Program Executive for Education Solutions: The Top 10 Education Events in 2025

Posted on by Tim Boltz

Education technology expands and transforms every year. With new and evolving solutions, students, faculty and administration can cultivate diverse learning experiences, make strides in cyber and physical security for their school systems and explore new opportunities with tools like AI. Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Education IT Solutions Provider®, features a robust EdTech portfolio for K-12 and Higher Education solutions to help our customers bridge the digital divide and meet the demands of modern education. Check out the top education events to attend this year and join us in discovering EdTech’s latest innovations.

NAEP EPIC

May 4-7 | New Orleans, LA | In-Person Event

The National Association of Educational Procurement EPIC event sets the stage for visionaries, educators, Government experts and thought leaders to discover new ways for innovation and education procurement to converge. This year, the event formerly known as the “Annual Meeting” is getting a brand new name: Educational Procurement Innovation Conference or “EPIC.”

At this K-12 focused event, attendees will have the opportunity to listen to inspirational keynotes, participate in interactive workshops, network with peers, explore cutting-edge technologies and join in on thought-provoking discussions.

Here are the potential focus tracks you can expect this year (subject to change):

Contracting and Risk Management

Supplier Relationship Management

Team Development and Structure

Emerging Trends and Technologies

Spend Management and Category Optimization

Carahsoft has supported the NAEP national and regional shows for the past three years, continuing to invest in the brand as we expand our footprint in the education space. At this year’s event, we will be featured as an Exhibitor Sponsor. Join us at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans and stay tuned for more on our involvement in this event!

Educause Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference

May 19-21 | Baltimore, MD | In-Person Event

Student safety and security are consistently at the forefront of educators’ minds and discovering innovative and modern ways to ensure those basic requirements are met is imperative. With tailored focus on higher education, this premier Educause forum connects attendees with information security and privacy professionals to do just that. Network and discuss the latest cybersecurity trends and current events with peers and solution providers to make a meaningful impact on your community as well as the entire education sector.

Program tracks to look out for: 

Privacy

Risk, Compliance and Policy

Awareness and Education

Technologies and Operations

Leadership and Professional Development

Carahsoft is committed to bringing you the latest tech and most powerful cybersecurity tools within the education space today. We hope you will join us at Educause CPPC for three full days of learning, networking and preparing for the future of higher education. Carahsoft will be sponsoring at this year’s event, so stay connected with us to learn more about the partners our partners who will be co-sponsoring with us. Also, join us at our reception during the event (more to come)!

Internet2 Community Exchange

April 28-May 1 | Anaheim, CA | In-Person Event

Learn, explore and connect at the 2025 Internet2 Community Exchange—an event where the industry and education sector connect to share knowledge on the leading challenges and solutions driving higher education today. Together, the global Research and Education (R&E) community and Internet2 empower teams, building meaningful collaborations and relationships within education to elevate the success of students, faculty and administrators everywhere. When attending Community Exchange, guests will be helping transform higher education through peer learning, sharing experiences and discussing topics like policy, current trends and best practices.

The focus of program tracks this year will be:

Leveraging Advanced Networking

Cloud Services and Solutions

Security Concerns, Collaborations and Solutions

Challenges and Opportunities with Emerging Technologies

Carahsoft is a proud sponsor of this year’s Internet2 Community Exchange. As a sponsor, we are dedicated to collaborating with attendees, vendor partners and event officials to contribute our expertise to the global discussion surrounding today’s EdTech. Stay tuned to learn more about the silver package co-sponsoring partners we will be featuring along with us!

Carahsoft’s EdTech Talks Summit

October 1-3 | Virtual

The 5th annual EdTech Talks Summit is Carahsoft’s premier event for K-12 and higher education professionals of all grade levels to hear from the industry’s leading EdTech vendors. Over the span of multiple days, attendees will join classroom panels, keynote assemblies and “Before the Bell” breakout sessions with interactive, audience participation in Q&As. During this event, we explore the most pressing topics within the education community such as AI, cybersecurity, data and student mental health.

Take a look at last year’s various hard-hitting programs to get a sense of what to expect from EdTech Talks 2025:

Security in Education Today: Protecting Privacy, Providing Safety, Promoting Innovation

Enhance Network Security Posture with Nutanix through the E-Rate Program

Professional Development and Workforce Readiness for a Lifetime of Learning

Preparing the Workforce for Challenges in IoT Security

Funding Digital and Physical Security

How AI and Observability Solve Key IT Challenges in K-12 Education

The Intersections of AI and Cybersecurity

Looking to learn more about EdTech Talks? View our content hub to explore everything you need to know about last year’s event and how Carahsoft can support your education missions. Our team is currently gearing up to share the details with you soon, so stay tuned for more information about our great 2025 event!

ISTELive25

June 29-July 2 | San Antonio, TX | Hybrid Event

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The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that works with the global education community to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems in education and inspire innovation. ISTELive is one of the most comprehensive EdTech events, where education leaders, teachers, coaches, librarians, media specialists and more can convene on the latest trends and transformations within the K-12 space. Dive into solutions that will bring positive change to the EdTech world and return to your school empowered with knowledge to meet the needs of your students and staff.

Carahsoft is excited to be returning to ISTELive with a large booth space to help you learn everything you need to know about us and our partner’s EdTech solutions. Be sure to visit us at booth #855 to chat with a specialist about how we can support your education ecosystem.

NJSBA Annual Workshop

October 20-23 | Atlantic City, NJ | In-Person

Co-sponsored by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators and the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey School Boards Association plans to welcome over 6,000 school leaders from across the Garden State to the year’s most important training event. NJSBA’s Annual Workshop will feature tailored K-12 education insights, strategies and collaborative opportunities to transform and evolve their communities. Engage in professional development, illuminate dialogue, encourage interactive sessions and discover new products and solutions to share with your peers. Join Carahsoft at this great event as we celebrate public education!

Stay tuned for event announcements and additional information on our participation in this event. We look forward to joining you at this year’s event! Curious about what else to expect? Check out highlights from NJSBA’s 2024 Workshop. Additionally, learn more about our long-standing contract with NJSBA, supporting to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance.

Educause Annual Conference

October 27-30 | Nashville, TN | Hybrid Event

Higher education technology transforms year over year. At the Educause Annual Conference, education professionals and technology providers come together to embrace this change, strive for improvement and make it a reality. Bring your ideas to share with your peers surrounding today’s toughest education challenges and brainstorm ways to solve them! Here, attendees can grow meaningful connections with industry collaborators and community members. Garner experience and knowledge within EdTech trends, innovations and tools within an array of education topics.

Past program tracks and what you can expect at this year’s event include:

Future of Work

Student Experience

Education Leadership

Teaching and Learning

Innovation and Emerging Tech

Cybersecurity, Privacy and Risk Management

Enterprise, Strategy, Data, Infrastructure and Support

Carahsoft looks forward to returning to the Educause Annual Conference at booth #1050 to connect you with our partners’ cutting-edge EdTech solutions and discuss how we can help you shape the future of education for your school. We will be collaborating with Joe Toste to create podcast episodes for his show, “TechTables,”centered around the event. We will also be hosting a co-sponsored coffee corner and do not forget to join us for our happy hour event!

CSBA AEC

December 4-6 | Sacramento, CA | In-Person Event

The Annual Education Conference is the California School Board Association’s premier continuing education program for K-12 that you will not want to miss! Renew your sense of purpose and commitment as an educator, teacher, board member, superintendent or support professional as you engage with peers to dive into critical conversations, compelling sessions and prime EdTech tools and solutions. This unique event offers guests the opportunity to network with leaders who can offer guidance on local-level issues, discussing how trends are impacting individual schools and communities to improve student learning and achievement.

Past program tracks include:

Access for All

Digital Transformation in Education

Fiscal Strategies and Accountability

Student and Community Engagement

Strategies and Practices of Governance

Mental Health, Wellness and Student Safety

Carahsoft is excited to be attending CSBA’s premier event this year. While we are still confirming our presence, learn more about our partnership and contracts with CSBA and how we support the Golden State’s public schools.

Internet2 Technology Exchange

December 8-12 | Denver, CO | In-Person Event

Interested in speaking with technical visionaries? Excited to learn from global technology leaders? Looking for new EdTech tools backed by the education community? I2 TechEx is the event to attend for all these opportunities and more! Meet chief technologists, scientists, engineers, architects, operators and students for community-centric debates, discussions and critical dialogue surrounding topics such as generative AI, cybersecurity posture, Zero Trust, cloud solutions, policy updates, automation and more.

Carahsoft and our reseller partners work with Internet2 to support their member community through the NET+ program, which provides a portfolio of reliable cloud and trust solutions to help higher education and research institutions solve shared technology challenges. We are still determining the specifics of our participation but are excited to confirm that Carahsoft will be present at this year’s conference! Keep an eye out for updates on how to connect with us during this premier event.

Previous Event Highlights

CoSN’s Annual Conference

Each year, CoSN’s Annual Conference aims to lead in education innovation, advancing the knowledge and skills of K-12 school leaders. Diving into topics like cybersecurity, student data privacy and the implementation of generative AI in schools. Attendees will gain a variety of perspectives from EdTech experts and deepen their understanding of these critical issues while exploring new strategies for addressing them. This year’s theme, Human Leadership in a World of AI, analyzed the many roles and responsibilities of IT teams within the K-12 space, foster community around the complex tool and examine best practices surrounding AI within schools.

For the last several years, Carahsoft has been a proud sponsor of CoSN and holds an annual membership to ensure we are staying up to date on the best this event has to offer. We returned this year at booth #5, so I hoped you stopped by! Stay connected with Carahsoft as we prepare for next year’s event.

Throughout the change and growth within the education sector this year, Carahsoft and our vendor partners are here to help institutions, organizations and Government agencies navigate it all. Join us at one of these great events to learn, experience and embrace the best the industry has to offer for the future of education technology.

To learn more or get involved in any of the above events please contact us at EDUmarketing@carahsoft.com. For more information on Carahsoft and our industry-leading education technology partners’ events, visit our Education solutions portfolio and Education Events page. 

The Top Upcoming Education IT Events on the Horizon

Posted on by Tim Boltz

From K-12 to Higher Education, our nation’s schools have great opportunities to leverage technology to improve the student, teacher and administrator experience. This year, innovative solutions built on AI, machine learning and the cloud are ready to improve learning inside the classroom and protect schools from external challenges, including potential cybersecurity threats.

Indeed, there is so much happening in the world of EdTech it is very important to keep up with the latest advancements. That is why we are happy to present a list of the top education IT events you need to check out in 2024. These events cover the gamut of technology innovation in the education sector and feature industry-leading experts, peer-led learning sessions and information sharing and ideation.

EDUCAUSE Annual Conference

October 21-24, San Antonio, TX | November 13-14, Online

The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference is where professionals and technology providers from all over the world convene to network and find solutions that will improve higher education. As always, this year’s conference promises to be the year’s largest gathering of education technology leaders.

In 2023, Carahsoft had 25 partners demoing their solutions over the two exhibiting days at our booth. In 2024, we have obtained the largest pavilion space to display our leading higher education solutions. This year, we will be joined by Joe Toste and his TechTables podcast to discuss the hottest trends and setbacks customers are facing and how Carahsoft and our partners can help.

NJSBA’s Workshop 2024

October 21-24 | Atlantic City, NJ

The New Jersey School Boards Association’s annual workshop brings together a senior-level audience of school leaders, education professionals and influencers for quality professional development, important legal, legislative, policy and funding updates and new products and services.

Carahsoft Top Education Events Blog Embedded Image 2024

Carahsoft is a proud sponsor of this celebration of public education, but our work with NJSBA goes far beyond the workshop. The NJSBA has partnered with Carahsoft and our reseller ecosystem to help school districts and member charter schools throughout New Jersey better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. The partnership provides access to a broad range of cybersecurity-related software, hardware, implementation services and training at discounted pricing. Solutions are also available to K-12 academic institutions and School Board Associations nationwide through the contract’s cooperative purchasing clauses.

Carahsoft’s Fourth Annual EdTech Talk Series

November 6-8 | Carahsoft Office, Reston VA – Virtual option via Zoom

Carahsoft’s EdTech Talks summit is designed to educate academic IT decision makers and end users around the performance, security, cost-saving and modernization benefits of today’s leading EdTech solutions. We will host a three-day series featuring “Classroom Panels,” keynote “Assembly Sessions” and “Before the Bell” breakouts on topics ranging from school safety to student experience. We will also discuss ways to leverage AI and machine learning. Presentation recordings and slide decks from all three days will be available on-demand.

Stay tuned for a detailed agenda for this year’s event, which will be posted soon. In the meantime, check out some of our sessions from the 2023 EdTech Talk Series.

SC24

November 17-22 | Atlanta, GA

The annual Supercomputing 24 conference—SC24—draws more than 13,000 attendees from across the high-performance computing community. The conference features unique technical presentations, workshops, tutorials and “Birds of a Feather” sessions featuring open discussions about topics of interest to the HPC community. SC24 also features a large exhibit floor showcasing the latest innovations from the world’s leading manufacturers, research organizations and universities.

Carahsoft is excited to host a pavilion at this year’s conference. We are even more excited to be hosting some of our top AI and EdTech vendors, who will showcase the innovative work they are doing to power academic research in 2024 and beyond.

CITE Annual Conference

November 19-21 | San Diego, CA

Attendees of the California IT in Education Annual Conference include CTOs and directors of technology, network managers and engineers, database administrators, support and technicians. Teachers, administrators and district and county superintendents will also join their technology colleagues to share ideas and information and find out the latest tools to help improve teaching, learning and administration.

Carahsoft will be a proud sponsor of the event and have a booth at this year’s conference.

Internet2 Tech Exchange

December 9-13 | Boston, MA

Internet2 Tech Exchange brings together a community of technical visionaries—including chief technologists, scientists, engineers, architects, operators and students—to debate, discuss and converse. It is a great forum for global technology leaders to align and move forward together. Although not specifically education-focused, the event covers topics that are relevant to the EdTech sector, including networking, the cloud, cybersecurity and more.

Carahsoft will be a proud sponsor of this year’s Tech Exchange.

In additional to the above events, these are some of the other pivotal education events that took place in 2024, including:

CoSN is the premier membership organization designed to meet the needs of K-12 education technology leaders. Representing over 13 million students in school districts/systems nationwide, CoSN continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education and provides opportunities for companies that support the K-12 EdTech community to participate as corporate members. Carahsoft holds an annual membership with CoSN and has been a proud sponsor for the last several years. Carahsoft plans to continue collaboration at CoSN March 31-April 2, 2025, in Seattle, WA.

Internet2 Community Exchange convened the worldwide research and education community for in-depth strategic discussions on emerging developments in networking, cloud computing, information security and more. Carahsoft and our reseller partners work with Internet2 to support their member community through the NET+ program and Cloud Scorecard program, which provides a portfolio of reliable cloud and trust solutions to help higher education and research institutions solve shared technology challenges. Carahsoft will be back in Anaheim, CA for the Internet2 Community Exchange April 28-May 1, 2025.

The National Association of Educational Procurement Annual Conference featured more than 600 procurement officials from universities, colleges and K-12 institutions. Carahsoft annually sponsors NAEP’s national EPIC conference, which showed great success with over 600 procurement officials from Universities, Colleges and K-12 institutions nationwide attending. Carahsoft has also supported the NAEP national and regional shows for the past three years, continuing to invest in the brand as we expand our footprint in the education space. Carahsoft will have presence at NAEP’s conference May 4-7, 2025, in New Orleans, LA.

Carahsoft proudly sponsored The Merit Member Conference, which highlighted “bridging the gap”, addressing obvious (and not-so-obvious) pitfalls, opportunities to grow, and optimization of oft-neglected issues across three essential tracks—Network, Security and Community. Next year, Carahsoft will attend the conference May 13-14.

EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference is the premier forum for connecting with higher education information security and privacy professionals. Carahsoft was a display table sponsor, joined by our partners onsite to display our solutions for higher education cybersecurity needs. This event gave participants a chance to network and discuss information security and privacy trends and current issues with peers and solution providers. Carahsoft plans to attend EDUCAUSE next year, May 19-21, in Baltimore, MD.

The International Society for Technology in Education is a nonprofit organization that works with the global education community to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems and inspire innovation. ISTE’s worldwide network believes in the potential technology holds to transform teaching and learning. ISTELive is one of the world’s most comprehensive EdTech events, attended by a global contingent of education leaders, teachers, coaches, librarians, media specialists and more. Carahsoft was a proud sponsor of and exhibitor at this year’s conference, and plans to attend again June 29-July 2, 2025, in San Antonio, TX.

Needless to say, it has been a big year for events—and an even bigger year for technology in education. From AI to the cloud, from cybersecurity to networking, there are more options than ever before for educational institutions interested in using technology to improve learning. We are excited to be a part of it, and we look forward to seeing you as we go out into the EdTech community this year. Join Carahsoft at these upcoming events and explore the role technology will play in education, this year and beyond. We look forward to seeing you!

To learn more or get involved in any of the above events please contact us at EDUmarketing@carahsoft.com. For more information on Carahsoft and our industry leading Education technology partners’ events, visit our EdTech solutions portfolio.

Applications of Technology in Higher Education at EDUCAUSE

Posted on by Tim Boltz

Technology advancement has resulted in many potential usages for university students and faculty, educational and research institutions and Government agencies. For agencies focused on higher education, taking advantage of new technology can help bolster security and ease student and faculty daily procedures. Industry and education experts joined together at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference for an immersive experience that facilitated collaboration and discussion to promote the advancement of higher education by using information technology (IT).

Leveraging Security Technology Against Ransomware

With the increasing technology usage in everyday life, many higher education agencies are susceptible to cybersecurity threats like ransomware. The education sector is no exception, with attacks ranging from exploited vulnerabilities, to compromised credentials, malicious emails, phishing attempts, brute force attacks and malicious downloads. As ransomware comes with financial loss, it is important for higher education agencies to invest accordingly in cybersecurity. According to industry statistics, 70% of organizations have successfully recovered data using backup mechanisms. This data recovery is not only much simpler than paying the ransom, but it also removed the attack incentive since paying the ransom encourages bad actors to continue attacks. Higher education institutions own and maintain a significant amount of intellectual property as a source of data wealth and research. To protect this information and ensure the safety and financial success of educational institutions, higher education must focus on creating backups and position IT security staff as trusted advisors, fortify their cybersecurity infrastructure and foster a vigilant culture amongst students and faculty.

Digital Services in Education

With a strong cybersecurity base, universities can reap the benefits of both external and internal digital services. External market data can be used to predict internal performance. Data can help define popular markets, from student demand for majors, future employment opportunities and university competitor information. Educational institutions can utilize technology to analyze data and make millions of calculations in a minimal amount of time. With these predictive analytics, education administrations can make informed decisions when forecasting program sizes, enrollment numbers, scholarships and revenue margins.

Universities can utilize digital applications to offer user-friendly functions to support faculty and students with daily tasks such as helping locate class schedules, campus maps, facility wait times, task notifications and other essential remedies for success. Digital applications with collaboration tools and platforms can connect peers and faculty members in a simple and pragmatic way, facilitating communication on projects and learning objectives. On the administrative side, digital services can reduce time spent by automating functions such as credit transfers and transcript evaluations. Institutions can also utilize digital applications to offer automated aid for student requested services, which reduces call center wait times, manual processing errors and delayed accommodations.

The Varied Applications of AI

In the educational space, AI has a multitude of use cases:

AI can detect cyber threats and vulnerabilities, thus protecting student, faculty and stakeholder sensitive information.
By facilitating the automation of routine security tasks, patches and system updates, AI can free up more time for cybersecurity professionals to focus on more complex initiatives, thus creating a more robust security infrastructure.
Schools can utilize AI’s advanced authentication mechanism to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and provide seamless account access for students, faculty and staff.
Institutions are currently using AI to understand the best methods for student retention, a common concern in higher education. Methods such as text-based chat apps are designed to send encouraging messages, tutoring or counseling to students who have been identified as needing additional resources. Text applications can also be used to connect students to enrollment services, tutoring or counseling.
AI’s use of data analytics can facilitate customized learning experiences based on each student’s strengths, weaknesses and learning pace. This includes tailored content, question and answer chatbots and virtual assistants.
Adaptive learning platforms powered by AI can assess individual student performance and deliver tailored content, allowing students to grasp complex concepts at their own pace. This personalized approach enhances student engagement and motivation, ultimately leading to improved academic outcomes.

Since AI will always contain human bias, it is important to apply AI as an additional tool, and not a standalone operation. In maintaining the priority for equality and privacy in the educational sphere, each individual institution must find where AI best fits into their respective organization.

Technology can be utilized to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure, detect compromised systems, analyze data to improve common educational institution functions and improve student performance and morale. By partnering with the IT industry, higher education institutions can posture students and faculty to lead the way to success for the next generation of learners.

To learn more about utilizing IT for education initiatives, view Carahsoft’s Education Technology Solutions Resources.

About Carahsoft in the Education Market

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Education IT Solutions Provider™.

Together with our technology manufacturers and reseller partners, we are committed to providing IT products, services and training to support Education organizations.

Carahsoft is a leading IT distributor and top-performing E&I Cooperative Services, Golden State Technology Solutions, Internet2, NJSBA, OMNIA Partners and The Quilt contract holder, enhancing student learning and enabling faculty to meet the needs of Higher Education institutions.

Learn more at http://www.carahsoft.com/education

EDUCAUSE 2022: Uniting IT and Education

Posted on by Tim Boltz

The education landscape has continued to thrive following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. While stay-at-home orders have been lifted, education has maintained a digital component through online classes and remote-learning technology. Although online education has many benefits, it brings the concern of security breaches. To continue keeping student information secure, education leaders must adapt alongside the changes in technology. EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association that provides a community for technology, academic, industry and campus leaders to collaborate and build together. The annual EDUCAUSE conference hosted several sessions that showcased ways to keep students engaged and secure in the new age of education.

Educational Institutions as a Hot Target for Cybercriminals

Cybersecurity deserves consistent attention within the education sector. While schools may be compliant with security standards, they can still be vulnerable. Higher education institutions are top targets as they connect thousands of staff, students and faculty members under one system.

There are several strategies IT professionals recommend that can help education systems defend against breaches:

Keep operating systems and software up to date
Employ multi-factor authentication
Maintain robust user training
Implement encryption
Create cloud back-ups for information
Maintain efficient detection and monitoring systems
Implement a quick incident response plan
Utilize external and cloud data storage

By following these steps, institutions can take the initiative toward deploying security measures for staff and students alike.

Robust Cybersecurity on a Budget

Since many academic institutions still face budget constraints due to COVID-19, their cyber posture may not be their first IT priority. To enhance cybersecurity, even on a budget, institutions should:

Know their external footprint: Through the employment of third-party devices that scan the internet for web service protocol solutions, agencies can see how much of their information is public.

Identify external login flaws: Since hackers can circumvent simple tools like automatic lockout policies, agencies should identify all login portals and check major input fields for automated controls.

Identify cloud security flaws: Agencies should switch to a multi-platformed and open-sourced cloud, since it enables security posture assessments and detection of security risks.

Implement phishing education and exercises: Phishing is one of the most common ways organizations are compromised. Institutions should ensure that all employees are educated on anti-phishing policies.

Clean up network share permissions and information: By utilizing credential scans, sensitive information can be restricted to the proper personnel. Implementing a zero trust framework ensures that each user will only gain the information that they are authorized to.

Limit the success of kerberoasting: Kerberoasting leverages the functionality of service principles to encrypt user’s passwords, which can later be retrieved offline for hacking. While it is impossible to completely prevent kerberoasting, agencies that implement detection capabilities limit the exposure and effectiveness of kerberoasting.

Prevent relay attacks: Software should avoid authentication systems that can be relayed or cracked. Responder tools can be used to analyze traffic and point out vulnerabilities.

Identify active directory misconfigurations: As active directory environments mature, built up misconfigurations can cause excessive access privileges. To prevent these being misused by bad actors, institutions should implement tools that check for vulnerable certificates.

Strengthen password security: Agencies should ban easy to guess passwords, enable multi factor authentication and disable old accounts.

Avoid flat networks and lack of network segmentation: Access should be limited to those that need to know; student and faculty accounts should reside on different domains.

Fostering a Sense of Belonging for Online Students

By meeting students where they are comfortable, educational institutions can readily share information. For example, since students are familiar with their phones, when universities utilize phone apps it can help provide a unified, digital experience for higher education students to reduce complexity, fuel career readiness and stoke student success. When creating an app for an institution, some helpful features to include are:

Tailored experiences with custom events depending on the user
Information unique to students, such as a marketplace to buy and sell goods like dormitory furniture or textbooks
IT toolkits
Self-assessment tools for COVID-19 or the flu
Campus features such as desk or study center reservations, transit routes, dining schedule or university maps
In-app messaging that can be directed to groups, such as students or faculty or personal messages
Feedback surveys to inspire improvement

Higher Education’s Top IT Issues for 2023

As students have become accustomed to hybrid and virtual learning, their expectations for new and elevated digital experiences have increased. There are many ways to achieve this modernization, but it requires intentional effort and technology updates from education administrators. Challenges to consider when implementing technology into learning are to:

Ensure IT has a “seat at the table” so they can weigh in on decisions
Ensure privacy and cybersecurity by training students and faculty to avoid scams, shift to data minimization, address cloud migration risks and leverage contracts with cybersecurity experts and investments
Adapt to students’ interests and products familiar to them
Create a seamless and enriching student experience
Utilize student data to update technology to better empower students
Pursue next-generation IT support to expand and reimagine digital campus abilities

Promoting Independence Through IT

A school’s duty is to prepare students for their futures in the workforce. Oftentimes, many careers require extensive knowledge of an array of technologies. Students should show proficiency in these areas to take advantage of more opportunities in various fields. By implementing technology into everyday use, educational institutions can promote confidence in technology, problem-solving skills, time management skills and collaboration between peers.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are also vital to university standards from both a legal and moral lens. IT intersects with diversity to make enrollment and education accessible to all by analyzing existing data to revamp hiring rubrics or utilizing cross-team conferences to create inclusive policies. With these inclusions, schools can emphasize transparency and accountability.

The pandemic revealed the importance of campus communication systems expanding beyond traditional parameters. Education departments had to shift to a remote work environment that a traditional phone system could not easily support. Universities should leverage communications software to reduce costs, provide additional flexible phone capabilities and accommodate all students regardless of where they live.

Through the inclusion of technology, educational institutions can reach new heights in their accessibility and connection with students. By enhancing security and offered digital features, educators can prepare students for an ever-changing workforce.

To learn more about utilizing IT for education initiatives, visit Carahsoft’s EDUCAUSE resource hub to schedule a meeting and speak to a representative today.

*The information contained in this blog has been written based off the thought-leadership discussions presented by speakers at EDUCAUSE 2022.*