Tag: Transformation

  • Essays in the Transformation of Higher Education (Dan Morris and Harry Targ)

    Essays in the Transformation of Higher Education (Dan Morris and Harry Targ)

    From Upton Sinclair’s ‘Goose Step’ to the Neoliberal University (lulu.com)

    Table of Contents
    Introduction
    Chapter One: Macro and Micro Analyses of Higher Education
    Chapter Two: Discourses On Ideology
    Chapter Three: Branding
    Chapter Four: What Do Universities Do?
    Chapter Five: Universities and War:
    Conclusion
    Appendix

    Introduction

    In the following pages, you are going to find a lot of specific information about what is happening at one major public research university, but we believe what is happening at Purdue is analogous to a canary in a coal mine. We believe that Purdue under Mitch Daniels, a former George Walker Bush administrator and Governor of Indiana, is becoming a high profile and influential spokesperson for the transformation of public higher education in the 21st century in directions that we find dangerous and that go against how we value higher education. We realize that, while we address extensively institutional changes and policies at Purdue, Indiana’s Land Grant University, our interest is in using this case study to illustrate larger patterns and issues that should be of concern to readers who care about the future of higher education in a broader sense.

    Harry Targ’s pieces do tend towards a wider-angle perspective than do those by Dan Morris, although both of us rely on our “boots on the ground” level understanding of Purdue to counteract and contest official media versions of what is happening at Purdue. We write at a moment when there is something of a “media desert” in terms of local news coverage of higher education in small markets such as Lafayette, Indiana. We have both tried to work to rectify the “media desert” landscape in our community by contributing to the Lafayette Independent, an electronic newsletter. We appreciate efforts by local journalists such as Dave Bangert and the student staff of the Purdue Exponent to offer coverage of the university in ways that are more substantial, and, often, more critical, than what one finds in the area’s only mainstream newspaper, the Journal and Courier, and main local TV news source, and the Purdue NPR radio station, whose ownership in the last year has been mysteriously transferred to an Indianapolis corporation. Paradoxically the richest data for many of the essays below come from the official daily public relations newsletter from Purdue called Purdue Today. This public relations source celebrates Purdue’s latest connections with multinational corporations, the military, and state politics, and provides links to editorials published by Purdue’s President and other officials in the national press. Ironically, oftentimes what Purdue celebrates becomes the data for our more analytical and discursive writings.

    Like alternative media sources, we see this book as another intervention in offering an alternative view of what is happening at our campus, but we also write with the hope that readers can apply the readings we bring to Purdue to begin conversations about the promise and problems of contemporary higher education on campuses. The authors wish to praise and encourage further research and activism around the transformations of higher education in general. We identify with what some scholars have referred to as Critical University Studies (CUS). The essays below, we believe, are part of this emerging tradition of critical and self-reflective scholarship.

    The authors also wish to identify at least three major elements of the transformation of higher education. First, Purdue, like many other universities, is once again pursuing research contracts with huge corporations, and perhaps most importantly, the Department of Defense. As essays below suggest, Purdue research is increasingly justified as serving the interests of United States “national security.” Often this is conceptualized as helping the United States respond to “the Chinese threat,” rarely identifying what exactly is the threat, or considering the possibility that contributing to a new arms race with a perceived adversary may increase, rather than reduce, the possibility for conflict between nations.

    Second, the work below and other writings in CUS, highlight the purposive transformation of the content of higher education. Universities are moving resources away from the liberal arts, creating new programs in “artificial intelligence” and “data science,” and in response to political pressures are diminishing programs that emphasize interdisciplinarity, intersectionality, and the structural problems of race, class, gender, and sexual preference in history and contemporary society. Essays below on “civics literacy” suggest that leading administrators at Purdue, while refusing to defend its universally praised Writing Lab after it was ridiculed on Fox News for its recommendation that student writers select gender-neutral terms such as postal worker when writing about occupations, seek to avoid the controversaries around Critical Race Theory by requiring all students to study in some fashion “civics literacy.” President Daniels has made it clear that the study of civics literacy will illustrate the “vitality” of US political institutions (as opposed to over-emphasizing the slaughter of the original inhabitants of the North American continent or the history of slavery and white supremacy).

    Third, the essays below do not dwell enough on the transformation of the university as a workplace. While there have been attacks for years on the tenure system, a system of job security which was initially designed to protect faculty from external political pressures, recent additions to the transformations of the university as a work site should be noted.

    Adjunctification is a term that refers to the qualitative increase in the hiring of various forms of part time instructors: full-time instructors for a set time period, instructors to teach less than a full complement of courses, and instructors with various arrangements that limit their work life, their ability to do research and prepare for their class time, and their time to serve the many needs of students. The fundamental trend in higher education is to “cheapen” and make insecure instructors, ultimately to destroy the job security that comes with academic tenure. In many cases this impacts negatively on the quality of the educational experience. (In colleges and universities in general about 70 percent of classes now are taught by instructors who are not tenure-line faculty).

    And finally, every effort is made by universities to limit and derail the workplace concerns of non-teaching staff, particularly opposing their right to form unions.

    One positive development from all of this-destroying the tenure system and job security, adjunctification, increased exploitation of graduate students, and finally restricting the rights and the wages and benefits of staff has been the rise of labor militancy. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and various unions such as the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the United Electrical Workers (UE) with a history of militancy have been organizing graduate students and staff.

    Finally, the authors acknowledge that in the months after we completed our manuscript, Purdue administrators and trustees have announced a series of initiatives without an appropriate level of input from university stakeholders and the wider Lafayette area community:

    1. Purdue is building a housing complex near the Discovery Park part of campus to attract higher income earning technologists to relocate in West Lafayette. To encourage new high-income residents, the West Lafayette city government has authorized $5,000 cash incentives for any purchasers of these new housing units adjacent to Purdue. Such offers are not available to lower income earners or students.

    2. To deal with record enrollments, Purdue has purchased a privately constructed apartment complex across from campus at a price well more than the cost of its construction.

    3. Purdue officials have expanded partnerships with Saab, Rolls Royce, the Raytheon Corporation, one of the world’s five largest military contractors, and undertaken a controversial business mission with the Indiana governor to Taiwan to pursue research and production of semi-conductors, in part to respond to what Purdue officials have described as a ”Chinese threat” to national security in the United States.

    4.The College of Liberal Arts has announced it will be partnering with the College of Science to develop a new interdisciplinary degree program in artificial intelligence. CLA calls its “new field” of interest, “sociogenomics.”

    5. Purdue received an award recognizing its “excellence in counterintelligence,” one of only four such award recipients in 2022. Purdue joins those few universities which protect “sensitive national information from foreign adversaries.” The award announced in Purdue Today, August 24, 2022, noted that the university continues to work with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and the FBI.

    In short, the transformation of Indiana’s Land Grant university continues at a rapid pace. And while the essays below concentrate on the developments and forces leading to these changes, the broader point of this collection of essays is to suggest that higher education in the twenty-first century is changing in a rapid and largely deleterious way. The appended essay by Carl Davidson reflects a similar critique of the university during the height of the Cold War. What we are witnessing today is a revitalization of that trend.

    For those who value the university as a site for informing students about the world and debating the value of changes occurring in it, the developments highlighted in these essays are a warning. And for faculty and students alike the antidote to the militarization of the university, the transformation of the curricula, and the disempowering of those who work in universities is organizing against those elements of change that are antithetical to the educational process.

    And More:

    “The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue has created a category of its own. As part of the nation’s leading national security university, it is rapidly becoming the world’s premier institution focused on Tech Statecraft, a new model of diplomacy bridging the gap between technology experts, government officials and policymakers, and business leaders to ensure tomorrow’s tech secures our freedoms,” said (Daniel) Kurtenbach. ‘I’m excited to contribute to the Krach Institute’s already-impressive momentum by enhancing and building its innovative partnerships and relationships to achieve our shared vision of a future that prizes individual freedom through trusted technology.’ ”

    https://www.citybiz.co/article/378157/krach-institute-for-tech-diplomacy-at-purdue-names-daniel-kurtenbach-as-chief-growth-officer/

    Homepage – Tech Statecraft (techdiplomacy.org)

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  • Resilience, flexibility and inclusion: digital transformation at The University of Manchester

    Resilience, flexibility and inclusion: digital transformation at The University of Manchester

    As Chief Information Officer, PJ Hemmaway is driving innovation at Manchester to future-proof the university and deliver the best possible day-to-day experience. In this recent interview with Melissa Bowden, Content Writer at Kortext, he shared insights on creating a sector-leading learning environment where everyone can thrive. PJ Hemmaway will be speaking at Kortext LIVE in Manchester on 6 February 2025: you can register here.

    Building resilient and flexible systems

    The University of Manchester has a bold ambition: to ‘be recognised globally as Europe’s most innovative university’. Since 2022, Hemmaway has been tasked with realising this vision, leading the institution’s digital transformation as Chief Information Officer.

    ‘As CIO, I have two core aims,’ he says. The first is ‘keeping the operational lights on’ so the university functions effectively now. The second is ensuring ‘we’re future ready – not just for one, three or five years, but for the next fifteen to twenty years’. For Hemmaway, this means making decisions that deliver long-term value, not just quick wins, and taking calculated risks.  

    Over the last two years, Hemmaway has been implementing several high-level technology strategies, all of which are underpinned by a focus on resilience and flexibility. One project has enhanced digital capabilities by laying ‘foundational building blocks’, such as a new enterprise service management system and a new integration platform, that ‘allow us to streamline workflows and improve access to services that align to our one university theme,’ he says.

    Hemmaway’s philosophy of ‘buy, don’t build’ is central to achieving his aims. ‘In the university sector, we’ve got very intelligent people who love to build things,’ he says, ‘but that creates technical debt, skills debt and data debt.’ Instead, he prefers a modular, scalable approach. ‘One of the reasons Manchester’s technology transformation has been so successful is that we’ve been modular and had small pilots – we’ve built on those and we’ve delivered’.

    Enhancing institutional intelligence

    The next stage of Hemmaway’s digital transformation strategy involves modernising Manchester’s existing data infrastructure. This means replacing older systems, which he prefers to describe as ‘heritage’ rather than ‘legacy’ technology. ‘I’ve got a lot of colleagues who implemented this technology,’ he explains, ‘and it’s part of our heritage as an institution’.

    Data is ubiquitous in higher education, yet many universities are still not leveraging it effectively. ‘As a sector, we’re not capitalising on the data we’ve got,’ says Hemmaway, ‘whether it’s research outputs or data from teaching, learning, and professional services ecosystems’.

    In response, Hemmaway is keen to foster a culture of data sharing. ‘Gone are the days where we want people to be holding their silos of data,’ says Hemmaway. Instead, by integrating data from multiple sources across the institution and then leveraging analytics tools, the university can benefit from powerful insights into areas like student retention, outcomes and wellbeing.

    Bridging the digital divide

    People are ‘at the heart’ of Manchester’s strategic plan, with its vision of students and colleagues working together ‘as one connected community’. For Hemmaway, a personal focus on equity and inclusion informs his stewardship of the university’s digital transformation too.

    He shares, ‘I come from a humble background but, thanks to my dad, I was very fortunate to have a computer in the late 80s’. When Hemmaway started his career in a bank, this early access gave him an advantage over colleagues who were still unfamiliar with the Internet.

    ‘It created an imbalance in terms of those that ‘could’ – a digital divide,’ he says. A similar gap is emerging now, with the rapid proliferation of generative AI tools. ‘It is critical to provide equitable access,’ Hemmaway states, ‘otherwise we’re going to see that digital divide again’. But access alone is not sufficient; institutions must help users develop digital confidence too.

    As part of this, Hemmaway encourages a risk-based culture of experimentation. ‘Most organisations are risk averse and they lose opportunities,’ he says. Instead, he has been selecting new products – including AI tools – and inviting colleagues to try them out in a trusted and supported environment. Feedback from these trials informs further product development.

    Successfully implementing new technology

    When asked for advice on technology adoption, Hemmaway emphasises collaboration. ‘My biggest piece of advice is to work with partners’, he says. For him, that means having a network of go-to peers and finding trusted vendors who understand the higher education sector.

    Hemmaway is now keen to explore partnering with Kortext, after seeing a demonstration of Kortext fusion – a unified strategic platform developed in collaboration with Microsoft. Following a conference, he was motivated to find a solution built on Microsoft Fabric and ‘I nearly broke my number one principle,’ he jokes. ‘I thought we were going to have to build it, not buy it’.

    However, the introduction to Kortext fusion was ‘serendipity’. Going forward, Hemmaway will be working closely with Kortext and Microsoft to explore how the platform can help Manchester to enhance data-driven decision-making and enhance the student experience. He adds, ‘this technology could also help me accelerate my digital-first strategy’, seeing it as a foundation to support flexible and inclusive education with equitable access for all.

    The benefits of a unified platform align with Hemmaway’s final thoughts. ‘The world is a complex place,’ he says, ‘and we need to simplify it’. For him, ‘simplification is a number one priority’ for successful digital transformation. Without this, he says, ‘we won’t be efficient, we won’t be flexible, and we won’t have inclusive education in a digital-first environment’.

    Join PJ, HEPI Director Nick Hillman and other education and technology expert speakers at a series of three events for HE leaders hosted at Microsoft’s offices in London, Edinburgh and Manchester during late January and early February. Find out more and register your free place here.

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  • Start from where you are: why digital transformation is more than a final destination

    Start from where you are: why digital transformation is more than a final destination

    Nick Gilbert, Chief Information Officer of the London School of Economics and Political Science, shares perspectives on how institutional leaders can work together to deliver strategic change in challenging times.

    We in universities face well-reported challenges that have brought long-standing strategic imperatives into sharper focus. While the sector has always needed to evolve and transform, today’s operational and financial pressures have added fresh urgency.

    For many, this creates a perceived choice between investing in long-term change and delivering immediate improvements. However, this isn’t an either/or proposition. The priority has to be on today and tomorrow. We cannot afford to focus exclusively on building solutions that will only deliver results in five or fifteen years. Planning for both requires careful navigation from institutional leadership, with the entire leadership team aligned on where we’re going and how we’ll get there.

    Leading strategic change together

    At the heart of these considerations lies the fundamental purpose of universities: the advancement of knowledge and its dissemination. We must constantly evolve to remain institutions of quality, delivering value to students, fostering impactful research, and building capabilities for the future. This multifaceted purpose shapes how leadership teams approach transformation.

    We can no longer afford to simply implement new systems or processes. If our investments aren’t vital to the changes that our organisations need to make to survive and thrive now, we really must be questioning why we’re doing them. These aren’t just operational decisions – they’re strategic choices that require alignment across the leadership team.

    Consider student retention, where challenge and opportunity intersect. We need both immediate interventions and long-term solutions. Many of the 6.4% of students who withdrew last year had not changed their goals. But, rather, they were struggling with a particular issue at a particular time. Identifying these crucial moments in a consistent and systematic manner requires sophisticated infrastructure and processes that many institutions are still considering how to build. Supporting our students with the maturity and capability they deserve demands that our academic and professional services leaders work in concert – and shows up in the right conversation at the right time with the right person.

    Data as a foundation for change

    Data is the cornerstone of the modern university. The development of institutional data capabilities illustrates how organisations can balance immediate value with longer-term transformation. Most universities recognise that they need sophisticated ways to understand and act upon their data – from student engagement patterns to research impact measures. However, achieving this requires careful consideration.

    Building comprehensive data capabilities is an undertaking that every institution needs to consider, and the challenge lies in structuring this work to deliver tangible benefits throughout the journey. Success requires the entire leadership team to understand that while the full vision may take years to realise, we can and must deliver meaningful improvements at regular intervals.

    “Planning digital transformation is like planning a long car journey. You need to know your destination but also need to plan your stops carefully.”

    This approach reflects proven change management principles: begin with well-defined challenges, demonstrate value quickly, and build incrementally with clear institutional support. The institutions making real progress in this space share a common approach. They identify specific challenges – perhaps understanding patterns in student engagement or tracking research collaboration opportunities – and address these systematically. Each solution helps their communities immediately while contributing to more comprehensive capabilities.

    At LSE, I work with colleagues across the institution to ensure this balanced approach delivers results. Like many institutions, we’re exploring how emerging capabilities around data and analytics will reshape research and education. The key is ensuring these forward-looking initiatives also address current needs. When we improve our understanding of student engagement patterns, for instance, we’re simultaneously helping today’s students while building the foundation for more sophisticated support in the future.

    Strategic choices in resource-conscious times

    Institutions have always faced decisions about what capabilities to develop internally versus where to collaborate or buy solutions. One question I see leadership teams grappling with every day is what makes us distinct, and therefore where we should focus our innovation efforts. While these considerations aren’t new, they take on added significance when resources require careful stewardship.

    This calibration extends to decisions about technology investment and development. Whether considering research management systems, student engagement platforms, or data analytics capabilities, institutions must weigh up where to invest in distinctive capabilities versus where to adopt sector-standard approaches. Making the wrong choice doesn’t just affect current operations – it can impact an institution’s transformation journey for years and affect trust between different parts of the organisation. Success requires clear strategic alignment on where distinctive capability matters most.

    Aligning the journey with the destination

    We need to identify our goals, our destination, but that is not enough. I like to think of planning digital transformation like planning a long car journey. You need to know your destination but also need to plan your stops carefully. Each stop should serve multiple purposes – refuelling, rest, perhaps some strategic sightseeing. What you want to avoid is driving for eight hours straight only to realise you’re headed in the wrong direction. And we certainly don’t want to have to keep everyone in the car interested and excited in the journey for eight full hours without seeing any progress. We must start from where we are, end at our final destination, and, crucially, lay out our way markers.

    This means being intentional about both immediate improvements and long-term transformation. As universities, we have a responsibility to push boundaries while ensuring we deliver value to our students and society today. This balance between innovation and operational excellence is something every institution must navigate. Going on that journey as connected leadership teams and being collectively clear where we will see value along the way is vital if we are to be successful.

    While the current environment may add complexity to this task, the fundamental approach remains sound: start from where you are, deliver value as you go, and keep your destination clearly in sight. What matters most is taking that first step together, with a shared understanding of both immediate priorities and long-term ambitions.

    Nick Gilbert will be speaking at Kortext LIVE in London on 29January 2025. Join Nick and other education and technology expert speakers at a series of three events for HE leaders hosted at Microsoft’s offices in London, Edinburgh and Manchester during late January and early February. Find out more and register your free place here.

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  • Forming a Digital Transformation Committee

    Forming a Digital Transformation Committee

    The Role of a Project Committee in Digital Transformation

    Why do some institutional digital transformations fail while others completely change whole institutions? The hook lies in one critical thing: the project committee. Institutional digital transformation is no longer just a choice for higher education; it’s now essential to the success of modern institutions.

    Without the right team leading the way, even the best plans can fail. The chances of an institution reaching its digital goals are 2.5 times higher if its project groups are well organized, according to research! There’s a bigger picture here than just managing a project. Your committee is shaping the future of your institute.

    Partially deciding who does what is not the only thing that matters. A strong group of thinkers, problem-solvers, and decision-makers can make goals come true. The question is, what makes a dream team, and how can your institution put together one? Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

     

    Why Institutional Digital Transformation Needs Project Committees?

    Embracing new technology implementation in institutions is just one part of institutional digital transformation in higher education; the process also involves changing the culture and practices of institutions. Still, there will be problems along the way, like how hard it is to update systems, get people from different groups to work together, and get people to accept and gain from change.

    In this case, the digital transformation project group must be well organized. Committees create goals and monitor progress to help change efforts succeed. Since they may adjust their plans, they can face issues head-on.

    Maintaining a sense of responsibility is essential. If there is a digital transformation project committee, then everyone on the team will be responsible for their part of the change. Committees bring multiple viewpoints to address the full gamut of challenges: experience from information technology (IT), administration, faculty, and other departments. Together, they create the kind of innovative solutions that pave the way for positive digital transformation.

     

    Key Members to Include in the Digital Transformation Project Committee

    Digital transformation demands clear roles and responsibilities and more than a group. Clear project committee roles improve transformation efficiency. In it, everyone knows their roles, so responses are faster. Here are the essential roles of the higher education digital transformation project committee:

     

     

    Assigning Roles and Responsibilities Within the Committee Members

    Now that you have your essential players, make sure everyone knows their roles. The committee must have clear duties and responsibilities to work well and achieve its goals. Here are typical duties for each role:

    Executive Sponsor

    Executive Sponsors are your project’s top supporters. They acquire funding, top leadership support, and project alignment with the institution’s vision. Their role is to move the project forward and remove obstacles. Without them, the project may lack top-level direction and support.

    A Project Manager

    This individual manages the project daily. They organize, manage, and track deadlines. They oversee project timelines and budgets. Strong project managers pay attention to every detail and finish on time.

    Subject Matter Masters

    SMEs offer digital transformation competence (admissions, student services, tech). They suggest solutions that meet the institution’s needs and offer design and implementation help. SMEs connect tech solutions to institutional needs.

    IT Leads

    The IT Lead ensures smooth technical operations. They integrate new technology, maintain security and compliance, and resolve technical concerns. They must oversee infrastructure and data security.

    Swap Champions

    These people manage grassroots transformation. They handle resistance, promote adoption, and motivate staff and faculty. Unless people are onboarded and trained, even the best technology can fail without Change Champions.

    A Faculty Rep

    Faculty represent teachers’ needs and viewpoints. They ensure institutional digital transformation doesn’t disrupt learning and faculty demands are considered. Faculty input is crucial to campus development and developing a system that works for everyone.

    Students’ Representative

    Improved student experiences depend on their voices. This individual ensures improvements satisfy student learning, communication, and accessibility needs. Many of the systems being altered are used by students, so their feedback is vital.

    Finance Officer

    The Financial Officer manages the budget. They manage spending, finance, and project budget. They ensure project budget and resource efficiency.

    Law and Compliance Advisor

    This person ensures the project respects all laws, policies, and regulations, notably data privacy and security. Avoiding legal issues requires a dedicated person.

    External consultant if needed

    If needed, external experts provide project expertise. They can offer best practices and cover team knowledge gaps. A third party may provide fresh perspectives to help the team avoid surprises.

     

    Steps to Define the Purpose and Objectives of the Committee

     

    steps-to-define-committee-purpose-and-objectives

     

    Step 1: First, figure out what the organization needs.

    Look at the goals and problems of your organization. Find the places where going digital can make the biggest difference.

    Step 2: Align with the institution’s goals

    Make sure that the committee’s goals are in line with the institution’s long-term mission and plan. This will help the transformation program support the institution’s goals.

    Step 3: Find important people

    Find out who will benefit or be affected by the move to digital, such as students, staff, teachers, and administration. This group’s needs should guide the group’s goals.

    Step 4: Make your goals clear

    SMART goals should be used to make changes, like running the business or making the school experience better for students.

    Step 5: Put together a group

    Write down what each person in the group does to help the group reach its goal. This covers everything that’s important and makes sure that everyone is responsible. 

    Step 6: Write down your goals

    Put your goals in order of how important they are and how doable they are. Think about what makes things useful now and in the future. 

    Step 7: Set goals to reach them

    Things can be judged by how involved the students are, how well the business runs, how much money it has, how many people accept it, or how it’s planned.

    Step 8: Get together

    As new information comes in, the committee’s goals should be changed to meet the needs of higher education.

     

    Strategic Contributions of a Project Committee

     

    committee-strategic-impact

     

    Institutional digital transformation project committees supervise daily operations and strategize long-term success in this way: 

    Vision Alignment

    The committee makes sure the digital transformation project fits the institution’s aim. By understanding institutional priorities, the committee steers the initiative in the appropriate direction and ensures it contributes to the institution’s vision.

    Risk Management

    Financial, operational, and reputational risks come with digital transformation. Early risk identification and mitigation by a strong committee reduces setbacks. The committee can foresee and mitigate project issues with different skills.

    Stakeholder Engagement

    Leadership, faculty, staff, and students must communicate well to succeed. Communication is key, and the project committee ensures everyone is informed and engaged. The committee ensures buy-in from all groups by addressing issues and receiving feedback, smoothing the transition.

    Resource Allocation

    The committee prioritizes resources! The committee carefully manages funding, staffing, and technical investments to maximize ROI. Allocation ensures the organization benefits from transformation by implementing the best options.

     

    Setting Up the Campus Digitalization Governance Structure

     

    ways-to-set-up-a-digital-governance-strucutre

     

    Digitization needs a good governance structure! It ensures order and transparent decision-making. Setup:

    Use Decision-Making

    Regulate committee decision-making. Most votes, consensus, or executive sponsor approval? Avoiding misunderstanding and delays with a clear decision-making process helps the committee act quickly.

    Determine Reporting Hierarchies

    Who reports to whom? Early clarification ensures everyone knows their direct channel of communication. The project manager may report to the executive sponsor, while committee members may report to IT or faculty leaders. The organization is maintained by hierarchy.

    Set Objectives

    Determine project milestones and outputs. These project milestones will be monitored. Goals-based timelines keep everyone focused.

    Crisis and Risk Planning

    Campus digitalization governance involves risk management and decision-making. Risk planning is necessary for risk management. After an unforeseen event, the committee can quickly adjust and minimize disruption.

    Honesty and Duty

    Establish transparency and accountability. Progress reporting, decision documentation, and stakeholder communication are required. Unanimity eliminates misunderstandings and missing chances.

    Hold Review Sessions

    Discuss achievements, challenges, and plan modifications with the committee periodically. The meetings coordinate and allow course modifications.

    Communication Setup

    Communicate clearly using email, project management software, or meetings. Communicating with the committee is crucial. 

     

    Challenges in Forming and Managing a Digital Transformation Committee

     

    challenges-in-forming-and-managing-a-digital-transformation

     

    Forming and leading a digital transformation committee is exciting but difficult. These obstacles can make it hard to guide the committee toward the institution’s aims. Examples of frequent challenges and ways to overcome them:

    Misaligned Goals

    One of the major problems is aligning all committee members with digital transformation goals. Committee members may have diverse opinions based on their duties, and without a clear goal, it might be simple to stray. Smooth functioning requires everyone to understand and support the same goals from the start.

    Change Resistance

    Change management in education is common in digital transformation. With new technologies and processes, faculty, staff, and stakeholders may feel intimidated or uncomfortable. Resolving this opposition requires clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and committee change champions who can promote the shift.

    Poor Expertise

    While a project committee can bring together stakeholders, technical or digital tool skills may be lacking. Without the right SMEs, the committee may struggle to make judgments. Include members who understand the institution’s needs and the technologies involved to address this.

    Balanced Goals

    Numerous committee members balance different tasks and priorities. Other roles may tug committee members in different ways, causing time and attention issues. The committee must prioritize its work and give members appropriate time for the assignment. 

    Trouble Communicating

    Diverse teams can have communication issues if duties aren’t clear or updates aren’t communicated. To keep everyone in sync and provide information quickly, effective communication is essential. Without effective communication, the committee may miss opportunities or delay matters.

    Uncertain Decisions

    Decision-making confusion can cause delays and frustration. Members may disagree or be unsure of how to proceed without a clear decision-making framework. Avoid decision deadlock by setting clear guidelines for decision-making and who has the final say.

    Insufficient Budget and Resources

    Technological, training, and support investments are common in digital transformation projects. The committee might stall development if it lacks resources and funds. Leadership support and early funding are crucial to the committee’s success.

    Scope Creep

    It’s tempting to add features or adjust the scope as projects progress. Scope creep can cause delays, higher costs, and less concentration. Keep the group focused on the agreed-upon goals and plan and approve any amendments to avoid scope creep.

     

    Overcoming Challenges in Managing a Digital Transformation Committee

    A digital transformation committee can be difficult to organize and manage, but there are simple solutions. Let’s simplify:

    Communicate clearly. Be clear about expectations from the start. Establish roles, goals, and duties and communicate regularly. It aligns everyone.

    Digital transformation requires teamwork. Encourage open dialogue and collaboration. Higher input is preferable. This guarantees everyone is heard.

    Be flexible. Digital transformation changes quickly. Adjust your plans and strategies as needed. Monitor progress and adjust. Flexibility maintains momentum.

    Keep learning. Not everyone is an expert straight immediately. Give your crew training and resources to stay organized. Knowledge is power and simplifies decision-making.

    You may need outside help. Use transformation-experienced experts. They can identify issues early and suggest novel solutions. 

    Grab smart tools. Track progress and goals with strategic planning tools. It streamlines tasks, deadlines, and KPI management. If plans go awry, you can change them.

     

    Monitoring the Success of the Committee

     

    monitor-the-committee-success

     

    After launching, your digital transformation committee must track its goals and progress. Track the committee’s progress to improve and stay on track. Monitor committee performance:

    Establish KPIs: Define success to track it. Scheduled milestones, budgets, and stakeholder participation are examples. Set KPIs to track progress and ensure the committee meets digital transformation goals.

    Status updates regularly: Communication matters. Monitor committee progress with regular updates. Meet to review progress, handle obstacles, and keep the project on track. You can notice issues before they escalate using updates.

    Reverberations: Important to gather committee and stakeholder input. Feedback reveals issues and growth opportunities. Be transparent and use feedback to improve processes and results.

    Examine Resource Distribution: Track budget, time, and personnel to see if the committee is staying under budget. If resources are abused or underused, project changes may be needed.

    Monitor Stakeholder Satisfaction: Faculty, staff, and students must be satisfied for the digital shift to succeed. Poll these groups often to measure how well the transformation is accepted and how well the committee is addressing their concerns. Dissatisfaction should encourage the committee to improve results.

    Institutional Goal Impact: Assess your institution’s digital transformation project’s success. Does it improve education? Do administrative processes work better? Improves student engagement? The committee prioritizes what matters by aligning progress with institutional goals.

    Enjoy successes, learn from losses: Recognize small achievements. Celebrate wins to foster teamwork. Analyze setbacks and improve future efforts. Successful and unsuccessful people learn and evolve.

     

    Conclusion: The Path Forward

    As digital transformation reshapes higher education, a strong project committee becomes more essential. These committees serve as the backbone of successful initiatives by offering governance, guidance, and collaboration to navigate challenges and meet institutional goals.

    Strategic planning and a clear structure lay the foundation for success. By assembling the right team, assigning clear responsibilities, and monitoring progress, institutions can drive meaningful change, improving operations, and student experiences, and fostering innovation.

    For institutions to thrive during this transition, the right tools and systems are key. By focusing on the right approach, higher education can effectively embrace transformation and build a brighter future for both staff and students.

    Let’s improve higher education together. Get in touch with the right committee for higher education technology projects! Connect with Team Creatrix Campus.

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  • How Provosts Can Lead Digital Transformation to Build a Institution

    How Provosts Can Lead Digital Transformation to Build a Institution

    Tune In To Our Audio Blog

     

    Introduction: The Role of Provosts in Digital Transformation

    As a Provost or Vice Chancellor, we know your roles and tasks are tough in the evolving digital landscape. You are the cornerstone when it comes to maintaining academic excellence while creating a future-ready environment that meets the changing needs of your stakeholders, especially the students!

    The world out is competitive, hence building an agile, student-centered campus is not just a goal—it’s a necessity for engagement, success, and the general well-being of your university. We have interacted with provosts across the globe who have underlined the need to drive digital transformation in colleges and universities. With the help of this blog, you should be able to navigate digital transformation with ease and be more empowered to improve the overall experience of students at your institution and bring about significant change.

     

    8 Crucial Provost Leadership in Universities

     

     

    Key Data & Insights on Digital Transformation in Higher Education

    It’s time for provosts to face the digital reality that is consuming higher education. More than 60% of colleges are making significant investments in digital projects, according to a recent EDUCAUSE survey, which is a positive development. The bad news is that almost 50% are encountering obstacles. They are being held back by reluctance to change, limited funding, and the challenge of integrating cutting-edge new technologies with antiquated systems.

     

    Cloud Adoption

     

    rate-of-cloud-adopation-in-higher-education

     

    Beyond Just a Fashion Now let’s discuss cloud computing. The statistics are positive: 65% of colleges have adopted it, indicating a major change in the way higher education functions. This isn’t just a trendy term either. You simply cannot afford to overlook the advantages of cloud computing, which include increased collaboration, cost savings, and flexibility.

     

    Effect on Engagement of Students

    Let’s now discuss what actually counts: student involvement. Institutions that use automation and artificial intelligence are witnessing an astounding 30% increase in student retention and overall satisfaction. However, embracing technology isn’t enough on its own. The goal is to completely change the way that students learn by designing individualized learning pathways that genuinely meet their needs. If you could use these resources to raise student achievement and learning outcomes, just think of the effect it would have on your campus.

     

    Contented Teachers and Staff

    A Crucial Factor in Success What about your staff and faculty? According to JISC studies, the implementation of a digital campus management platform increases satisfaction by 25%. This is not merely a figure; rather, it is an indication of a more contented and effective work environment where employees collaborate easily, have less work to do, and enjoy coming to work every day. In order to support these changes and create an environment where creativity flourishes and faculty members feel empowered to give their all, provosts play a critical role.

    Examine the data below to get a clear idea of how satisfied faculty and staff are using digital tools. This is a call to action, not just information, in your opinion. Your faculty are clamoring for support for remote learning, seamless technology integration, and more efficient workflows. Don’t ignore the areas that require attention, though, such as the development of digital skills and the time set aside for training. These upgrades may have a significant impact on how your organization responds to the digital revolution.

     

    Key Challenges Faced by Provosts in Digital Transformation

     

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    Provosts, we know the digital transformation journey is complex, and you’re juggling more than most. Let’s break down the major challenges you’re likely facing.

     

     

    faculty-and-staff-satisfaction-with-digital-tools

     

    Legacy Systems: Stuck in the Past?

    You’re not alone if outdated systems are holding you back. Nearly 70% of campuses still use obsolete software, making modern tools hard to integrate. It’s like trying to force a square peg into a round hole — you need seamless solutions, and we’re here to help.

     

    Resource Allocation: Balancing Innovation and Budgets

    Balancing innovation with tight budgets is tough, right? Almost 60% of provosts are facing the same challenge. But strategic investments today can secure long-term success.

     

    Data-Driven Decisions: From Info to Action

    Got data but struggling to use it effectively? You’re not alone. 75% of leaders want better tools for analyzing student performance. The right technology can help turn data into action, and we’ve got the solutions.

     

    Student Engagement: Meeting Digital Expectations

    Students demand more than just lectures — they want interactive, hands-on experiences. By adopting innovative strategies, you can boost retention. It’s time to reimagine your classrooms and empower students.

     

    Faculty Adoption: Overcoming Resistance

    Faculty resistance to new tech is a real barrier, with 50% of educators concerned about adopting new tools. The answer? Create a supportive environment with proper training and clear benefits.

     

    How Creatrix Campus Can Help: Solutions Tailored for Provosts

     

    key-solutions-for-provosts-from-creatrixcampus

     

    Simplified Campus Management

    Imagine working in a higher education setting where every aspect of campus administration is streamlined into a single, cloud-based platform. By assisting you in getting rid of outmoded procedures and never-ending paperwork, Creatrix Campus frees up time for you to concentrate on what really matters—improving academic innovation and student success.

     

    Data-Based Perspectives

    We are aware of how important it is to base decisions on current, usable information. With the aid of advanced analytics and business intelligence tools from Creatrix, you can transform complicated data into insightful knowledge. This provides you the self-assurance to take on obstacles head-on and make choices that will advance your organization.

     

    Untiring Student Lifecycle Administration

    Overseeing the student journey shouldn’t seem like a difficult undertaking, from admissions to graduation and beyond. A complete student lifecycle solution that streamlines each step is provided by Creatrix. We make it easy for you and your students, whether it’s increasing student engagement or expediting enrollment.

     

    Enhanced Academic Task

    We are aware that one of the trickiest jobs you have on your plate can be faculty management. You can make sure that resources are maximized and that faculty members have more time to concentrate on what they do best—teach and mentor students—with Creatrix’s Faculty Workload Management.

     

    Stress-Free Compliance with Accreditation

    Maintaining compliance with accreditation requirements is crucial, but it can be very demanding. You can relax knowing your institution is adhering to all relevant regulations with our automated compliance tools, all without adding to the administrative workload.

     

    Flexible and Cost-Effective

    We are aware that money is tight, but Creatrix allows you to avoid making any sacrifices. Our solutions ensure you get the resources you need without breaking the bank because they are not only scalable but also built to grow with your institution.

     

    Real-World Success Story: Dublin Dental University Hospital

    Leading dental school in Ireland since 1899, The Challenge DDUH was doing well in patient care and dental education, but what about their curriculum management? Not in that way. Faculty were being slowed down and it was becoming more difficult to guarantee student success due to the manual process of mapping courses and tracking learning outcomes. They required a method that would simplify these processes without making them more difficult.

     

    What was required by DDUH

    The DDUH faculty was looking for more than a simple update. To make their jobs easier and more intelligent, they needed a single platform where they could simply map out their curriculum, monitor progress, and access reports instantly.

     

    Creatrix Campus: The Salvation

    • We offered DDUH a tailored Curriculum Management solution that satisfied every requirement:
    • Faculty members could see exactly where they were and where they needed to go with the help of a tool called visual curriculum mapping.
    • Data-Driven Insights: Accessible reports that ensure each choice was supported by reliable data.
    • Personalized Dashboards: hassle-free, role-specific views that kept teachers informed and responsible.

     

    The End Results

    • DDUH saw improvements right away after deploying Creatrix, taking only half the anticipated time to complete:
    • 50% Quicker Execution: No more fees, no delays—just quick, seamless integration.
    • Improved Teaching Quality: Faculty could devote more time to students and less time to administrative tasks.
    • Smarter Operations: With streamlined procedures and transparent results, the organization as a whole became more efficient.

     

    Conclusion: Drive the Role of Provosts as Pioneers of Change with Creatrix Campus

    You are leading your organization’s digital transformation as a provost. Real change can be sparked by your leadership, not just in the way your institution runs but also in the way students learn and achieve. You can empower your faculty, reduce complexity, and enhance student outcomes with Creatrix Campus—all while adhering to regulations and staying within budget. Together, let’s rethink what is feasible and establish a progressive, prosperous organization. You can make that happen with your leadership.

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