The year began with such promise and optimism. The economy had been growing at a steady, albeit unsustainable, rate. The Dow Jones Industrial Averagehit an all-time high in the middle of February. Higher education organizations planned to pump some of their surplus cash into improving their IT departments, systems, and infrastructures. In fact, according to theCIO Tech Poll: Tech Priorities 2020 report, some 59% of heads of IT anticipated that their technology budgets would increase over the course of the year. Higher education institutions were among those organizations that planned boosts to their IT department budgets as they continue their push towards digitization. And then COVID-19 came along and changed it all. The pandemic has both altered and accelerated higher education institutions’ tech priorities and initiatives.In the short-term, colleges and universities must ensure operational continuity in the face of enrollment declines and/or extended leaves of absence. In the long-term, however, schools must focus on evolving student needs and organizational viability. These seemingly conflicting priorities essentially mean that higher education institutions must do more with less, something that leaders are well aware of.According to one survey, some 43% of education leaders report thatIT department cost management is a key area of focus when it comes to modernizing infrastructure. In this posting, we will explore 5 IT investments for higher education institutions that are worth implementing now given the uncertainties that the industry will continue to face.
Higher Education IT Investment #1 – New online learning and collaboration technologies
There is no escaping it. The fall 2020 semester will kickoff with many students attending classes and learning from home. Despite many U.S. colleges and universities initially planning to resume classes, recent spikes in COVID-19 infection rates nationwide have left them scrambling to come up with alternate plans. Some schools will hold all courses online, while others, will feature a hybrid model where some 40% of undergraduate students, including all first-year students, will return to campus. For most higher education institutions online learning has become a necessity. Yet the circumstances require more than merely going virtual. We live in highly uncertain times, where even the best laid plans can be scrapped at a moment’s notice. Online learning solutions must be flexible, accommodating the shift from virtual to in-person classes, or some combination thereof, and back again. Teachers need ways to interact with and engage students. And students, particularly first-year students, need a sense of community and belonging. This explains Harvard’s plans to welcome the entire incoming class back to campus.And investments in online learning infrastructure should go beyond satisfying the immediate need brought on by the pandemic. Even when the situation has stabilized, it is likely that student learning needs and preferences will be forever altered by the experience.
