Dive Brief:
- Campus Technology breaks down the top five concerns among IT officials over the last year, with staffing needs and learning system integration topping the list of concerns.
- Budgeting was a key factor in these issues, as more than 80% of respondents said that more money was needed to find and to retain top IT talent, and some offices have not recovered from cuts levied more than 5 years ago.
- Almost 90% of the more than 300 campuses surveyed said that learning technology was a necessary tool for enriching the student experience.
Dive Insight:
When you think of IT, you typically think of the officials who help to preserve security and solve technical issues. But this survey reveals how intricate of a role IT staffers play in recommending and reviewing technologies which can improve institutional outcomes in retention and the learning experience.
The results of this survey follow a growing sense in the higher education community that IT is a hidden jewel in the effort to improve performance outcomes, and potentially in shaping campus leadership strategies. Campuses which can afford to do so should try to bolster these budgets and to use their departmental expertise in strategies to make students and faculty defenders against network invasion, and to improve the educational environment.