The current higher education landscape was facing multifaceted disruption due to a new digital student body. Then COVID-19 happened, making this transition even faster. These new students are expecting a more personalized and intuitive smart campus experience, just like they find on the web. Now more then ever. Students aren’t just students, they are consumers. You read that right. Yes, students are consumers that have a choice and are empowered by their choices. Thanks to the internet and social media, the many choices of today’s students are based on purpose, experience, and value. Universities across the nation are feeling the hit too, in 2018 only 38% of colleges met enrollment goals. [caption id="" align="aligncenter"]
Source: Educationdata.org[/caption] With the growing concern about meeting enrollment goals, universities need to reshape how they move forward. They need to adopt technologies other industries have long grown accustomed to."Smart" innovations used in banking, smart retail, digital workplaces, and even smart venues like stadiums could be expanded to higher education. Even college IT leaders see the benefits, in a study by the Center for Digital Education and CenturyLink, 50 percent of higher education officials agreed smart campus technology could cut costs, and 43 percent said it could help to boost student retention. Higher education campuses are the heart of the nation’s research, movements, and advancements. For that reason, turning your university into a smart campus can only improve the experience of students, faculty, and staff.
What is a smart campus?
A smart campus uses networked technologies to facilitate communication, enhance security, use resources more efficiently, and of course, save money. Simply put, a smart campus will improve the experience, efficiency, and education. A smart campus will allow an institution to connect systems such as lighting and door locks, and to create a seamless and interconnected experience for students, faculty, and staff. By using data and analytics, smart campuses can optimize the following:
