The notion of doing more with less—less budget, less time, fewer resources—has been the mantra in many IT departments for some time. But the institution leaders gathering at this year's EDUCAUSE Annual Conference are now more concerned with: "How can I do something different to get more value with the resources I have?" This shift […]
With YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets, virtually nothing escapes the pubic's notice, and judgment. It's one reason higher education is paying much more attention to risk management now than in the past. There are also more risk-generating contingencies, such as mass shootings, and accountability standards, such as for the prevention of sexual […]
In just three years, enrollment at Lone Star Community College grew by about 50 percent. The six-campus system, located in the north Houston metro area, now has more than 95,000 students and has experienced explosive data growth, as well—from 40 terabytes to 1.6 petabytes. A data collection that big is hard to imagine. But as […]
Every FutureShock story we write is unique and personal. This is where we found inspiration for DroneU. One day while cruising around our lake, we noticed a drone-like mini helicopter hovering above us. When the drone caught up to us, it stopped suddenly, circled us, and then zoomed off in the direction of a nearby […]
Follett Higher Education Group continues to meet the needs of campus communities by staying on the pulse of what professors adopt and how college students acquire course materials, as well as on the latest classroom technologies and other retail environments. We translate these insights into custom operating plans that transform the campus retail experience. Leveraging […]
In the time since Carey Haddock was a resident assistant 10 years ago, the typical job description has expanded and the stakes are much higher. "There's definitely an increase in pressure and responsibility for RAs today," says Haddock, who now trains and supervises RAs as assistant director of housing and residence life at Salisbury University […]
Faculty and students at Bridgewater College in Virginia complained increasingly in recent years about the unavailability of textbooks at the campus bookstore. To control inventory, the store stocked only a percentage of materials required if everyone purchased what was expected. Campus business officers also noted a rapid decline in textbook revenue and related commissions, as […]
The variety of challenges facing enrollment leaders are well documented: changing demographics, increased competition for students, scarce outcome data— and the list goes on. Resources are also limited, and so it is critically important for enrollment managers to measure the ROI of the initiatives they take and then adjust as necessary. Collaboration within the enrollment […]
In a "post-racial" and "post-feminist" America, do we still need colleges and universities that serve women? If most institutions now admit those previously excluded, isn't the disappearance of women's colleges and historically black colleges, oddly, a good thing? Not in my view. The recent announcement of the closing of Sweet Briar College is not a […]
The incoming classes at most schools want ubiquitous technology, and expect it to be available when someone uses their cell phone, tablet, laptop or other device. IT leaders are charged with fulfilling the campus community's needs and must do so within budgetary constraints, while continuously scanning the technological environment to make certain that advances are […]
