Jenzabar’s Mark Gradolf and Southeastern University CTO Neal Dyer discuss the institution’s experiences when unbundling its course catalog.

How Can Unbundling Courses Help Colleges and Universities Meet Community Needs?

There are many reasons that colleges and universities should consider unbundling their course catalogs: the great resignation, the impending retirement of baby boomers, and the growing skills gap, to name a few. These factors are leaving large gaps in the job market and causing employers to increasingly seek new, skilled workers. In response, many employees are pursuing flexible education experiences that will give them the skills to succeed in those open roles. For higher education institutions, this presents an opportunity to address a decade-long enrollment decline that shows little sign of abating; they can offer education options for a new type of learner: the jobseeker.

To gain insight into higher ed tech, Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research invited nearly 2,000 CIOs and CTOs to participate in a survey.

When It Comes to Institutional Strategies: What Do CIOs and CTOs Have to Say?

To better understand the state of higher education technology, Inside Higher Ed collaborated with Hanover Research and conducted its first-ever Survey of Campus Chief Technology/Information Officers. The company collected over 175 responses from CIOs and CTOs working in both private and public institutions. Below, we examine some of the survey’s key findings. <a href="https://jenzabar.com/resource/industry-insights-2022-survey-of-campus-chief-technology-information-officers">You can access the survey findings directly here</a>.

Given that a hot job market has historically meant low higher education enrollments, why are schools seeing an increased interest in certificate programs?

Higher Education Trend Alert: Graduate School Out. Certificate Programs In.

If colleges and universities learned anything from the 2008 recession, it was that enrollment rates are inherently linked to the job market. As the recession weakened the job market, college enrollments increased and were driven mostly by older learners who were facing employment difficulties. When the market started to rebound, these learners left school and returned to work. This trend continues today, so it’s no surprise that a hotter-than-normal job market has coincided with fall 2022 enrollment numbers down almost entirely across the board. What is surprising: For the first time since the pandemic began, graduate school enrollments are down as well. In fact, the only area where enrollments are increasing is certificate programs.

Les Zimmerman examines which of the EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues of 2023 will have the greatest impact in the edtech sector.

Ed Tech’s Take on the 2023 Top 10 IT Issues: EDUCAUSE Interviews Les Zimmerman

At the annual EDUCAUSE conference in Denver this year, EDUCAUSE released its annual Top 10 IT Issues. 2023’s list was centered around issues of leadership, nuanced use of new technologies, and workplace and classroom flexibility. Though the list is framed for those in higher education leadership roles, it’s also important for those in the educational technology sector, as edtech must be prepared to address these issues when they arise. To gather insight from higher ed’s corporate community, EDUCAUSE sat down with Jenzabar’s Les Zimmerman to hear his perspective on the Top 10.&nbsp;

In the second half of this two-part series, we continue to break down EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 IT Issues for 2023. 

EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues for 2023, Part 2: It’s Time to Work Smart

Each year, the edtech community eagerly awaits the release of EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 IT Issues, and this year’s list did not disappoint. The list, which Jenzabar was proud to once again sponsor, anticipates higher ed’s main areas of concern for the upcoming year and reiterated issues that many in higher education have already been experiencing. It dealt with topics involving workforce development, leadership best practices, and creating connected campuses. But one theme that stood out prevalently across the Top 10 and throughout the EDUCAUSE 2022 conference: the importance of managing and utilizing data.

At its annual meeting this year, EDUCAUSE released its top 10 IT issues. We break those issues down in this two-part series. 

EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues for 2023, Part 1: Addressing the Great Resignation

It’s been almost three years since the world first learned of COVID-19, and if this year’s EDUCAUSE conference is anything to go by, higher education is among the many industries looking to put the pandemic behind them. Jenzabar was proud to once again sponsor EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 IT issues for 2023, issues that were different from the past two years in that they were no longer focused on responding to the current pandemic or preparing for future disruptions. This year, one of the main themes that seemed to hover over conference sessions and could be seen throughout the Top 10 IT issues was institutional leadership’s role in workforce retention and development.

Modernization in higher education means more than just replacing outdated technology, says Gartner. So, what else does modernization entail? 

A Look Into the Gartner Report on Modernizing Higher Ed

According to one of the latest reports from Gartner®, “Modernization in Higher Education Means More Than Just Replacing Outdated Technology,” colleges looking to <a href="https://jenzabar.com/resource/audiobook-defining-the-digital-campus">digitally transform their campuses</a> must also look to their IT departments, in particular their CIOs, to help bring about successful institutional change. Why? To truly modernize a campus, colleges and universities need to optimize their use of technology.

Local industries are reaching out to colleges and universities for help training workers. Here’s how institutions can respond. 

How Can Colleges and Universities Answer the Call for Skills-Based Learning?

Across the country, colleges and universities are seeing an increased demand for <a href="https://jenzabar.com/resource/industry-insights-innovating-to-create-a-more-flexible-path-for-higher-ed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">academic programs that are flexible, accessible, and short in duration</a>. These requests aren’t only coming from students; they are coming from businesses as well. In fact, many larger companies like Google and IBM have begun creating their own credentials and skills-based certificate programs to upskill their workforce. Higher education institutions looking to answer the call for skills-based learning may want to consider what it would take to implement these types of programs on campus.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jenzabar surveyed higher education administrators to see how they were innovating to close the gap between education and employment.

Can Higher Ed Bridge the Chasm Between Education and Employment?

Investigating how the pandemic impacted college and university enrollments is its own chapter in the history books. But if the pandemic alone were responsible for the current higher education enrollment crisis, we might assume that enrollments will gradually rise as the pandemic’s impact wanes. This isn’t necessarily true. Enrollments are also impacted by a demographic cliff, rising inflation and costs of college, a hotter-than-normal job market, and—what many don’t want to talk about—widespread doubt over the value of a college education.

Students are entering higher education unprepared. What help can institutions provide that might further student success instead of hindering it?

Should Institutions Provide the Rods When Teaching Students How to Fish?

New York University made headlines recently when organic chemistry students signed a petition against their professor. The reason: Many students were struggling in and failing the class. Though the professor had previously won teaching awards and stood by his methods, and though colleagues and other students came to his defense, NYU ultimately decided to dismiss him. The decision garnered press and has placed emphasis on a series of questions for institutions and professors alike—questions about academic rigor versus academic gatekeeping and about changing student needs and expectations. While professors have asked themselves these questions for years, now administrators are asking: How much struggle is good struggle? How much help should an institution ultimately provide its students?

Institutions looking to stay competitive can use a cloud ERP to maximize their resources and attract more students, faculty, and staff. 

3 Ways a Cloud ERP Can Make Institutions More Competitive

Competition isn’t a word colleges and universities feel entirely comfortable with outside of their athletics programs, but the truth is that colleges and universities compete every day: for a decreasing pool of faculty, staff, and students, and for name brand recognition. Pretending that academic competition doesn’t exist can be detrimental to an institution’s future. Cloud ERP systems can help institutions digitally transform and evolve so they can better compete for students and staff amid changing social and economic standards.

The Community College of Beaver County implemented Jenzabar Chatbot and saw an immediate return on investment. 

Businesses Are Using Chatbots. Why Colleges and Universities Should, Too.

If it seems like nearly every website you’ve visited recently greets you with a chatbot, you’re not imagining things. There was a surge in chatbot adoption during the pandemic when customer support teams were sent home and support requests rose. For customer service departments, chatbots can help ease the support burden for staff and give consumers a means to resolve easy problems quickly. While many higher education institutions don’t necessarily have dedicated “customer service” departments, a lot of departments on campus are, in essence, service centers. For this reason, chatbots can be an indispensable tool for colleges and universities.

Some employers are no longer requiring bachelor’s degrees. What’s behind the new labor market trend, and how will it impact higher education? 

Employer Demand for Degrees is Declining. What Does This Mean for Higher Ed?

The hot job market may be cold news, but it remains a <a href="https://jenzabar.com/blog/how-modern-tech-can-address-the-higher-education-employment-crisis">pressing issue for HR departments</a> in nearly every industry. As employers struggle to fill open positions, human resource experts are advising they do two things: drop bachelor’s degree requirements and move to skills-based hiring. Many companies are heeding this advice, and the percentage of jobs requiring a four-year degree is shrinking. This could spell trouble for higher education.

Not all communications solutions are created equal. Kentucky Christian University found the right solution for their campus. 

How to Choose the Right Communications Solution for Your Institution

It’s no wonder institutions across the country are concerned with how best to engage their students. The more engaged prospective students are during the recruitment process, the more likely they are to apply. The more engaged current students are in college life, the more likely they are to persist. But engaging students is becoming increasingly difficult. Traditional methods of outreach—mailers, email, etc.—are no longer eliciting responses. Consequently, institutions are turning to text messaging and are looking for communications software that includes texting capabilities. But with so many of these solutions on the market, how can institutions decide which one is right for their campus?

Email remains the best way to communicate with students about financial aid. We explore 5 tips to help institutions create effective financial aid emails. 

5 Email Communications Tips for Financial Aid Offices

There’s no such thing as too much communication when it comes to talking with students about financial aid. Financial aid is a complex topic that requires a great deal of student action. Financial aid offices have universally found that the more you can explain information and <a href="https://jenzabar.com/resource/webinar-the-impact-of-financial-aid-on-enrollment-and-retention?__hstc=45788219.ba083e5452bbdc77410a5d26026addf1.1663169661936.1663169661936.1663169661936.1&amp;__hssc=45788219.1.1663169661937&amp;__hsfp=1562363153" rel="noopener">nudge students to action, the better</a>. But finding the best method of communicating with students can be difficult, especially as demographics change and expectations shift.

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How Can Unbundling Courses Help Colleges and Universities Meet Community Needs?

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