Who's IT? - Connecting College Admissions and IT

I, and many others, spend an inordinate amount of time promoting the integration of technology into teaching and learning. Although we still have much work to do, a lot of progress has been made in re-shaping teaching and learning. When I first listened to the podcast below, what really jumped out at me was how poorly most colleges are at using (leveraging) IT in other areas - particularly recruitment, admissions, registration, etc. We've implemented some of these advances into our operations, but for the most part these "innovations" live in their own silos. Consider the little "quiz" below. Students - traditional college-age students - don't read newspapers! As the statistics bear out, I don't even regularly read the newspaper. So what do we do? We print catalogs, schedules, letters, flyers, brochures, etc ... We drown these kids in - you guessed it - paper. For many colleges, the solution is a PDF version of the catalog. NEWFLASH people! Our students can see through this transparent attempt at technology. Instead of a drab, lifeless, static paper catalog, we're giving them a drab, lifeless, static online catalog. It's 2008 people. What are we waiting for? There's so much more we could be doing. We really should be taking a much more holistic approach where new technologies are woven throughout the fabric of a students experience with our institution. Do you know your Director of IT? Spend some time with him or her and begin to build a relationship. Everyone should know the Director of IT!

From the Chronicle for Higher Education's Tech Therapy podcast.

Episode 23: The Web and the Changing Admissions Game

When it comes to recruiting students, college Web sites can be just as important as viewbooks and campus visits. So why don't colleges do more to put admissions directors and IT officers in the same room? Warren Arbogast, a technology consultant, talks with Scott Carlson, a Chronicle reporter.

Listen here.