This month The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that almost 75% of faculty and staff at Duke University wants to work remotely three to five days a week. Many institutions considering work from home options, something they may have never considered pre pandemic. Education can be slow to adopt a major shift in work culture such as work from home since it requires training and investment and may raise equity and resistance to change issues. Adoption of some aspects of the remote workforce option for faculty and staff is a pandemic influence that proved to be a catalyst for change. This action may have taken years to implement but in one year we changed policies and updated technology infrastructure across the country and the world.
Generational differences of students also moved us toward change. Millennials and Gen Z students who are familiar in online transactions and recreation now expect online learning options catapulting forward those schools who are behind in online learning options to modify programs and acquire the expertise necessary to deliver teaching and learning options.
All this change comes at a price. With the decrease in enrollment and student related income schools have to find the staff and technology to offer reliable and secure work from home options. Students expect similar technologies they would use with their bank, retail purchases, healthcare and recreation but schools can be lagging behind due to lack of finances, expertise and infrastructure. Campus Consortium exists to help institutions afford and implement cloud based technology and systems that students, faculty and staff expect. Consider joining the consortium to connect with peers and obtain insight and advice.
About the Author
Dr. Karl Horvath, currently the President of Campus Consortium is a versatile and objective technology and business leader who understands how to communicate, relate to others and build diverse teams using experience, emotional intelligence and self-awareness. His administrative work ranges from fortune 500 businesses to large non-profit organizations. Dr. Horvath’s academic career as a teacher and researcher began by attaining multiple academic and professional degrees while working full-time and raising a family. His experience combines a blend of interpersonal attributes, executive acumen and collaborative skills that achieves strategic vision and organizational transformation. He worked as a Chief Information Officer in Higher Education for over 20 years and volunteers to serve regional nonprofit organizations.
