Tag: pursue

Higher Ed Tech Leaders Pursue Consolidation and Savings
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Talk of what’s possible with AI permeated conversations this week among the 7,000 attendees at Educause, the sector’s leading education-technology conference. But amid the product demos, corporate swag and new feature launches, higher ed’s technology and data leaders expressed caution about investing in new tech.

They said that budget constraints, economic uncertainty and understaffed technology teams were forcing them to seek a clear return on investment in new tools rather than quick-fix purchases. And as tech leaders look to the coming year, they say the human side of data, cybersecurity and AI will be the focus of their work.

Educause researchers at the event announced the 2026 Educause Top 10, a list of key focus areas they compiled based on interviews with leaders, expert panel recommendations and a survey of technology leaders at 450 institutions. The results underline how uncertainty around federal funding, economic instability and political upheaval is making it hard for leaders to plan.
The 2026 Educause Top 10

Collaborative Cybersecurity

The Human Edge of AI

Data Analytics for Operational and Financial Insights

Building a Data-Centric Culture Across the Institution

Knowledge Management for Safer AI

Measure Approaches to New Technologies

Technology Literacy for the Future Workforce

From Reactive to Proactive

AI-Enabled Efficiencies and Growth

Decision-Maker Data Skills and Literacy
For example, No. 6 on the list is “Measured Approaches to New Technologies.” Leaders say they intend to “make better technology investment decisions (or choosing not to invest) through clear cost, ROI and legacy systems assessments.”

Presenting the top 10 in a cavernous ballroom in the Music City conference center, Mark McCormack, senior director of research and insights at Educause, said leaders feel pressure to make smart investments and stay on top of rapid advancements in technology. “The technology marketplace is evolving so quickly and institutions feel a pressure to keep up, but that pressure to keep up can lead to less optimal approaches to technology purchasing and implementation,” he said.

“From some of our other Educuase research we know that quick fixes and reactive purchases often lead to technical debt and poor interoperability and additional strains on our technology teams,” he added. “That’s just not sustainable, especially with our tight budgets and our capacity, so we need to make decisions based on a clear understanding of cost and value.”

No. 3 on the list, “Data Analytics for Operational and Financial Insights,” indicated technology leaders will respond to intensifying financial pressures through better data analysis. “Cuts to federal funding, enrollment trends, public skepticism about the value of a degree—so many of us are feeling that weight right now, and in this kind of environment our institutions are turning to data as a guide to help them navigate some complicated decisions,” McCormack said.

Data can also help colleges identify priority areas for investment, such as enrollment targets, compliance requirements or areas of programmatic growth, he noted. “But our data can also guide conversations about where to scale back, and we need to be able to distinguish between high-impact priorities and areas that may no longer align with the institution’s direction.”

Commenting on the top 10, Brandon Rich, director of AI enablement at the University of Notre Dame, said his institution is using AI to navigate tight budgets. “With the budget challenges we face, we see AI as a possible way to move forward and create efficiencies,” he said during a mainstage panel.

Speaking with Inside Higher Ed, Nicole Engelbert, vice president of product strategy for student systems at Oracle, said colleges are reviewing their tech ecosystems more critically. “Institutions are looking to streamline, consolidate, shop their closet, because any dollar spent on extraneous technology is a dollar that isn’t going to be spent for research, student aid, recruitment, classes, faculty—all the things that make an institution healthy and vibrant,” she said.

She expects the current political and economic climate will dissuade institutions from taking on expensive, transformational projects. “Making big changes on your payroll, on your general ledger, on your student enrollment takes huge amounts of psychic energy from a large population, and that population right now is very weary. They’re exhausted by the last year,” she said.

One silver lining of higher ed’s financial uncertainty could be a shift toward more tactical forward planning, Engelbert said. “I hope there’s this new period where we look at transformation projects or technology projects more strategically, more critically,” she said.

Collective Will, Individual Capabilities

Other priorities on the Educause top 10 look similar to those from previous years: Improved cybersecurity, better data and data governance, and harnessing the power of AI are issues that have appeared on the list for the past five years.

But Educause researchers say this year’s study shows leaders’ focus has shifted from infrastructure and platforms to the humans working with these systems. They break the list into two themes: collective will—connecting resources and knowledge across departments to “shape a shared institutionwide perspective”—and individual capabilities, or training and empowering people to realize the “net benefits” of the technologies and data on campus.

“The thing that we saw that was very different is that … even as technology is skyrocketing, changing everything we do, we as higher education need to remember our humanity and lead with that because that’s what makes us resilient,” said Crista Copp, vice president of research at Educause.

No. 1 on the list is “Collaborative Cybersecurity,” reflecting institutions’ urgency to safeguard their expanding digital borders.

“The ecosystem is becoming a lot more distributed across devices and locations. That person who’s using their device logging in to that system from, you know, a coffee shop or wherever, they’re becoming more and more important to be educated and equipped to do that safely,” McCormack told Inside Higher Ed.

“The other thing that did come up is an acknowledgment that as our tools are becoming more sophisticated … those threat actors are becoming more sophisticated as well.”

Institutional data and how it is managed will also be a priority for technology leaders in 2026, according to the list. “Data Analytics for Operational and Financial Insights” is No. 3, “Building a Data-Centric Culture Across the Institution” is No. 4, and “Decision-Maker Data Skills and Literacy” comes in at No. 10.

Copp said these issues suggest institutions will be tackling data from different angles. “It’s this triad of ‘Oh my gosh, we have all this information. And we don’t have it organized properly. We don’t know how to interpret it properly. And then we don’t know what to do with it,” she said. “I found it really interesting that … we saw three sides of the same thing.”

AI-related issues also appear three times on the list: “The Human Edge of AI” at No. 2, “Knowledge Management for Safer AI” at No. 5 and “AI-Enabled Efficiencies and Growth” at No. 9. The growing focus on improving AI across institutions also represents a shift in what’s needed in the higher education workforce.

“I think everyone, regardless if you’re in higher education or not, [is] facing workforce changes. And part of that is, who do we want to be? And we need to define [that],” she said. “No. 2 [on the list] … is the human edge of AI and it’s, ‘Although we expect you to use AI, we want you to come as a person first, because that’s what education is all about.’”
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October 31, 2025
Colleges Must Pursue All Legal Paths for Diversity (opinion)

Two years ago, the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to opportunity in America when it gutted access to higher education for underrepresented groups. That decision was not only legally misguided but also turned a blind eye to the deep inequities that have long shaped our education system. Our colleges and universities scrambled to find lawful tools to ensure that their student bodies still reflected the breadth of talent and promise in this country.

One of those tools was Landscape, a program recently canceled by the College Board that gave admissions officers data about a student’s high school and neighborhood while explicitly excluding race or ethnicity.

Standardized test scores and GPAs never tell the whole story. Median family income, access to Advanced Placement courses, local crime rates and other key indicators help admissions officers see the full picture and provide crucial context to help identify high-achieving students from disadvantaged communities. These are students whom universities might otherwise overlook. Tools that give context level the playing field—not by lowering standards, but by lifting students up according to their merit and the obstacles they have overcome.

The Supreme Court, even in striking down diversity initiatives, still made clear that universities could explore race-neutral alternatives to achieve equity. The use of socioeconomic and geographic factors is exactly such an alternative. Despite U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s recent nonbinding guidance warning against the use of geographic indicators as “proxies” for race, make no mistake: Abandoning consideration of these elements of an applicant’s background is not a legal requirement but a political choice, reflecting fear rather than courage.

Without tools that account for the barriers students face, colleges will fall back on practices that overwhelmingly favor the privileged, shutting out low-income and first-generation students who have already beaten the odds. This spoils opportunity for millions, and our campuses and our nation will suffer for it. Diversity is not a box to check; it is a vital engine of education and democracy. Classrooms that bring together students from different walks of life prepare all graduates to lead a diverse society, foster innovation and strengthen our communities.

We cannot allow the Supreme Court’s decision—and the chilling effect in its wake—to undo decades of progress. And we cannot allow educational institutions to abdicate their responsibility in this moment of crisis. The data that provides broader context for applicants remains available, but without the will to use it, too many doors will remain closed for the students who need them most.

America has always promised to reward hard work and perseverance, no matter where you come from. That promise rings hollow if we allow the wealthy and well connected to monopolize educational opportunity. Colleges and universities must honor that promise by continuing to seek out and support students who have succeeded against the odds. Fairness demands it, equal opportunity requires it and the future of our country depends on it.

The authors all serve as state attorneys general: New York Attorney General Letitia James, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown.

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October 6, 2025
NJCU, Kean announce plans to pursue merger

New Jersey City University has agreed to pursue a merger with nearby Kean University, a move encouraged by state officials to help stabilize NJCU after financial struggles in recent years.

On Wednesday, NJCU’s Board of Trustees voted 7 to 0 to enter merger negotiations with Kean.

The vote comes two and a half years after NJCU declared a financial emergency, revealing that a surplus gave way to a budget deficit, prompting job cuts and state scrutiny. Then-NJCU president Sue Henderson stepped down in June 2024 amid backlash.

NJCU’s financial situation was so dire at the time that the state threw it a $10 million lifeline.

As NJCU has sought to dig out of its financial hole, state officials essentially sent a message to the public, four-year institution that it needed to find a partner—whether it wanted to or not.

A March 2024 report from an independent state monitor assigned in the aftermath of NJCU’s financial collapse urged the university to sell assets and “explore any type of affiliation or partnership that could help create long-term financial sustainability with improved student outcomes.”

Last April the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education set a deadline of March 31, 2025, for the university to identify potential partners as part of a transition plan that also called for the board to take actions to increase revenue and lower debt, among other efforts to fix NJCU’s finances.

Going Forward

NJCU’s board voted Wednesday “to enter into negotiations with Kean University for a Letter of Intent outlining the terms of a strategic merger,” according to the board resolution.

Kean’s proposed plan would rename NJCU as Kean Jersey City. The proposal notes that in addition to being near one another, the two universities are both minority- and Hispanic-serving institutions that “share a profound commitment to transformative urban education.”

Kean’s proposal emphasizes the integration of shared services, “streamlined administrative functions” and the “strategic alignment of academic programs”; it also touts its relative financial strength. Athletic programs would be combined as a “unified entity” under the merger plan.

Kean’s Board of Trustees would govern the merged institutions, though the proposal notes that membership could expand to include seats for representatives from the NJCU community. Potential board members would be appointed by the governor’s office.

NJCU interim president Andrés Acebo addressed the potential merger in a statement to campus, writing that there is more due diligence work ahead and promising transparency.

“I encourage every member of our community—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—to remain engaged as we build a future that honors our past while embracing new opportunities. With unwavering hope and a shared resolve, we will continue to shape NJCU into a beacon of opportunity and excellence for generations to come,” Acebo wrote in Wednesday’s message.

In a separate message, Kean president Lamont Repollet noted that “this is the beginning of a process that will unfold over the months and years to come and will include our faculty, staff, students and communities.” Repollet even used language that the Trump administration—which has taken aim at DEI efforts—has sought to banish.

“Both Kean and NJCU share missions dedicated to fostering an inclusive learning environment that empowers students to succeed,” Repollet wrote Wednesday. “By merging our strengths, we can deepen our commitment and resources to diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring that every student has the support they need to thrive and persist through graduation.”

State officials issued their own messages applauding the move toward a merger.

In a joint statement from New Jersey’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, and state secretary of higher education Brian Bridges, officials said they were encouraged by the progress at NJCU.

“The NJCU Board’s intent to pursue a strategic merger with Kean University continues this commitment and marks the beginning of a thorough and deliberative process to unify these mission-aligned institutions. We look forward to working with state and institutional leaders on the path to a successful transition that empowers student success and long-term resilience,” they wrote.

Merger Outlook

The potential merger between NJCU and Kean—which still requires additional approvals, including by state officials and accreditors—appears to be the first one of the year.

News that the two institutions are taking steps toward a strategic partnership comes shortly after the collapse of a planned merger between the University of Findlay and Bluffton University. The two private, religiously affiliated institutions in Ohio first announced merger plans in March 2024. But despite a year of planning, Findlay’s board pulled out abruptly last week, surprising Bluffton.

One sticking point seemed to be athletics, as both intended to maintain separate programs, with Findlay competing at the NCAA Division II level and Bluffton remaining in Division III. But a statement from Findlay officials last week indicated that their efforts were hobbled by regulations that required a separate process for financial aid distribution and that “prohibit the sharing of resources and sports facilities, resulting in fewer synergies in those areas than originally anticipated.”

Last year brought multiple mergers and other strategic partnerships for both public and private colleges, many driven by financial issues and the search for efficiency.

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March 7, 2025