Universities face the challenge of being relevant. This study investigates respondents' perspectives pertaining to attributes of successful universities and future learning environments. Data were collected using a specially designed survey during the 2016 academic year. The sample size was 518 King Abdulaziz University (KAU) academics. The results highlight critical attributes, management elements and dominant pedagogical and technological trends. The paper also reports significant differences between gender, discipline and years of experience sub-groups. The findings identify key themes, trends and perspectives that can be used as foundation for more in-depth research to discern possible strategies towards achieving success.