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(Ed Note: The university and its executive vice president referred to in this story have asked to remain anonymous.)

Can a university use efficiency methods from the corporate world while staying true to its values?

That was the challenge facing The University’s executive vice president (EVP) and his team.

Today’s universities with campus-wide, robust mobile broadband networks have secured an edge in marketing to technology-centered young adults. These young adults have embraced smartphones and are using applications that enable life on campus to be more secure, navigable, and fun. Apps are everywhere. They boost campus security by opening doors to residence halls, broadcast real-time audio and video to emergency dispatchers, use QR (Quick Response) codes to traverse campus grounds, and help students to meet up, check grades or assignments, and receive weather and class cancellation alerts.

A senior administrator briefed a staff meeting to prepare for the coming academic year, referencing tight budgets, admissions trends, and the president’s priorities. The presentation proved engaging and stimulating, yet the moment felt strangely incomplete, an opportunity unfulfilled. 

As winter progresses, harsh weather conditions  make it even more critical for colleges and universities to feel confident that they are transporting students to and from university-related activities as safely as possible. This means insisting that passenger trip organizers identify and select the safest bus companies in the industry to transport their students.

For the first time in years, California employers have witnessed significant changes to employment laws, most of which took effect on January 1, 2012. Colleges and universities with operations in California must ensure compliance with these laws. Those that are not already prepared have a short amount of time to understand the new laws, train managers, and update policies and procedures.

Mainstream colleges and universities could benefit from increased use of assistive technologies for learning, but there are some educators who feel that allowing students to use assistive technology is like cheating.

As someone who works at a college where these learning tools are used every day in every class, I’d like to clear up this major misconception. These tools simply facilitate learning, and all of us, different and “normal” learners alike, should understand what the tools can do for us.

Programs in entrepreneurship aren’t new on college campuses.  But, the mindset that college graduates may find it easier to create their own jobs rather than find one is new.

University administrators are faced with many challenges, from better financial management to streamlining operations to staying competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining both staff and students.

For the majority of universities, talent management is a relatively untapped opportunity, and it offers both HR professionals and leaders of higher education institutions a proven and practical way to drive competitive advantage.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it will conduct an investigation into whether Penn State University failed to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act in regard to allegations of sexual misconduct on campus by a former Penn State football coach.

Any institution contemplating building or renovating a facility will inevitably hire an architect. The process of selecting one is often rushed or overlooked, particularly considering its long-term implications. The architectural firm you hire is coming on board to design something important, likely big, and almost certainly expensive. It better be the right one and you better like it a lot because you will be working together for a substantial amount of time. What the firm produces will become a reflection of you and your institution.