“The pandemic sparked a great rethink that upended previous models of management and working. In 2023, institutional and technology leaders are ready for a new approach,” Susan Grajek, vice president for partnerships, communities, and research for EDUCAUSE, emphasized as she began her speech at EDUCAUSE 2022. Sharing this year’s top 10 IT issues in 2023 for colleges and universities, a key theme of Grajek’s speech and the conference was how to use technology to improve higher education.
Each year, EDUCAUSE’s top 10 IT issues list for the coming year is released at the conference. Compiled by an expert panel including CIOs and faculty members, its insights are checked against a survey of EDUCAUSE members. Despite its title, the list lays out foundational models centered on leadership, data, and work and learning to steer institutions toward positive change in the coming year. Three of this year’s focus areas are smooth sailing for the student experience, a new era of IT support, and giving CIOs a seat at the table.
Smooth Sailing for the Student Experience
In today’s hyper-connected, on-demand world, a seamless online educational experience is vital to setting students up for success in higher education. On the list of top 10 IT issues presented at EDUCAUSE 2022, institutions were encouraged to think about how they can enhance the student experience using data, technology, insight, and agility. Many have already begun working on this by introducing new apps, virtual service desks, and other innovative platforms.
Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, for example, began implementing ticketing and asset management software several years ago to help students address IT issues. Prior to this virtual help desk, tech support was a slow process consisting of voicemails and Post-it® notes. With technology becoming more prevalent on campus, college leadership wanted students to have a better way to get help. The virtual help desk empowers students with the ability to start tickets themselves to request IT assistance. Tickets increased 500 percent in the first five years, which may seem bad at first, but, in fact, demonstrates how well the desk is working to support students.
A New Era of IT Support
If the last few years have taught us nothing else, it is to be flexible and embrace change. The use of virtual help desks is one way institutions are modernizing IT support, but it’s not sufficient on its own. For colleges and universities, updating IT services is crucial to support hybrid and remote learning. The pandemic caused a swift and what we thought was a temporary move to remote learning and work. Now, however, the challenge is finding sustainable and resilient permanent solutions to support remote and hybrid work and learning.
Community colleges with smaller budgets face the challenge of hiring talent with limited resources, as IT professionals are in high demand. As Clay Whitley, Account Manager for SLED at SolarWinds noticed during EDUCAUSE 2022 how many community colleges are bringing in consultants to fill IT talent gaps.
While bringing in consultants has worked as a temporary measure, a viable long-term solution is needed. Approaches vary, but some are turning to platforms offering observability solutions to provide more holistic visibility into the entire network. For those facing limited budgets, this has proven a more permanent alternative to hiring consultants to help.
A Seat at the Table for the CIO
Silos, whether in information stacks or departments, make it difficult for colleges to have a full view of technology needs while making it unclear how to implement them. To help avoid challenges in the new year, IT leaders need to be included in institutional strategic planning. “Chief information officers need a seat at college leadership tables to facilitate a dialogue between institutional aspiration and digital possibilities,” Grajek said.
In Orange County, California, Chapman University’s CIO, Helen Norris, has been able to not only contribute to planning locally but also participate in a broader, national conversation. Norris believes collaboration on what works and what doesn’t is an important step to take. This year she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions as an expert on cybersecurity and higher education. Incorporating IT leaders into institutions’ conversations and encouraging collaboration can lead to positive change.
Conclusion
EDUCAUSE 2022 was all about learning from the lessons of the past few years to evolve and grow in the coming years. By focusing on next year’s challenges, educational leaders can continue to build on this knowledge to find the best ways to serve students and employees.
