News and Tips for Higher Ed Pros

Websites are not developed and/or maintained in a vacuum. Because the Web is more flexible and dynamic than traditional communication channels, Website Stakeholders tend to expect quicker responses from their Web services.

That’s why it’s crucial to stay ahead of the game to be able to plan for (or suggest — if you’re in the position to do so) the next big project that will come your way.

Thanks to The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), it’s actually not that difficult to follow some of the latest trends in Higher Education.

Every quarter, SCUP publishes a free report about trends in six key areas that can impact higher education: demographics, economy, environment, learning, politics, and technology: Trends to Watch in Higher Education (available as a PDF).

Below are a few points featured in the “Technology” section I’ve found especially interesting:

• Students will expect professors to be as flexible and adept at electronic communication as they are, no matter where they are located. While faculty members have mostly learned the power of email, ubiquitous connectivity means much more than that.
• Students are showing up on campuses with more electronic devices and they’re expecting technical support for all of them.
• Seventy-nine percent of colleges surveyed recently reported having wireless networks, up from only 45 percent in 2002.

• iTunes U, the Law & the Web, Web Usability: Check out the presentations given at the New Jersey Higher Ed Webmasters Association’s Conference
• eduStyle will keep you updated about the state of higher ed web (re)designs
• Interested in Web CMS adoption in higher ed? Take UC Davis online survey!
• How to monitor YouTube videos about your institution with your favorite RSS reader
• Trying to push for more Web 2.0 features and social networking applications at your institution? Inside Higher Ed has a great piece to help you make your case