Digital Workspace

Optimized Workplaces Deliver a Better Higher Ed Employee Experience

Artificial intelligence and hybrid work spaces are features of the modern workspace.

Amy McIntosh is the managing editor of EdTech: Focus on Higher Education.

While colleges and universities are first and foremost places of learning, they’re also businesses. In addition to the faculty tasked with imparting knowledge, higher education employees include administrative staff, facilities management personnel, call center agents, athletic coaches, healthcare workers — the list goes on. For these team members, the college campus is their workplace, and modern technology is making these spaces more comfortable and efficient, making it easier to come to work every day — wherever that work takes place.

Technology Tools Deliver an Optimized Employee Experience

In CDW’s Workplace Modernization Research Report, IT leaders shared the technologies that allow them to optimize the digital experience for employees. The research revealed a sense of optimism about the impact that artificial intelligence can have in the workplace, with 80% of respondents curious or excited about AI-enhanced collaboration tools, and 65% interested in agentic AI.

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Higher education institutions are embracing AI for efficiencies in the workplace. Admissions offices are using AI agents and tools to answer student questions and review application materials, supplementing staff members trained to do the same. In athletic departments, data analytics teams are using AI to optimize player performance and create customized training schedules to reduce the risk of injury while saving coaches valuable time.

Like workplaces across industries, hybrid work schedules are permeating higher education. In the CDW report, 65% of respondents stated that remote and hybrid work boost productivity and talent retention. This shift has led some institutions to reimagine their office spaces, opting for collaborative, flexible environments that allow employees to come and go over permanent desks and offices.

Higher ed IT leaders always strive to make the student experience an optimal one, but just as important are those employees working to keep the campus operating smoothly so that teaching and learning can occur. By also prioritizing their experience, IT teams can ensure everyone on campus is primed to be at their best every day.

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