In This Issue Current Issue Archives

October 2007

The Edutech Report - October, 2007 - Full Issue PDF
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Small Signs of Success
By Thomas Warger
The helpdesk at most colleges and universities is still not firmly established to everyone’s satisfaction. A fresh round of discussions on the topic of helpdesk organization and function rolled through the EDUCAUSE CIO list as recently as mid-September. Interestingly, helpdesk basics appear less often in forums for commercial and corporate IT these days: that world seems to be having fewer questions in terms of how to provide this service effectively. Why is helpdesk still a hot topic in the academic world? What in the campus IT environment might be hindering resolution of this long-running issue?

Quotes of the Month
Online learning as an option; drawbacks of distance learning

Newsbriefs
The New York Times Introduces Enhanced Online Learning; ECAR Publishes 2007 Study on Students and IT

Assigning Cost
By Thomas Warger
IT cost assignment matters because the place of IT in the institution is still unclear and uncomfortable. Is it a utility like heating and lighting, which are generally not costs assigned to operating units? Or is it more like staffing, where every employee’s cost is assigned and carefully assessed at the level of offices and departments?

CIO Leadership Series: Are You a Good Business Partner?
By Thomas Warger
You are constantly hearing that the portfolio of essential CIO skills is growing all the time—and not always in the direction of the computer-technical content that might have been the original appeal of this line of work. Well, here’s another one. Chief information officers need to be strong partners with vendors, consultants, and outsourced service providers. This is about “business,” paying money to commercial providers of services and products.

Integrating Audiovisual Services, Finally
By Thomas Warger
The time to fold what used to be audiovisual services into the IT group is past. Anyone who has not managed that transition is likely facing serious problems right now.

Edutech Responds
LMS Privileges; IT Service Interruption Disclosures; Grant Funding for IT; Faculty Software Upgrades