It's About Time
10 reasons you need a 24/7 campus
Cary
A. Israel is president of the Collin County Community College District
(TX), a multi-campus operation serving more than 41,000 students annually.
Acutely aware of the time pressures and diverse lifestyles of this large student
population, Israel is passionate about using technology to provide flexibility
for both learners and faculty. He’s made sure that students have a chance
to schedule classes that fit into their busy lives—including the possibility
of taking a full load on the weekend. Collin’s technology strategies
focus on 24/7 access, making virtual learning, academic and administrative
resources, and communications readily available across its six campuses. All
Collin’s campuses are served by a wireless LAN and have migrated to
VoIP. Currently, Collin is implementing SunGard SCT (www.sungardsct.com)
solutions to further unify its campuses; Collin is also exploring ways to
leverage satellite technology.
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Students do not stop being students at 5 pm.
- Many students have full-time jobs and are students outside “8
to 5” only.
- Beyond scheduling issues, learners reach their intellectual peaks at
various times.
- 9
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Businesses are looking for retraining opportunities—but not during
the business day.
- Many businesses can’t give employees time off to attend daytime
courses.
- Workers may take advantage of continuing education if they have flexibility.
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Industry and government are seeking training providers with 24/7
technology solutions.
- Corporations and government entities recognize that virtual courses
make skill development convenient.
- You can leverage applications like streaming video to enhance off-site
instruction.
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The Internet is available 24/7; are you?
- Learners of all ages and demographics now go online to pay bills and
order goods. The Internet is a regular part of their lives, at all times.
- Your students expect to take care of school business online, often
during evening hours.
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Modern technology infrastructure makes “anytime, anywhere
access” easier.
- A solid technology infrastructure lets you integrate various technologies
into a single, seamless platform.
- An integrated technology platform provides flexibility and is cost-effective.
- 5
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A 24/7 technology strategy can maximize the institution’s facilities.
- Facility utilization should be scrutinized before embarking on new construction.
- You can transform the times when your facilities sit idle into new
and innovative learning programs.
- 4
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There’s a new kind of communication out there.
- Today’s students are comfortable with electronic communications.
- Faculty can track student progress and provide assistance without structured
office meetings.
- 3
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Taxpayers and local organizations can take better advantage of
college facilities.
- Many nonprofit community groups don’t have a technological infrastructure.
- You can provide a 24/7 technology environment for community-based activities.
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You won’t want to miss full-time exposure on the Web.
- A Web presence is now essential for every institution, especially for
recruitment.
- Highlight outreach activities online—the community can see tax
dollars at work.
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It’s the student experience that matters.
- Learners have a better chance of meeting their goals with 24/7 access.
- By being flexible and eliminating time and space barriers, we enable
our students to participate and, ultimately, to succeed.
