People rarely work in isolation. But it's not always easy to meet in person to work on a project. Connecting online can be done from almost anywhere. The collaboration possibilities run the gamut from passing a Word document back-and-forth via e-mail to holding a multiparty videoconference.
Read on to learn how a variety of online collaboration tools are helping college and university administrators execute projects more efficiently.
When Lynne Schaefer started her position as vice president for administration and finance at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2005, the institution’s financial reporting tool left much to be desired. Developed internally to pull data from UMBC’s PeopleSoft ERP, the tool has produced complex reports that make it “hard to find exactly what pieces of information you’re looking at,” she says. “This creates frustration, especially for the untrained eye.
A staggering 95 percent of sexual assault cases on college campuses go unreported, according to findings of a nine-month investigation by The Center for Public Integrity.
VUKUNET web platform by NEC Display Solutions of America can turn a digital signage display into a source for vendor advertising—and revenue for an institution—in public spaces with much foot traffic.
Accessibility is a part of usability. When you aim to please one group you please another.
“If you receive federal funds, you are required to make your information accessible,” says Richard Goodrow, web and media programmer at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. That, of course, includes video.
Since March, YouTube EDU (www.youtube.com/edu) has offered lectures from more than 100 colleges, including MIT, Yale, and UCLA, for anyone to view. “Twenty-first-century schooling is about walls coming down,” says Obadiah Greenberg, strategic partner manager for YouTube. “What better way than through video and YouTube?”
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, President Obama called for a 60-day review of national policies and structures related to cybersecurity. The denial-of-service attacks launched against some government and commercial websites here and in South Korea over the July 4 weekend probably proved the necessity of such a step to any remaining doubters.
THE FIRST WORD THAT SPRINGS to mind in conjunction with the phrase “liberal arts education” is not “technology.” In the 21st century, however, it should.
It doesn’t seem like seven months have passed since the Pittsburgh Steelers were parading around Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay with that glistening Super Bowl trophy. Part of the reason is that thanks to the news media, and in particular to 24/7 sports coverage, the National Football League never really leaves the public’s consciousness.
Reputation management is of utmost importance to colleges and universities in their constant pursuit of students and research dollars. It envelops all aspects of the institution, including the business of maintaining environmental compliance. One notice of violation from a regulatory entity can be highly publicized, result in fines, and have widespread negative impacts both within and outside the institution.
EDUCOMM 2009 BROUGHT SOME OF THE brightest stars in higher education to the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes resort, for three days of education sessions, new product introductions, and fun. The conference featured a number of firsts. For example, it was the first time in six years that EduComm took place independent of InfoComm. Also for the first time, the conference featured five keynote sessions that mixed thought-provoking topics with light-hearted “edutainment” sessions.
A short distance from EduComm, THE expo floor at InfoComm offered plenty of ways to spend stimulus dollars.
WHILE ONLY 19 PERCENT OF Americans aged 12 to 17 have ever listened to a podcast, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, many institutions have invested in academic or marketing initiatives to offer content and updates via podcasting. At the other end of the line, the possibilities for reaching and engaging the 75 percent of teens glued to their mobile phones are still mainly ignored by the majority of marketing strategists in higher education.
Look around a college campus today and you will be hard pressed to find a student walking around without a cell phone, MP3 player or other wireless device. With students being more on the go and tech-savvy than ever, the days of disseminating information by posting campus news on the doors of dormitory bathroom stalls and community bulletin boards are quickly coming to a close.
A tantalizing piece of cherry pie, the tip of a submerged iceberg in the Antarctic, a Hollywood icon, and the cell of a human eye - these attention-grabbing images are a far cry from the black and white yearbook photos sitting in your parent’s attic. These days, as technology advances, almost everyone with a cell phone has a digital camera.
