Management

3 Foundational Models Shaping Higher Ed IT

The core principles of leadership, data, and working and learning can help guide administrators at institutions of all sizes.

Amy McIntosh

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

Every year, EDUCAUSE releases its list of top 10 IT issues for the coming year, giving higher education IT leaders an idea of the trends they can expect to see in learning, administration, workforce and emerging technology.

Susan Grajek, vice president of partnerships, communities and research at EDUCAUSE, presented the most recent list at the organization’s annual conference in Denver. The report features the input of higher education leaders from the U.S. and the U.K. and focuses on the concept of foundation models.

“I think the most important takeaway is that it’ll be up to higher ed IT leaders to adapt these foundational models to their institutions, culture, leadership, financials and size,” Grajek tells EdTech. “But the three basic foundations involving leadership, data, and working and learning, really will apply to every institution in one form or another.”

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These three foundations — and the IT issues they encompass — will shape the coming year for higher education. Higher education IT leaders are tasked with driving their organizations’ IT missions while mentoring their staff. Data and analytics are key to providing IT leaders with actionable insights that allow them to make meaningful change at their institutions. And administrative leaders have recognized that tasks can be completed from anywhere, just as efficiently as before.

1. Leadership: Lead with Wisdom

2. Data: The Ultra-Intelligent Institution

3. Working and Learning: Everything Is Anywhere

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