It's About Time

10 reasons you need a 24/7 campus

Elias EldayrieCary 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.

Want to be considered for Campus Technology’s Top 10? Send your countdown and a brief background/bio summary to [email protected]

10

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

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.
8

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.
7

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.
6

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

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

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

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.
2

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.
1

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.

Featured

  • network of transparent cloud icons, each containing a security symbol like a lock or shield

    Okta, OpenID Foundation Propose New Identity Security Standard

    Okta and the OpenID Foundation have announced the formation of the IPSIE Working Group — with the acronym standing for Interoperability Profiling for Secure Identity in the Enterprise — dedicated to a new identity security standard for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.

  • UIUC Study: AI Agents Can Exploit Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

    In a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), researchers demonstrated that large language model agents can autonomously exploit real-world cybersecurity vulnerabilities, raising critical concerns about the widespread deployment and security of these advanced AI systems.

  • IBM and Microsoft Partner on Cloud Security

    IBM and Microsoft have announced a "strengthened cybersecurity collaboration" aims at fortifying their joint customers' cloud environments.

  • scene in a cybersecurity operations center, showing an AI and a human competing head-to-head

    91% of CISOs Say AI Will Outperform Security Pros

    A new survey of CISOs by Bugcrowd indicates AI is already beating security pros in some areas and is expected to take on a larger role in the future.