IT execs on college campuses seek solutions…
by Mary Scott Nabers
CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
. . . continued from page one
The funding issue is particularly acute in Texas. State-supported institutions have already cut budgets by significant amounts during the current biennium. Now they face the challenge of identifying even more cuts for the next biennium. Legislators have issued ultimatums to all state entities because of an estimate that the state’s financial deficit could be as high as $18 billion.
Community colleges may be even more hard pressed to make cuts. The student populations at these campuses are increasing at historic rates. Four-year institutions in Texas increased tuition rates and the result is that thousands of students are now turning to community colleges. Unemployed adults, seeking to find new careers, are also trying to gain entrance to community college classes. Non-traditional students as well as working students always depend on community colleges. When all of these trends converge, community colleges cannot meet the educational demands and cut budgets at the same time.
Cost reductions are one of the benefits of new technology. Old systems are slow and they tend to break on a regular basis. Repair and down time are costly. There are no simple solutions.
While IT financing ranks as the number one concern for college IT leaders, some of the remaining issues have carried over for several years. All of them are impacted by funding.
College IT departments will turn to private sector vendors and service providers for solutions. The problems can only be solved by both human and financial capital, something in short supply on today’s campuses. Technology firms with innovative solutions to address IT issues on college campuses should be encouraged to step forward quickly.
