EDUCAUSE

A panel of experts at the annual EDUCAUSE conference discussed why data and analytics, and ultimately chief information officers, are growing more important to the future of higher education.

Cyber insurance is one way to protect institutions when something goes wrong in their digital infrastructure, but acquiring and implementing it will look different depending on organizational structure and priorities.

In the face of rapidly accelerating technological change, a private-sector expert at the EDUCAUSE national conference last week suggested that institutions embrace becoming technology-first enterprises.

The University of Michigan devoted considerable resources to proprietary generative AI tools. Next month it will launch a public-facing chatbot to connect prospective college students with funding opportunities.

Resources from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology on generative AI include a guide to teaching and learning, the national ed-tech plan, an ed-tech developer's guide and more.

The 2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10 list, a snapshot of top priorities in higher education, focuses on earning back trust through technology and data. Several indicators show faith in the value of higher ed and the integrity of tech companies is declining.

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals in ed tech are no strangers to burnout, and neither are their counterparts in student success. But technology and teamwork may be able to relieve some of that pressure, leaders said at the 2024 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference.

Higher education is uniquely vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks, presenters at one EDUCAUSE Annual Conference session said, and institutions should work together to address their vulnerabilities. Training and awareness are vital.

The new Higher Education Generative AI Readiness Assessment gauges how colleges and universities are making use of generative AI tools, as well as their levels of investment in governance and infrastructure.

The American Council on Education and 17 other education groups pressed the Federal Communications Commission to ensure Internet service providers can't throttle connection speeds or prices for particular content.

Given the scale of cyber threats against universities today and the number of digital tools they depend upon, IT leaders should prioritize working with vendors that are reliable, proactive and responsive to such threats.

With more students using artificial intelligence for a variety of functions, it will be important to teach critical-thinking skills and encourage hands-on learning — especially in tech fields.

A recent Educause survey found institutions have been increasing their investments in cybersecurity positions, while little is going toward adding positions dedicated to privacy issues.

Several higher-ed leaders on Tuesday stressed the importance of data privacy, particularly now in the age of ubiquitous digital tools and data management initiatives, as universities collect more data to make decisions.

As teachers integrate generative artificial intelligence into lesson plans and subjects, doing so responsibly will mean teaching about the limitations and biases of such tools, and discouraging over-reliance on them.

Administrators say colleges and universities can improve data-informed decision-making, and potentially help struggling students, by creating a centralized data system for their institution.

College and university IT departments are busier than ever accommodating the shift to hybrid learning models, putting pressure on CISOs and their staff to strengthen cybersecurity without ballooning costs.

The Digital Footprints Project at West Virginia University shows the potential for institutional data about student engagement, performance and other metrics to enable early intervention strategies.