and $10,000 bachelor’s degrees. In this sea of possibilities for innovative programming and curricular directions, higher education leaders often take their cues from peer institutions or the business world, adopting innovations that others are prioritizing. Too often, however, colleges and universities do not consider the voice of the consuming public—in particular, that of prospective students—in creating a roadmap for innovation and growth. Successful innovation is not simply about creating a bold new business model or disruptive technology but must be responsive to evolving market needs and benefit customers—students and other constituencies—through new approaches. As a result, any innovation agenda must be built on an understanding of what students and the public are demanding of professional education. Listening to your customer’s voice can help sort through the noise of interesting and nascent ideas in order to prioritize and focus on initiatives that will meet the needs of students and the public.