The University of Porto was awarded the European University Information Systems (EUNIS) Elite Award for its innovative application of information technology to a European university. This university--nearly one hundred years old--is pressing hard, on a number of fronts, to place itself in the top rank of European universities. The Rector of the…

Information technologies have empowered the individual and are unleashing a torrent of change, one that will reshape nearly all of institutions. To secure the place of the traditional scholarly enterprise, the author argues that leaders must rethink a number of the fundamentals behind the higher education institution. He discusses the impact of…

Information technology in higher education is currently undergoing a bit of an identity crisis. Although IT is known as the go-to group when an academic research, or administrative problem needs a technical solution, IT teams exist in so many places on today's campus that for many in the campus community it is no longer clear who should be…

In October 2007, EDUCAUSE Vice President Richard N. Katz met with several senior leaders of the Open University: Professor Brenda Gourley, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University; Professor Denise Kirkpatrick, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching; Professor Andy Lane, Director of OpenLearn; Niall Sclater, Director of the Virtual…

Understanding the value of information technology (IT) on campus is important, as technology projects now approach buildings as the largest investments a campus can make. Four major challenges, identified at a recent conference, inhibit the discussion of IT value. (SLD)

Describes the results of a recent forum, and subsequent conference, on the subject of portals and e-business in higher education. Participants, who included financial and information technology professionals, agreed that implementation of portal strategy is necessary, perilous, and difficult in higher education. Colleges and universities will have…

A 2-day meeting of EDUCAUSE and the National Association of College and University Business Officers explored the value of information technology (IT) for higher education. Presents the major conclusions reached by forum attendees and suggests a direction for future discussion. (SLD)

Starting in the late 1960s, data networks were created to connect supercomputers and, later, other intelligent devices. A revolution in communications was in the making. By the late 1970s, computing and communications technologies were leading us from a world of local markets trading in capital goods to one of global markets trading in capital…

Discusses the shifting focus regarding information technology in higher education from technology itself toward the people and business processes connected with it. Describes the University of California's efforts toward a new business architecture, and an Educause-sponsored forum on e-business discussing the same themes. Offers discussion of the…

Discusses how the communication and information systems (CIS) infrastructure model is changing and explores the implications for higher education practices and purposes in this context of frequently disruptive but newly empowering technologies. (EV)

Presents a vision statement developed by the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) that discusses the need to invest in academic computing to create an academic information environment based on network access to geographically dispersed resources. A model of potential investments that was developed for the University of California is…

Explores the influence of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure changes on higher education. Addresses issues such as ICT hardware, networks, and leadership and skills; budgets; policy (including access to information, information privacy, information security, and ownership of faculty course materials); changes in…

This speech addresses the need for institutions of higher education to develop economic models to assist in the management of academic information systems (including both print and computerized systems) in light of restricted economic resources. Steps in development of a comprehensive model of information costs are outlined. (DB)

Author Margaret Wheatley discusses her theory that life and work are self-organizing and that organizations must be approached as dynamic, living systems. The interview focuses on how the theory applies to higher education institutions, university leadership, physical proximity in learning, development of communities of practice, attitudes toward…