As higher education institutions struggle to manage increasing student enrollments with limited staff and tight budgets, software is playing an increasingly critical role in optimizing the student experience – and so to are the people behind the tech.
Flywire recently released a new independent research report titled, “An inside look at the changing world of the higher ed IT pro.” Based on the findings of a survey of more than 200 higher education IT leaders across the United States., Canada, and the United Kingdom, the report examines the evolving role of IT and its growing impact on the student experience at colleges and universities.
The evolving role of IT in Higher Education
Our research showed that IT professionals are really embracing the notion of being collaborators, communicators, and agents of change within their institutions. They do this because they care deeply about the overall student experience. In fact:
IT pros in higher ed also believe that it is part of their role to integrate new tools and technologies to improve the university’s capabilities, make learning easier and improve teaching quality. They predict an increase in their contribution to the institution's growth and success, primarily by using tech to enhance the student experience and streamline operations.
IT's Impact on the Student Experience - Integrating New Technologies for Enhanced Learning and Teaching
The student experience is so important for the higher education sector, that 97% of IT professionals believe that, within five years, student satisfaction metrics (of which the student experience is an element) will be a key performance indicators for their roles.
As they evaluate new technologies, integration with their SIS/ERP systems is key, along with security and compliance, scalability and usability. But this can cause challenges, particularly if the infrastructure is based on legacy tech.
To solve these challenges, higher ed IT teams are increasingly collaborating across the campus – with CEOs, CFOs and heads of Admissions, Student Affairs, and Financial Aid. 98% of respondents say they are being brought into discussions about new technology at the right time, and they are teaming with finance and other department leaders across the institution to source technology solutions.
When it comes to payment tech, 78% of the IT professionals surveyed say they are currently directly involved in budgeting for it and, as 99% of IT pros believe that their institution’s biggest opportunity is to make it easier and more affordable for students and families to pay for their education, payment technology that allows institutions to do this will clearly have a big impact.
Streamlining Internal Processes with Student Financial Software
From billing and payments to collection management, Flywire’s Student Financial Software helps higher ed CIOs, IT leaders and their teams streamline internal processes to meet the needs of multiple stakeholders across campus. With seamless integration with existing systems, Flywire’s unified approach to billing, payments and collection provides an unrivalled student experience.
Read the full report
Learn more
- Discover how Flywire can improve your institution’s student financial experience
- Watch our on-demand webinar Embracing change: Tips & tools for enhancing IT & finance collaboration