The last school year was one of the most impactful in higher education history. And the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt learning as colleges and universities continue to adjust to new health and safety strategies set forth by the government. The pandemic crisis forced educational organizations to pivot swiftly to keep both students and faculty apprised of ongoing changes, underscoring the importance of communication in this industry.
In fact, communications are seen as more important than marketing in establishing trust with the student and teacher population and ensuring the solidity of the school’s reputation. One poll established that schools that communicated well found that 41% of their student body had a better opinion of the school after the pandemic. The converse was also true: Sixty-four percent of students whose schools were rated poor to fair at communication reported a poorer opinion of the school.
And it goes without saying that good communication is essential for any learning environment that includes remote or hybrid situations, causing many colleges and universities to leap into their digital transformation in order to stay competitive.
Your Institution as a Platform: Why Communication is Key for Higher Education
As more schools move to a fluid learning platform with some learners attending in person and others in an online environment, the school itself becomes a platform for outreach, engagement, and of course, learning. In order to accommodate this new model of learning, schools must swiftly — and effectively — transform their entire way of conducting business, from the bursar’s office to the classroom.
Like any business, schools have a customer — the student. Mapping the student’s journey across interactions is important to ascertain how well the school is meeting the needs of all learners. Using complex information technology such as networks, print and document management systems, predictive analytics, and data analysis can help schools better understand student needs and how to communicate effectively. Good communication helps drive core strategies such as student retention and helps integrate services for consistent quality and a better educational experience.
How a Managed IT Strategy Can Increase Digital Readiness for Better Communication
Now that you understand the importance of communication in higher education and some of the digital strategies that can help your educational organization excel, it's important to map out how to begin your transition to a more digital platform. For some schools, this is the difficult part. Budgets are notoriously tight in higher education, and resources, especially IT resources, can be spread thin.
Fortunately, it is easy to find a competent third-party managed services provider (MSP) with whom you can partner for a smoother transition that is both cost-effective and practical. Partnering with an MSP can put leading-edge technology and deep knowledge at your fingertips, without straining your in-house resources. Additionally, MSPs often have experts with industry-specific knowledge that can easily assess your current infrastructure and design solutions that directly address challenges and upcoming needs.
With ongoing support, you will get the benefits of state-of-the-art communications tools and the maintenance and service required to keep your system functioning at full capacity — regardless of changes in staffing or student body size of your school. A managed system is agile, scalable, and available when it is needed. Maintenance and security updates are conducted on a regular basis, ensuring that your communications technology can function when it needs to, getting essential information to your customers — your students — and your staff to bolster your reputation and reduce the frustration that often accompanies a crisis.
Let Blue Technologies Be Your Partner
At Blue Technologies, we understand how difficult it can be for educational organizations to respond to crises such as the one posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Budgets are slim and there is often very little technical assistance available for frustrated system administrators. IT systems are often patched together over the years, making it difficult to get them to work cohesively as a single platform.
Our team will help your school understand your current infrastructure’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses and create a cohesive system that will meet your needs — and your budget — allowing you to communicate clearly with staff and students to provide a better, more enriching learning experience.
Transform your school’s ability to communicate today. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant and learn how our Managed IT programs can help your school thrive.
