How Institutions and Stakeholders are Working Together
Colleges and universities communicating with stakeholders can help improve or create new processes and opportunities. The University of Southern California designed its new Digital Creative Lab after learning about student interest in fields such as nonfungible tokens and esports. Elsewhere in California, Michelle Pacansky-Brock, faculty mentor for online teaching and learning at the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, teaches remote instructors how to better engage with their students for a more humanized learning experience.
Campus outreach can also lead to meaningful change. The University of Notre Dame’s Cybersecurity Carnival was campuswide event designed to teach the university community about security best practices. After the educational and entertaining event, 96 percent of attendees said they’d recommend it to their colleagues or classmates. And IT security experts can be vital members of a research team, which is why researchers at the University of Cincinnati, Indiana University and the University of California, Berkeley work closely with IT team members to ensure their valuable data is protected.
As Charles Collick, director of IT accessibility and academic technology for Rutgers University says, “Decisions cannot be made in a vacuum.” Fully informed decisions can only be made when all stakeholders are given an opportunity to weigh in. Staying engaged with the entire campus community is the best step IT leaders can take toward leading meaningful change.
