By Jeff Denneen - EvoLLLution. 1. Why are higher education institutions under so much pressure to streamline internal processes and reduce operational costs?
It’s a problem that has been brewing for a long time. If you go back over the past 30 years, the annual growth rate in expenses at a university has been roughly seven percent per year. Over time that has translated into [increased] tuition for students, increased borrowing and financial aid through loan program for students, or increased state support for public institutions. More...

By Timothy Renick - EvoLLLution. 1. How do systems built around predictive analytics, such as the GPS at Georgia State University, support staff productivity?
The goal is really twofold. It is in the first instance obviously to help students. We can use data more effectively to do so. There are all kinds of data points that we really had at our fingertips for years that we haven’t used aggressively, proactively enough to actually benefit our students. More...

By Scott Greenberg - EvoLLLution. Bureaucracy: “A system that has many complicated rules and ways of doing things (Merriam-Webster); A system of administration distinguished by written and inflexible rules, regulations and procedures (Business Dictionary.com).”
Colleges and universities work hard to provide a supportive academic community that fosters student success, but they often miss their mark when it comes to serving adult learners. The bureaucratic nature of our institutions—with its policies and procedures wrapped in a one-size-fits-all model—can often be a hindrance for adult learners. More...

By Sharon Blanton - EvoLLLution. I just returned from an exhilarating and exhausting two weeks of conferences. The content at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference and Gartner Symposium was significantly focused on what is often called Institutional Research or Business Intelligence. Why? Because all organizations are focused on achieving a strategic advantage. More...

By Kenneth Hartman - EvoLLLution. 1. What is the biggest roadblock stopping senior institutional administrators from taking steps to make their institutions more efficient?
Every institution is different but many of them have some of the same issues. For example, the governance structure — how strong or influential the board is, the faculty senate, unions, etc. There’s an issue of leadership in the experience of today’s presidents; we’re seeing a great turnover of university and college presidents at the two-year and four-year level. More...