Many higher education leaders now see growing potential for generative artificial intelligence to elevate the academic experience for students and faculty, a relatively fast evolution from the initial uncertainty about the technology’s role in higher education. “This is an exciting time, but one characterized by rapid change,” says Brian Johnsrud, head of thought leadership and advocacy for education at Adobe. Most campuses have worked to roll out initial AI guidelines or policies in the past year. In fact, only 11% of recent survey respondents said that nobody at their institution is working ..read more

Sustainability efforts are not a new concept, but printers aren’t often thought of as part of those efforts. Instead, campaigns might focus on recycling, reducing waste or increasing remote work to cut down on staff commuting to campus. “People tend to believe that sustainability is only about the environment, and they forget that it is also about society and the economy,” says Noelle Peutat, global strategic sustainability lead for HP’s large-format printing business unit. Given that discrepancy, “sustainability in the printing business is not easy to define, as it depends a lot on how ..read more

It doesn’t take long for the fervor surrounding the release of the latest disruptive technology to make its way to the boardroom. Mention artificial intelligence, ChatGPT or the “AI revolution,” and suddenly the ears of administrators, executives and investors perk up, even 18 months after ChatGPT’s unquestionably disruptive introduction in November 2022. Whether C-suite excitement is sound business strategy or more the result of clever salesmanship remains to be seen. But as with any technology that brings as much hype as utility, there’s a lot at risk for higher education institutions that ..read more

In a 2023 survey of tech leaders at higher education institutions, Inside Higher Ed found that fewer than a quarter of respondents were either very or extremely confident that their networks could withstand a ransomware attack. Their fears are not an exaggeration; higher education has proved to be one of the least secure industry sectors over the past few years, with the number of cyberattacks against institutions in that sector on the rise. EDUCAUSE documented a 44 percent increase in cyberattacks against higher education institutions since 2022, citing increased remote access to university ..read more

Michael Stempf, senior director of Product and Ecosystem Strategy at Commvault, has personally assisted in over 100 recoveries following cyberattacks perpetrated by state-sponsored actors. Prior to joining Commvault, he ran one of the largest data protection practices in the world. His years of hands-on experience have made him an expert in how to recover from a breach and given him an intimate understanding of what really happens during an attack. Stempf sat down with EdTech to share his knowledge and address a sad truth in higher education: that universities need to prepare now for when ..read more

As higher education institutions work to improve the end-user experience, they are discovering the challenges that come with complex, always-on environments. Colleges and universities are building complicated hybrid environments that include on-premises and cloud assets, legacy equipment, websites and more. Those assets and that complexity allow the institutions to serve students, faculty and staff more efficiently, but they also expose users to additional risk and create a larger attack surface for cybercriminals. The assets need protection, but installing security appliances for each one or ..read more

As higher education institutions continue to modernize their network infrastructure to support increased bandwidth requirements, newer versions of Wi-Fi 6E are essential to maintain quality connections. Wi-Fi 6E-compatible devices and applications benefit from a faster, dedicated connection that leads to better speeds and lower latency. In colleges where larger files such as videos and dynamic and digital lesson plans need to be shared quickly, this dedicated pipeline can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful learning environments and experiences. I recently reviewed the ..read more

There’s been buzz around spatial computing since Apple released its Vision Pro advanced mixed reality headset, but the concept is not new. It refers to the blending of the physical and digital worlds, an umbrella term for virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies, all of which have been used in higher education for many years. The concept of spatial computing simply means “you’re interacting with digital content in an immersive fashion. The content surrounds you. You feel really present in the headset because there are no other distractions,” says Cortney Harding, spatial computing ..read more

As the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to expand in higher education, the next generation of clinicians will need to be more knowledgeable about such technologies. This raises challenges and opportunities for medical schools. Instructors are integrating AI and ML into curricula to train medical students to practice medicine in the real world, says Dr. Bernard Chang, dean for medical education at Harvard Medical School, which is creating an AI in medicine doctorate track. “We know AI is going to transform how healthcare is delivered. It already ..read more

There’s no point in waiting any longer: If your college or university doesn’t have a generative AI use policy, it’s time to build one before the fall semester gets here. There’s plenty of guidance from schools that already have policies on generative artificial intelligence, including dozens of examples from across the higher education landscape. There’s also plenty of need for AI policy guidance, judging by the 2024 EDUCAUSE AI Landscape Study, which asked higher education leaders how well their employers are developing acceptable use policies on AI. “Only 23% of respondents indicated ..read more