The U.S. economy has been through major changes in the last several years, and the effects are being felt on campus. In many cases, this turmoil shows up publicly in the form of a credit-rating downgrade. On some campuses, a change in the credit rating has no effect on the day-to-day operations; on others, it […]
Higher education institutions can venerate or perpetuate hallowed traditions. Institutions have had a reputation for infrastructure conservatism. William Rees’ 2003 article “Impeding Sustainability? The Ecological Footprint of Higher Education” states “the real challenge for higher education is to help articulate an alternative life-sustaining worldview.” Today, campuses lead the transformation to sustainability, demonstrating its value nationwide. […]
In the past few years, many universities have begun to explore a concept frequently and successfully implemented in the corporate world, but previously rare in higher education: shared services. The term “shared services” refers to a streamlining process where administrative tasks or technology management services that regularly occurred across several departments in the organization are […]
To confront today’s financial challenges, every college and university needs to create more operational efficiency. Some of these efficiencies start in the business office. For instance, key aspects of higher education financial management are paper-intensive and outdated —a stark contrast to the first-class technology used in campus classrooms. A primary target for business officers should […]
Higher education is big business, but many schools are operating with barely more fiscal security than the average kid’s lemonade stand. Thefts from colleges are persistent, increasing and coming from all around campus. Common targets for embezzlers include bookstores and cafeterias, tuition collection, and even government grants to professors. Administrators should implement a proactive risk […]
With apps now a fixture on the vast majority of campuses, colleges and universities are no longer debating whether to develop their own mobile platforms. Instead, they are creating the next generation of apps for students who turn to their smartphones for everything from checking their grades to checking their laundry. As of last fall, […]
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was developed to encourage and enhance cardholder data security and to facilitate the broad adoption of consistent data security measures globally. The PCI DSS has just been updated to version 3.0, effective January 1, 2014. Some of the changes have far-reaching impacts, and the new version […]
When mapping out how wayfinding should be incorporated into digital signage on campus, ease of use for students and visitors should be the top concern. “The more information that can be presented visually, rather than textually, the more easily information can be digested in terms of wayfinding,” says Lyle Bunn, a digital signage expert based […]
A potentially positive higher ed economic indicator is that more institutions purchased student information systems in 2013 than had done so in any year since 2008, according to a recent market analysis by The Tambellini Group. Two of the main reasons given for the 195 purchases were the need to update outdated software and to […]
For the students, staff, alumni, and others at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif., remembering multiple user IDs and passwords to log in to numerous applications was a cumbersome experience. Resetting the inevitably forgotten passwords was time-consuming and frustrating as the help desk was not open 24/7. The beginning of each semester, when many people […]
