IT teams in higher education are inevitably limited by what they can aim to achieve with new projects due to ongoing funding pressures. According to recent Educause research, 80% of IT spending focuses on running the institution with only 5% aimed at transforming it.

So there’s only a small proportion of projects with overt objectives aimed at shifting towards more student-centered competencies - ones that are primarily designed to improve experiences and outcomes. However, some projects are able to support daily operations while still achieving a transformative effect. This is what Northern Arizona University recently accomplished. Their connect2 project improved the operational efficiency of one department with better software, while also transforming their students’ experience of using the department’s services...