As budget pressures intensify across the Australian higher education sector, a familiar message is once again doing the rounds: do more with less. But what happens when staff are already stretched thin, inquiries are going unanswered, systems are underfunded, and faculties are running on fumes?
So it’s a new take on an old challenge, asking: what if the real answer isn’t to do more—but to do less, and do it smarter?
From Overwhelm to Opportunity
It starts, as these things often do, with a memo from the Vice-Chancellor about “operational sustainability” and cost-saving directives. The instinctive reaction? Frustration, exhaustion, and resignation. But step back, and a more productive question emerges: can we achieve more with less, rather than simply do more?
Reframing the challenge in this way opens the door to opportunity—and brings us to an unlikely hero: Lego.
In the early 2000s, Lego was facing bankruptcy. A new CEO turned things around not by expanding operations, but by radically cutting back. Product lines were slashed, activities streamlined, and the company was refocused on its core strengths. Lego’s revival became a case study in success by subtraction.
This principle can be just as powerful in international education.
The Prune, Prioritise, Transform Model
To help institutions navigate this shift, education consultants have introduced a simple framework: Prune, Prioritise, Transform.
Prune: Cut Back to Grow Stronger
Think of your institution like a pear tree—too many branches and it shades itself, producing small fruit and risking collapse. Pruning helps the strongest branches flourish. In recruitment terms, that means identifying which activities, channels or partnerships no longer serve your goals and cutting them back.
Examples:
- Hold your agent week every two years instead of annually—and make it exceptional.
- Focus marketing on the top 20% of MOUs that generate real value.
- Reduce school visits from 150 to 50, and support the remainder with quality outreach kits.
- Reuse brochures over a two-year cycle instead of redesigning annually.
- Streamline content distribution by focusing on the top five impact channels.
Pruning isn’t about cutting for the sake of it. It’s about protecting your resources and freeing up capacity to focus on what really works.
Prioritise: Focus on What Delivers Results
With fewer distractions, the next step is prioritisation. Just as trees on the inside rows of an orchard produce the most fruit, some recruitment activities will yield more than others. Focus on those with the greatest strategic value.
Examples:
- Programs: Invest in high-conversion, high-completion programs with strong student outcomes.
- Markets: Use a performance-based matrix to prioritise markets that offer sustainable growth, not just volume.
- Enquiries: Build triage models to prioritise high-intent prospects for more targeted engagement.
- Agents: Segment agents by strategic value—not just volume—using conversion, compliance, and satisfaction metrics.
- Internal Stakeholders: Work with institutional champions who support recruitment goals and amplify your efforts.
This step shifts the mindset from effort to impact—and sets the stage for meaningful change.
Transform: Make the Leap
Finally, transformation. While incremental improvements—like faster response times or slight conversion increases—are valuable, transformation involves bold, game-changing shifts.
Examples of real transformation:
- Automated assessments that process applications in minutes.
- AI-powered student advisors offering multilingual support via WhatsApp, saving hours of staff time.
- Market-driven pricing and scholarship strategies that generate millions in new revenue.
- Agent hotlines that double recruitment volumes through better service.
Transformation isn’t easy—it requires courage, experimentation, and stakeholder buy-in—but the results can be extraordinary.
Final Word
Yes, doing less with less is possible. Through strategic pruning, clear prioritisation, and targeted transformation, universities can move from overstretched to operationally sustainable—and even thrive in the process.
The next time a cost-cutting directive hits your inbox, remember: you don’t have to do more with less. You just have to do the right things—and do them well.
Mark Pettitt is the Founder and CEO of Edified – consultants dedicated exclusively to the business of education. For more information, Mark can be contacted via email.
