# EDUCAUSE 2024 French Delegation Report - EN

John Augeri, Erica Dumont, Laurent Flory, Frédéric Habert, Thierry Koscielniak, Bertrand Mocquet, Nina Reignier-Tayar, Bruno Urbero, Emmanuelle Vivier Leloire

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

## ► To cite this version:

John Augeri, Erica Dumont, Laurent Flory, Frédéric Habert, Thierry Koscielniak, et al.. EDUCAUSE 2024 French Delegation Report - EN. Comité de pilotage DFE : CSIESR / UNIF / GL-CNL. 2025, pp.154. hal-05530464

HAL Id: hal-05530464

https://hal.science/hal-05530464v1

Submitted on 27 Feb 2026

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EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2024

EDUCAUSE Teaching & Learning Symposium 2024

Visits to Houston Community College

Texas A&M University

San Antonio College

University of Texas San Antonio

French Delegation Report

John Augeri, PhD (Ed.)

Erica Dumont

Laurent Flory

Frédéric Habert

Thierry Koscielniak, PhD

Bertrand Mocquet, PhD

Nina Reignier-Tayar, PhD

Bruno Urbero, PhD

Emmanuelle Vivier
<table>
  <tr>
    <td>Forewords</td>
    <td>5</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Tribute to Yves Epelboin</td>
    <td>7</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>French Delegation 2024</td>
    <td>8</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Introduction &amp; Trends in Higher Education in USA</td>
    <td>9</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Good News: International Students are back...</td>
    <td>10</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>... In an Sea of Bad News</td>
    <td>11</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>American higher education is sinking deeper into crisis</td>
    <td>16</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>An Edition of EDUCAUSE Held on the Eve of the Presidential Election</td>
    <td>18</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Visit to Houston Community College (HCC)</td>
    <td>20</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Key figures</td>
    <td>21</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Digital Strategy and services offered</td>
    <td>21</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Transfer programs to local universities</td>
    <td>22</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Visit to Texas A&amp;M University (TAMU)</td>
    <td>23</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Key figures</td>
    <td>23</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>General overview</td>
    <td>24</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Texas A&amp;M University School of Engineering</td>
    <td>27</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Visit to Alamo Colleges / San Antonio College</td>
    <td>30</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Key figures</td>
    <td>30</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>General overview</td>
    <td>31</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Visit to University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA)</td>
    <td>33</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Key figures</td>
    <td>33</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>General overview</td>
    <td>34</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IT engineering research and development at UTSA</td>
    <td>35</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>EDUCAUSE Teaching &amp; Learning Symposium 2024</td>
    <td>38</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>New format</td>
    <td>38</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Program</td>
    <td>38</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Articulation with EDUCAUSE Annual Conference</td>
    <td>40</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>EDUCAUSE Annual Conference explained</td>
    <td>41</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Start Here: 2024 EDUCAUSE Conference Orientation</td>
    <td>41</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Tips for navigating the venues</td>
    <td>43</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Tips for getting ready to network</td>
    <td>44</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Presenting at EDUCAUSE</td>
    <td>45</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Choice of topic: a balance between innovation and international understanding</td>
    <td>46</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Choice of format</td>
    <td>46</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Production and finalization of slideshows and posters</td>
    <td>46</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Presentation and interactions during and after the sessions</td>
    <td>47</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Support from EDUCAUSE</td>
    <td>47</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Contacts and follow-up</td>
    <td>47</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2024 presentations</td>
    <td>48</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2024 Opening and Closing Keynotes</td>
    <td>51</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>A Fireside Chat with Dr. Brené Brown</td>
    <td>51</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Navigating the Digital Frontier: A Fireside Chat with Jaron Lanier on Technology, Humanity, and the Future</td>
    <td>52</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>EDUCAUSE Top-10 Issues 2025</td>
    <td>53</td>
  </tr>
</table>
<table><tr><td>Restoring trust</td><td>53</td></tr><tr><td>The 2025 ten items</td><td>55</td></tr><tr><td>The competent Institution</td><td>56</td></tr><tr><td>The caring Institution</td><td>61</td></tr><tr><td>The Fulcrum of Leadership</td><td>66</td></tr></table>

## Learning Environments: Change Management, Hybridizations & HyFlex 70

<table><tr><td>Learning Space Design Community Group meeting</td><td>71</td></tr><tr><td>Change Management and Analytics</td><td>71</td></tr><tr><td>Impact of Hybridizations and HyFlex on the Learning Spaces</td><td>73</td></tr></table>

## Emerging Technologies for Learning 74

<table><tr><td>Emerging Tech Community Group Meeting Featuring an Expert Panel and Professional Networking</td><td>74</td></tr><tr><td>Immersive technologies - XR</td><td>75</td></tr><tr><td>GenAI for education</td><td>85</td></tr><tr><td>GenAI for Strategy and Policy</td><td>92</td></tr><tr><td>Sessions Gems</td><td>97</td></tr></table>

## Generative AI: Ethics, Accessibility and Inclusion 102

<table><tr><td>Ethical stance and framework</td><td>102</td></tr><tr><td>Exploring the potential of AI to improve accessibility and inclusion</td><td>104</td></tr></table>

## Governing change: Strategies for sustainable leadership 107

<table><tr><td>Perspectives and Practices of Modern Leadership</td><td>108</td></tr><tr><td>Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)</td><td>113</td></tr><tr><td>Learning Environments and Student Engagement</td><td>117</td></tr><tr><td>Organizational Transformation</td><td>120</td></tr><tr><td>Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education</td><td>123</td></tr><tr><td>Control and Safety</td><td>125</td></tr><tr><td>Conclusion</td><td>126</td></tr></table>

## Improving competencies of Teachers in Higher Education to meet the needs of Gen Z 127

<table><tr><td>Discussions of Gen Z at Previous EDUCAUSE Conferences</td><td>127</td></tr><tr><td>Gen Z at EDUCAUSE 2024</td><td>128</td></tr><tr><td>Practical Strategies and Resources</td><td>129</td></tr><tr><td>Educator and Staff Support - On-Site Visits</td><td>130</td></tr><tr><td>Conclusion</td><td>131</td></tr></table>

## AI: a Demanding Tool for optimizing Student Success 132

<table><tr><td>Pragmatic and Demanding Students</td><td>132</td></tr><tr><td>For Faculty: Constantly Evolving Courses</td><td>133</td></tr><tr><td>For students: new skills expected</td><td>134</td></tr><tr><td>The Benefits of a Proactive, Hyper-Personalized Portal</td><td>135</td></tr><tr><td>The Student Information System: Essential Access to Services</td><td>136</td></tr><tr><td>Initiatives to boost a community</td><td>137</td></tr><tr><td>IT, an Invisible Player in Student Success</td><td>138</td></tr><tr><td>Conclusion</td><td>138</td></tr></table>

## Hey students! Want to up your success game? We got you covered 140

<table><tr><td>Introduction</td><td>140</td></tr><tr><td>Involvement and co-design context in the USA</td><td>140</td></tr><tr><td>The place of student involvement in this edition of the conference</td><td>142</td></tr><tr><td>Type of student involvement</td><td>143</td></tr><tr><td>Student involvement and project phase</td><td>149</td></tr><tr><td>Towards transfer possibilities in the French university system</td><td>151</td></tr></table>

## Special Thanks 153

## Credits 153
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# Forewords

The Annual Conference 2023 held in Chicago in October marked the 10th anniversary of the EDUCAUSE French Delegation. This milestone is obviously an opportunity for us to look back on the road travelled in a decade.

From the beginning, this initiative has sought to provide the French higher education community with an international perspective on digital issues, by bringing together complementary profiles capable of assessing the major trends and prospects. This has taken the form of ongoing participation in the EDUCAUSE Annual Conferences since 2013, which has been significantly enriched over the years. From an initial philosophy of simple participation that prevailed in the early years, the members of this Delegation have gradually become involved at various levels of EDUCAUSE, within the framework of the conferences and beyond (see the graphic below).

We have now selected twenty presentations on a range of topical subjects. Several of our members are also involved each year as proposal reviewers for the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, and as members of the respective programme committees (in 2019 and 2023). Finally, some of us sit on expert panels for the EDUCAUSE Horizon Report and the annual Top-10 issues, are active in various thematic Community Groups (XR and Learning Spaces in particular), or are involved as writers of reference articles and translators of tools.

We should also mention the nearly thirty site visits that have also been carried out since 2013 before or after the EDUCAUSE Annual Conferences, which, in addition to the remarkable welcome we have always received, have provided us with an invaluable insight into the field through high-quality discussions.

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>EDUCAUSE 2014</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2015</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2016</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2017</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2018</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2019</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2020</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2021</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2022</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2023</th><th>EDUCAUSE 2024</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>On-site Visits (28)</td><td>UCLA<br>UC San Diego</td><td>MIT<br>U Central Florida</td><td>Purdue<br>U Washington</td><td>UCLA<br>Stanford<br>UC Berkeley</td><td>SUNY Stony Brook<br>Princeton<br>U Pennsylvania</td><td>U British Columbia<br>U Washington<br>School of Mines</td><td>U Chicago<br>NorthWestern<br>Concordia</td><td></td><td>Boulder<br>CCDS<br>CC Denver<br>Internet2</td><td>Oakton College<br>Harper College<br>U Chicago</td><td>Houston CC<br>TAMU<br>San Antonio College<br>UTSA</td></tr><tr><td>EDU/ELI Sessions (22)</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>EDU Review Articles (1)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Program Committees</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>EDU19</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>EL023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Advisory Boards</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Horizon Report Panels</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td></td><td>●</td><td></td><td>●</td></tr><tr><td>Top-10 Issues Panels</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td></td><td>●</td></tr><tr><td>EDU/ELI Proposal Review</td><td></td><td></td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td></tr><tr><td>Restitution</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td></tr><tr><td>Report / FR</td><td></td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td></tr><tr><td>Report / EN</td><td></td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td></tr><tr><td>Report / JP</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>●</td><td>●</td><td>●</td></tr></tbody></table>

Recognition of these different levels of intervention has enabled us to forge special links with EDUCAUSE and in particular its executive members (President, Vice-Presidents and Directors). Our actions have also given us significant visibility within the North American university community and beyond, leading to the establishment of formal collaborations, some of which are long-term. Several sessions have been given at different editions of the conference with American, Belgian, Japanese and Australian colleagues, ongoing cooperation throughout the year has been established with a number of international universities, and a partnership is in place with the Japanese EDUCAUSE Delegation through joint site visits and action around our report.

Our report is reaching an ever-growing international audience, thanks in particular to an English translation that we agreed from the outset, and which has been joined since 2023 by a Japanese version, produced and
translated in partnership with our friends at AXIES. Since 2014 and including this year's editions, twenty-three editions have been published, totalling more than 1,500 pages.

These different initiatives all contribute to achieving our fundamental objectives: to exchange ideas, raise awareness, inform, inspire and share in order to support the development of digital technology in French higher education.

Every year, our traditional community feedback meeting gives concrete expression to this commitment, and has become a major annual watchdog event, which we know is much appreciated. The following pages follow on from the feedback meeting on 28 January 2024. They cover the various workshops held at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in San Antonio in October 2024, the four on-site visits that were carried out, and the EDUCAUSE Teaching & Learning Symposium held remotely last June.

We wish you a pleasant and informative read.

The EDUCAUSE French Delegation Steering Committee
John Augeri, Laurent Flory, Thierry Koscielniak and Bruno Urbero
## Tribute to Yves Epelboin

It is with great sadness that we pay tribute to our colleague, friend and mentor Yves Epelboin, a major figure in digital higher education and a key contributor to the EDUCAUSE French Delegation. Yves passed away on September 2, 2024, leaving behind an intellectual and institutional legacy that continues to influence our community.

Professor at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (now Sorbonne Université), Yves led an exceptional scientific and academic career. After distinguishing himself in the field of physics, he became involved in the development of digital technologies for education and research, playing a pioneering role at a time when these tools were still little explored. His vision and commitment have laid the foundations for many structuring initiatives in the field of university digital technology.

In particular, Yves contributed to the creation and development of organizations such as CSIESR and EUNIS, where he mobilized collective expertise around strategic digital issues. His work in these structures has strengthened collaboration between institutions, both nationally and internationally, and supported the integration of digital technologies into higher education.

As a co-founder and an active member of the EDUCAUSE French Delegation, Yves has played a key role in representing French expertise on the international stage. He facilitated the emergence of innovative projects by sharing his network of American CIOs, his ideas and his understanding of the digital transformations underway in French and American higher education.

His speeches paid particular attention to digital uses for teaching and learning, and to related governance issues. He saw digital as a lever for improving the student experience and fostering innovative pedagogical approaches. John O'Brien, President of EDUCAUSE, underlined the importance of his role: "His intellectual curiosity and openness have left their mark on many professionals around the world."

Yves' influence was not limited to his concrete achievements. He was also a mentor to many colleagues, generously sharing his expertise and advice. His contributions fueled strategic thinking, notably on the use of immersive technologies and student-centered approaches. His work has enriched discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence in education and the evolution of learning spaces.

The signature of his e-mails, inspired by Ludwig Boltzmann, reflected his philosophy:

> "Man knows at last that he is alone in the indifferent immensity of the universe from which he emerged by chance."

This quote, though tinged with gravity, reflected his ability to place the challenges of the digital age in a broader perspective, where humility and critical reflection were paramount.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and pledge to continue his work in the service of the academic community.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

The current and past members of the EDUCAUSE French Delegation
French Delegation 2024

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>John Augeri, PhD</figcaption></figure>

Center for Teaching & Learning Director

lie-de-France Digital University

Member of the EDUCAUSE Learning Spaces Design Community Group

Member of the EDUCAUSE Review Advisory Board

Member of the EDUCAUSE Top-10 Issues Expert Panel

Member of the Horizon Report | Teaching & Learning Edition Expert Panel

john.augeri@unif.fr

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>Erica Dumont</figcaption></figure>

Vice-President of the VP-Num association

Vice-President of Digital Affairs

Lumière Lyon 2 University

Director of the Foreign Language Center

Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
erica.dumont@univ-lyon2.fr

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>Laurent Flory</figcaption></figure>

International Projects and Uses in Institutions Manager

French HE & Research Ministry National Software Agency

CSIESR Board Member / Secretary / International strategy leader

laurent.flory@cnlsr.fr / laurent.flory@csiesr.eu

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>Frédéric Habert</figcaption></figure>

EdTech Department Manager

Nantes University

frédéric.habert@univ-nantes.fr

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>Thierry Koscielniak, PhD</figcaption></figure>

Digital Strategy & Educational Innovation Executive Advisor

Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology - ENSAM

CSIESR Board Member / EUNIS Vice President

France Immersive Learning President

EDUCAUSE eXtended Reality (XR) Community Group Member

EDUCAUSE XR Community of Practice Member

thierry.koscielniak@ensam.eu / thierry.koscielniak@csiesr.eu

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>Bertrand Mocquet, PhD</figcaption></figure>

Digital Expert

HE Institutions Mutualisation Agency (Amue)

Bertrand.MOCQUET@amue.fr

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /><figcaption>Nina Tayar-Reignier, PhD</figcaption></figure>

Chief Digital Officer

Grenoble Alpes University

Membre du CA du CSIESR

nina.reignier-tayar@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /><figcaption>Bruno Urbero, PhD</figcaption></figure>

French HE & Research Ministry National Software Agency Director

CSIESR Board Member / Secretary

bruno.urbero@enseignementsup.gouv.fr / bruno.urbero@csiesr.eu

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /><figcaption>Emmanuelle Vivier</figcaption></figure>

CIo

Picardie Jules Verne University

CSIESR Board Member

Emmanuelle.Vivier@u-picardie.fr / Emmanuelle.Vivier@csiesr.eu
# Introduction & Trends in Higher Education in USA

Laurent Flory

The 2024 edition opened with significant political tension on the eve of the U.S. presidential elections. While the COVID-19 crisis now belongs to the past, the aftermath of this period continues to shape North American Higher Education and Research (HE(R)), notably through the accelerated adoption of hybrid models and the evolving expectations of students in terms of flexibility and digital services. EDUCAUSE, remaining true to its mission as a non-profit organization bringing together academic, industrial, and institutional stakeholders, continues to play a central role in foresight and technological innovation in the service of higher education.

This year, we visited two community colleges: Houston Community College and San Antonio College, as well as two large universities: Texas A&M University and the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). These visits illustrate the diversity of resources and objectives between large selective institutions and smaller ones with a strong social mission, deeply anchored in a specific geographical area serving local communities. The French delegation's study trip was enriched by strategic dialogues with the French consulate in Houston, whose assistance in organizing the delegation was greatly appreciated. Discussions with the Japanese delegation, now a regular partner, also helped strengthen international comparisons regarding institutional practices.

North American HE(R) continues to sink deeper into crisis. The loss of confidence in the system has become so significant that it is the central theme of the Top 10, which this year evolved from "Top 10 IT Issues" to simply the "Top 10," with... 11 selected priorities.

The use of generative artificial intelligence is expanding, either in a testing phase for some or in production for others, with significant challenges related to cost and privacy issues.

Generation Z, the first to be entirely digital-native and profoundly marked by the COVID crisis, is now the majority in institutions. This generation demands more in terms of tailored tools and support. Thus, student success remains an absolute priority and is among the most frequently discussed topics. Human dimension is increasingly at the heart of these challenges, as it should be central to technology.

As usual, this introduction aims to convey the necessarily subjective vision of HE(R) as well as the social, political, and economic contexts in the United States as perceived by the delegation. This vision serves as a key to understanding the report, placing it within a North American environment marked by major contemporary challenges in areas such as academic governance, equity, and pedagogical innovation amid a significant crisis in the higher education and research industry.
## Good News: International Students are back...

The Open Doors 2024 report<fnref n="1" />, from the Institute of International Education, published in November 2024 with the support of the U.S. Department of State, highlights the United States' continued dominance as the preferred destination for international students. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the total number of international students reached 1,126,690, a historic record. This increase is particularly driven by India, which became the leading country of origin with 331,602 students, surpassing China for the first time in over a decade. European students represent 90,600 enrollments, with a slight increase of 0.8%. There was a very slight decrease of 0.1% in the number of French students, totaling 8,543. Preferred disciplines remain business and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Thus, the United States regains an appeal that had been tarnished by the Trump administration's measures and the COVID crisis.

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1 Leading places of origin of international students, 2023/24</figcaption></figure>

In parallel, international student participation in professional internships under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program increased by 22%, reflecting the appeal of practical training opportunities in the United States. However, non-degree programs, such as university exchanges and intensive English courses, experienced a 9% decline.

The mobility of American students abroad also saw a strong recovery after the pandemic, with 280,716 participants in 2022-2023, representing a 49% increase. Europe remains the preferred destination, hosting 64% of students, with France ranking fourth, having received 17,096 American students—an increase of 18.6%. The United States and Europe, notably France, thus confirm their central role in the international education landscape.

This edition of the report shows an almost complete return to pre-pandemic levels of student mobility, illustrating a gradual normalization of international academic exchanges. However, the presidential election results could potentially threaten this important source of revenue for institutions once again.

<footnote n="1">¹ RAPPORT OPEN DOORS 2024 | Commission Franco-Américaine Fulbright: https://fulbright-france.org/fr/etudier-usa/actualites/rapport-open-doors-2024</footnote>
... In an Sea of Bad News

Return on Investment of Higher Education in Question

The study conducted by the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) on more than 53,000 degree and certification programs in the United States reveals significant disparities in profitability<fnref n="2" /> depending on the fields of study and types of degrees. This analysis highlights that nearly a quarter of bachelor's programs and almost half of master's programs have a negative return on investment (ROI). Professional degrees, such as those in medicine or law, stand out with significant financial benefits, often exceeding one million dollars over a career.

Profitability differences are closely linked to the chosen field of study. Programs in engineering, computer science, economics, and nursing offer particularly high-income potential. On the other hand, programs in arts, education, psychology, and literature are characterized by low or even negative financial returns. Unsurprisingly, the quality of the institution also plays a decisive role: institutions with high success and on-time graduation rates generally offer more positive financial outcomes. Moreover, tuition fees, although high at some prestigious institutions, can be offset by access to better-paid professional opportunities. Surprisingly, some technical certifications, especially in manual trades, can surpass traditional university degrees in profitability.

However, one-third of students enroll in programs with negative profitability, and one-third of federal aid funds go toward financing pathways with negative ROIs. This situation mainly concerns two-year degrees and certain master's programs, whose costs are not always compensated by sufficient professional gains.

An additional study<fnref n="3" /> published by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) shows that while postgraduate degrees (master's, doctorates, and professional degrees) continue to offer higher income prospects, the constant increase in their costs and the resulting debts make them a risky bet for many students.

<figure><img src="image_15.png" /><figcaption>Figure 2 Median Annual Income Minus Median Debt by Field</figcaption></figure>

<footnote n="2">² Does College Pay Off? A Comprehensive Return On Investment Analysis - FREOPP: https://freopp.org/whitepapers/does-college-pay-off-on-a-comprehensive-return-on-investment-analysis/</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ Graduate Degrees: Risky and Unequal Paths to the Top - CEW Georgetown: https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/graduatedegrees/</footnote>
Between 2000 and 2020, the annual tuition fees for postgraduate programs increased by 233%, rising from $3,000 to $10,000. At the same time, the median debt amount rose by 47%, reaching $50,000. Although these degrees remain advantageous for employment and income, the income differential compared to bachelor's degree holders is gradually shrinking.

The CEW proposes linking institutions' access to federal loans to program profitability criteria. This would include tests based on the debt-to-income ratio of graduates and the additional income generated by the degree.

In conclusion, while postgraduate degrees remain a pathway to better-paying careers, their rising cost presents significant challenges, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Targeted reforms could help reduce these inequalities and improve the financial transparency of institutions yet politically very controversial.

## Evolution of Student Debt in the United States: Toward Stabilization?

The evolution of student debt in the United States reflects a persistent crisis in higher education. Recent data shows that the total student debt reached approximately $1.77 trillion in 2024, showing, depending on the sources, either a steady increase compared to previous years, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York<fnref n="4" /> a cautious initial decline<fnref n="5" /> or according to the Federal Reserve a cautious initial decline-after years of continuous growth.

In 2020, this amount stood at $1.6 trillion, representing a nearly 10% increase in four years and 43% over ten years. Approximately 43 million Americans currently hold student debt<fnref n="6" />, according to the Department of Education, with an average amount per borrower of $37,700. The median debt per borrower with a bachelor's degree is around $25,000, but for one in four postgraduate degree holders, it exceeds $100,000⁷. The distribution of this debt by ethnic origin and gender also highlights deep inequalities. Women represent 58% of borrowers and are more likely to incur high debt due to pursuing advanced studies (American Association of University Women<fnref n="8" />).

<figure><img src="image_16.png" /></figure>

Note: Analysis excludes those who borrowed no money to finance their educations

Source: AAUW analysis of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, B&B-17 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study

<caption>Figure 3: Mean Debt Amount by Ethnicity and Gender</caption>

<footnote n="4">⁴ https://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/hhdc</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵ Student Loan Debt Statistics [2024]: Average + Total Debt: https://educationdata.org/student-loan-debt-statistics</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/portfolio: https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/portfolio</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷ États-Unis : la dette étudiante, menace pour les universités et enjeu politique majeur: https://theconversation.com/etats-unis-la-dette-etudiante-menace-pour-les-universites-et-enjeu-politique-majeur-239869 (in French)</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸ Women & Student Debt – AAUW : Empowering Women Since 1881: https://www.aauw.org/issues/education/student-debt/</footnote>
Public policies have also impacted this dynamic. For example, federal income-driven repayment programs have allowed some borrowers to reduce their monthly payments, but these initiatives have not prevented the accumulation of interest. In 2023, the end of the repayment moratorium established during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated financial pressure for millions of households.

The issue of debt also underscores strong social inequalities: borrowers from minority backgrounds are particularly affected, with default rates higher than the national average<fnref n="9" />.

# Redefault Rates Are Significantly Higher Among Black and Hispanic or Latino Borrowers Compared With White Peers

Among borrowers who have experienced default, breakdown of the number of times their loans have defaulted by race and ethnicity

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /><figcaption>Figure 4 Default Rates by Ethnic Origin</figcaption></figure>

Proposals for reforms, such as partial debt cancellation or free education in certain public fields, are at the heart of political debates¹⁰¹¹¹². However, partisan differences complicate the adoption of significant measures. The Biden administration implemented the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program in September 2023 to alleviate the burden of student debt by offering more accessible repayments and conditional partial cancellation. However, in August 2024, a court of appeals suspended the implementation of this plan, citing doubts about the

<footnote n="9">⁹ The Student Loan Default Divide: Racial Inequities Play a Role | The Pew Charitable Trusts: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2024/12/the-student-loan-default-divide-racial-inequities-play-a-role</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰ FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Plans that would Provide Relief to Borrowers Disproportionately Burdened by Student Loan Debt | The White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/08/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-plans-that-would-provide-relief-to-borrowers-disproportionately-burdened-by-student-loan-debt/</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹ FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Over 1 Million Public Service Workers Have Received Student Debt Cancellation Under the Biden-Harris Administration | The White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/17/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-over-1-million-public-service-workers-have-received-student-debt-cancellation-under-the-biden-harris-administration/</footnote>

<footnote n="12">¹² President Joe Biden Outlines New Plans to Deliver Student Debt Relief to Over 30 Million Americans Under the Biden-Harris Administration | The White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/08/president-joe-biden-outlines-new-plans-to-deliver-student-debt-relief-to-over-30-million-americans-under-the-biden-harris-administration/</footnote>
executive's legitimacy to act without congressional approval. Nonetheless, the U.S. Department of Education canceled $17.2 billion in federal student loans, benefiting nearly 975,000 borrowers, according to a report<fnref n="13" /> published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on October 24, 2024 (the last day of the conference). This initiative is part of the Borrower Defense program, which allows students to request debt forgiveness if they believe they were misled or defrauded by their educational institution.

The very high level of student debt has notable repercussions on life plans, with some delaying home purchases or savings accumulation due to repayment burdens, while others face lifelong consequences.

<figure><img src="image_18.png" /><figcaption>Figure 5 Debt Distribution by Age Group in the USA<fnref n="14" /></figcaption></figure>

## Reconsideration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies in Higher Education

Another illustration of the growing divide between Republicans and Democrats, and between urban and rural areas, concerns the increasing restrictions on funding and implementing DEI-related programs in universities, particularly within public systems. These restrictions are either imposed by mainly Republican-led states such as Alabama<fnref n="15" />, Iowa<fnref n="16" />, Utah<fnref n="17" />, Idaho<fnref n="18" />, Indiana<fnref n="19" /> and Kansas<fnref n="20" /> which joined<fnref n="21" /> Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma in 2024—or introduced locally in anticipation<fnref n="22" />, of potential stricter legal constraints, as seen in Missouri<fnref n="23" />, Kentucky and Nebraska<fnref n="24" />.

Various directives prohibit campuses and administrators from taking positions on political or social issues and limit funding for DEI initiatives. DEI-related roles and responsibilities must be redefined to focus on student

<footnote n="13">¹³ Department of Education: Student Loan Relief in Cases of College Misconduct | U.S. GAO: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106530 and Ed Dept. forgave $17.2B in student loans, report finds: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/10/25/ed-dept-forgave-172b-student-loans-report-finds</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴ Student Loan Debt Statistics [2025 Updates] données de juin 2024: https://thecollegeinvestor.com/student-loan-debt-statistics/ données de juin 2024</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵ Alabama universities shutter DEI offices, open new programs, to comply with new state law | AP News: https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equity-inclusion-alabama-legislature-cb45a7667125543d5450134ff0ee4728</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶ Gov. Reynolds Signs Several Bills into Law | Governor Kim Reynolds: https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2024-05-09/gov-reynolds-signs-several-bills-law#:~:text=SF%202435:%20A%20bill%20for%20an%20act,open%20enrollment%2C%20the%20state%20board%20of%20regents</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷ USHE Guidance HB261 - FINAL.pdf: https://www.insidehighered.com/sites/default/files/2024-06/USHE%20Guidance%20HB261%20%20FINAL.pdf</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸ Idaho bans public colleges from having mandatory 'diversity statements': https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/idaho-bans-public-schools-from-requiring-student-diversity-statements-brad-little-boise-dei-equity-inclusion-gop-republican-northwest-kay-ivey-alabama-florida-wokeness-college-university-higher-ed</footnote>

<footnote n="19">¹⁹ SEA 202 - Indiana University Northwest: https://northwest.iu.edu/academic-affairs/shared-governance/sea-202-questions.html</footnote>

<footnote n="20">²⁰ KS HB2460 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | LegiScan: https://legiscan.com/KS/bill/HB2460/2023</footnote>

<footnote n="21">²¹ A look at DEI eliminations at colleges across the US | Higher Ed Dive: https://www.highereddive.com/news/dei-eliminations-cuts-offices-colleges-texas-florida-kentucky-alabama/727414/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</footnote>

<footnote n="22">²² In certain states, such as Alabama and Kentucky, laws prohibiting public funding for DEI programs have been adopted, accompanied by restrictions on training and discussions related to systemic inequalities or racial privileges. These measures raise concerns about academic freedom and access to an inclusive environment for all students. In Alabama, for example, although private and federal funds can still be used, public institutions remain limited in their ability to organize community support activities related to identity.</footnote>

<footnote n="23">²³ U of Missouri axes DEI office to pre-empt state mandate: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/diversity/race-ethnicity/2024/07/31/u-missouri-axes-dei-office-pre-empt-state-mandate</footnote>

<footnote n="24">²⁴ Kentucky and Nebraska dissolve their DEI offices: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/08/22/kentucky-and-nebraska-dissolve-their-dei-offices</footnote>
academic success without turning into political activism. However, support for specific student groups remains
possible, provided that these initiatives comply with non-discrimination laws and do not promote a particular
political viewpoint.

The 2023 Supreme Court decision to ban race-based considerations in admissions also had a significant impact. For instance, Harvard University reported<fnref n="25" /> a drop of over 20% in Black student enrollments for the class of 2028. Other prestigious universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University, reported similar declines in racial diversity among their new enrollees.

The implementation of these changes has sparked debates within academic communities. While some defend "institutional neutrality" as a protection of academic freedom, others fear that the elimination of DEI initiatives will reduce access to quality educational opportunities for historically marginalized groups. The coming years will reveal the real impact of these reforms on inclusion and student success in higher education.

Academic Freedom in Higher Education

In 2024, Republican lawmakers' growing involvement in debates and reforms concerning academic freedom in the United States illustrates the increasing tensions between promoting diversity and fears of restrictions on university autonomy.

The state of Indiana passed a law tying professor tenure to their ability to promote intellectual diversity and free debate. According to this law, instructors must expose students to varied perspectives and refrain from promoting personal political opinions during class hours. This law has sparked contrasting reactions: some see it as a tool to restore trust in higher education, while others view it as a threat to academic freedom.

Florida represents another notable example, with a series of reforms aimed at reshaping university governance. The "Stop Woke Act" and other legislative texts limit the teaching of topics related to systemic racism, sexism, and social privilege. The New College of Florida underwent a political overhaul led by the governor, resulting in dismissals, department closures, and curriculum revisions to emphasize Western thought classics. These measures have created a climate of uncertainty and led to mass departures among faculty members.

The politicization of university governance raises concerns about the balance between ideological diversity and respect for academic independence. In Florida, Texas, and Ohio, boards of trustees—often composed of politically affiliated figures—have increased authority over hiring and promotions, challenging the traditional model where such decisions were primarily faculty-led. Some observers view these actions as a response to the rise of progressive movements on campuses, perceived by some as hegemonic. However, academic organizations and free speech advocacy groups denounce political instrumentalization that could weaken the university's role as a space for reflection and debate.

Recent developments illustrate a trend toward redefining the academic framework around "political neutrality" while questioning the boundaries of academic freedom. While some defend the need for ideological plurality, others warn that the politicization of boards of trustees could compromise the quality and objectivity of education. The upcoming presidential election may influence the continuation or abandonment of these reforms, whose real impact on democracy and university cohesion remains to be assessed.

<footnote n="25">²⁵ Harvard's Black enrollment dips after US Supreme Court bars affirmative action | Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harvards-black-enrollment-dips-after-us-supreme-court-bars-affirmative-action-2024-09-11/</footnote>
# American higher education is sinking deeper into crisis

## The North American higher education and research (HER) industry is dropping deeper into a demand crisis

The decline in enrollment is multifactorial. It is driven by an often negative return on investment (ROI) for studies, a new job market that values non-university skills, and socio-cultural factors such as growing distrust of HE(R) and the different aspirations of a new generation. These elements together contribute to a drop in interest from a pool of young people that is itself shrinking for demographic reasons<fnref n="26" />.

At the same time, costs of HE continue to rise due to direct inflation—which soared during the COVID crisis before being controlled—or pricing policies of service providers. Thus, between 1983 and 2024, the American Higher Education Price Index<fnref n="27" /> (HEPI) was multiplied by 4. It increased by 13% between 2021 and 2024.

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /><figcaption>Figure 6 Higher Education Price Index since 1961</figcaption></figure>

This represents a catastrophic “price scissors” effect<fnref n="28" /> marked, on the one hand, by a decline in resources linked to enrollment and a continuous reduction in state and federal aids (with exceptions for extraordinary measures related to the COVID crisis) and, on the other hand, by an increase in expenses fueled by rising service prices, labor costs, and regulatory constraints generating additional costs.

The logical consequence is a double phenomenon of consolidation and regrouping between institutions or within a single institution (restructuring, reduction of remote campuses) and closures of institutions.

Strategies deployed range from expense optimization—such as closing programs and laying off staff—to consolidating campuses and filing for bankruptcy. Far from affecting only small institutions, this phenomenon also impacts some large universities. However, the most prestigious Ivy League universities or those in the top 100 remain relatively unaffected thanks to their attractiveness, resources, and powerful alumni networks.

<footnote n="26">²⁶ 2024-Knocking-at-the-College-Door-final.pdf: https://www.wiche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-Knocking-at-the-College-Door-final.pdf</footnote>

<footnote n="27">²⁷ 2024 Higher Education Price Index Report: https://www.commonfund.org/hubfs/00%20Commonfund.org/04-Institute/HEPI/Reports/2024-Commonfund-Higher-Education-Price-Index.pdf</footnote>

<footnote n="28">²⁸ Price Scissors - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_scissors</footnote>
For example, Penn State, Marquette University, Northland College, Fontbonne University, and Birmingham-Southern College have implemented staff reductions, reorganized their regional campuses, and launched consolidation plans. At Penn State, satellite campuses with enrollment declines of up to 20% forced the administration to regroup 11 campuses under four regional chancellors to pool resources, and Fontbonne University eliminated 21 programs.

Inside Higher Ed counted<fnref n="29" /> 16 institutional closures. Additionally, three institutions previously visited by the delegation underwent mergers in 2024: the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the two “schools” Penn State Law and Penn State Dickinson Law of Penn State University, and Cornish College, which merged with Seattle University.

The closures of institutions such as Medaille University, Cardinal Stritch University, and other Catholic institutions have sparked debates about the sustainability of the current university model. Critics point out that these closures often affect vulnerable communities and reduce access to a diversified education. Conversely, some initiatives, such as that of the New College of Florida, aim to transform structures to meet the growing demand for more specialized programs, although these reforms are often seen as political takeovers.

Meanwhile, universities like Catawba College demonstrate that significant donations can provide resilience in times of crisis. With philanthropic support reaching $200 million in multiple donations, this institution has increased the value of its endowment fund sevenfold, allowing it to finance sustainable programs and enhance its attractiveness.

The financial crisis in American higher education reveals and exacerbates growing disparities between institutions able to adapt due to significant resources and those condemned to close their doors due to declining enrollment and resources. Public policies and institutional strategies will need to evolve to ensure equitable access to education in an increasingly demanding economic context.

This is likely the central theme of this edition of EDUCAUSE regarding trust.

## A Political Crisis on Campuses

In 2024, American universities faced a wave of pro-Palestinian protests, intensified since the start of new crisis in the Israel-Hamas conflict in early October 2023, which began on the eve of the EDUCAUSE23 conference. Students set up camps on campuses, demanding that universities refuse financial support from arms industries. Prolonged demonstrations took place at Columbia, Yale, and New York University, leading to arrests for trespassing. These movements appear to have taken the place of Black Lives Matter protests.

University leaders, such as Columbia President Nemat Shafik, had to testify before Congress about their handling of tensions, amid accusations of anti-Semitism and pressures to support student free speech. However, administrators hesitate to take political positions, citing legal risks and the universities' commitment to neutrality. The year 2024 became one of intense debate in HE(R). The integrity of university leaders has been strongly questioned in a context marked by heightened ethical expectations and increased student demands. Universities are seeking to balance the management of internal crises and activist movements to preserve a balance between academic freedom and institutional responsibility.

<footnote n="29">²⁹ 2024 has seen more college closures than last year: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/business/financial-health/2024/12/13/2024-has-seen-more-college-closures-last-year</footnote>
An Edition of EDUCAUSE Held on the Eve of the Presidential Election

In October 2024, as the U.S. presidential election scheduled for November 5 approached, the electoral campaign was marked by heightened activities from the two main candidates: Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump. Both candidates multiplied trips and rallies in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona, where results are traditionally close and can determine the outcome of the election. On the eve of the election, Kamala Harris, who had benefited from a favorable wave of public opinion following President Biden's withdrawal, saw her lead over Donald Trump narrow day by day.

The debates focused on major issues, including abortion, climate change, immigration, healthcare, and the economy. These topics polarized the electorate and were at the core of the candidates' speeches and programs, ultimately quite distant from higher education and research (HE(R)).

As part of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, the positions of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on higher education and research unsurprisingly reflect the traditional orientations of their respective parties.

In an article<fnref n="30" /> published on October 14, 2024, by Higher Ed Drive, a comparative analysis of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's positions on several key higher education issues in the United States was presented.

Accreditation

Donald Trump seeks to "replace left-leaning accreditors" and establish standards focused on American tradition and Western civilization while promoting accelerated and more affordable degrees. During his presidency, he had already eased accreditation rules by simplifying program approval. Kamala Harris, as California Attorney General, pursued accreditors deemed ineffective, notably the ACICS, accused of approving institutions that exploited students. Under the Biden-Harris administration, the ACICS lost its federal recognition in 2022.

Campus Protests

Trump criticized student protests, particularly pro-Palestinian ones, and advocates for radical measures such as the expulsion of foreign protesters. Harris takes a more nuanced stance: she acknowledges the motivations behind certain protests while disapproving of extreme rhetoric.

Cost of Education and Funding

Trump proposes alternatives to traditional degrees, such as an online "college" funded by a tax on large university endowments. Harris supports free tuition at community colleges and public universities for families earning less than $125,000 per year, in line with Democratic proposals that also include doubling Pell Grants.

<footnote n="30">³⁰ Where the 2024 presidential candidates stand on higher education issues | Higher Ed Dive: https://www.highereddive.com/news/where-the-2024-president-candidates-stand-on-higher-education-issues/729612/?

utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20Weekly%20Roundup:%20Higher%20Ed%20Dive:%20Daily%20Dive%2010-19-2024&utm_term=Higher%20Ed%20Dive%20Weekender</footnote>
## Student Loans

Trump opposes massive debt cancellations and welcomed the Supreme Court's decision that invalidated Biden's plan. Harris supports student loan reform and defends the SAVE program, which promises debt cancellation after ten years of payments.

## For-Profit Institutions

Trump relaxed regulations for these institutions, including removing the "gainful employment" rule that cut funding to non-profitable schools. Harris, by contrast, actively fought against abusive practices, securing a $1.1 billion judgment against Corinthian Colleges during her tenure as California Attorney General.

## Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)<fnref n="31" />

Trump signed the "Future Act" for an annual funding of $255 million to HBCUs, but cuts in other programs drew criticism. Harris and the Biden administration injected over $6 billion into HBCUs, largely through COVID-19 relief funds.

## International Students

Under the Trump administration, several policies restricted access for international students, including the "Muslim Ban" and visa limitations during the pandemic. Harris denounced these restrictions and participated in their dismantling under the Biden administration.

## Title IX Regulations<fnref n="32" />

The debate surrounding Title IX reflects a broader issue on campuses: the search for a balance between protecting victims and respecting the right to a fair defense. Republicans often view Democratic reforms as politicizing universities and infringing on individual freedoms, while Democrats emphasize the need to ensure safe and inclusive learning environments. The differences between Trump and Harris on Title IX illustrate these ideological divides.

Trump promises to roll back Biden's rules that protect LGBTQ+ students and victims of sexual violence. Harris defends these rules, which expand protections for marginalized students but are criticized by some for limiting the rights to a fair defense.

Regarding HE, as with the other campaign topics, the approaches of the two candidates highlight a stark divide: Trump favors increased control over institutions and budget cuts, while Harris promotes equitable access and enhanced funding for vulnerable students.

On behalf of the entire delegation, enjoy reading

ぜひご覧下さい。代表団より

*This introduction was written with the assistance of the LLM ChatGPT and COPILOT, used to synthesize, analyze and structure the information gathered and the notes produced by the human author.*

<footnote n="31">³¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historically_black_colleges_and_universities: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historically_black_colleges_and_universities</footnote>

<footnote n="32">³² Title IX is a US federal law passed in 1972 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in publicly funded schools and universities. These regulations have evolved over the decades to include broader protections, particularly in the areas of sexual harassment, protection of LGBTQ+ students and the rights of victims of sexual violence.</footnote>
# Visit to Houston Community College (HCC)

Laurent Flory & Frédéric Habert

<figure><img src="image_20.png" /></figure>

Houston Community College (HCC) is a public institution of higher learning located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1971, its social mission is to provide affordable, quality educational access to a diverse student population, with an emphasis on inclusion, equity and community development. HCC is committed to preparing its students for rewarding careers and making a positive contribution to society. This structure is made up of 7 community colleges, one of which is exclusively online. HCC's policy is to make higher education as affordable as possible for local students.

This visit, co-organized with the Huston consulate, took place with the participation of consular staff.
## Key figures

**Student number<fnref n="33" />**: For the 2022-2023 academic year, HCC had a total of 48,159 students, with 13,857 enrolled full-time and 34,302 part-time. The gender breakdown was 40% male (19,467) and 60% female (28,692).

**Ethnic diversity**: The ethnic composition of students was as follows: 33% Hispanic, 30% African-American, 14% Caucasian, 9% Asian, and 10% Asian.

**Budget**: For fiscal year 2024, HCC's approved budget was $401 million, divided mainly between property taxes (52%), tuition and fees (28%), and state endowments (17%).

## Digital Strategy and services offered

HCC has developed an ambitious digital strategy to integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into all its educational and administrative services. The main thrusts of this strategy include:

**Integration of educational technologies**: HCC offers a robust e-learning platform, enabling students to access courses and teaching resources remotely. This flexibility is designed to meet the needs of students with geographical or time constraints.

**Technological resources for students**: To bridge the digital divide, HCC provides laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for students without access to these technologies. In addition, students and staff benefit from free access to Microsoft Office 365 Education, including tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams.

**Training and support**: HCC offers workshops and training to help students and staff master essential digital tools, promoting the effective use of technology in learning and teaching processes.

**Security and infrastructure**: The institution continually invests in securing its information systems and improving its technological infrastructure to guarantee a reliable and secure user experience.

**Pedagogical innovation**: HCC encourages the use of innovative teaching methods, such as blended learning and virtual laboratories, to enrich the educational experience and better prepare students for the demands of the modern job market. To illustrate this strategy, HCC has invested $50 million in an innovation center that offers an environment adapted to all Dys learners, but also designed for learners "spanning the autism spectrum to extroverts".

By adopting this digital strategy, HCC is demonstrating its commitment to providing accessible, modern and inclusive education, while responding to the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies and societal needs.

Finally, HCC offers two innovative programs in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics:

* Associate of Applied Science en Intelligence Artificielle<fnref n="34" />: Launched in 2020, this program offers in-depth training in the fundamentals of AI, including machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing.

* Bachelor of Applied Technology in AI and Robotics<fnref n="35" />: Since 2023, HCC has offered this bachelor's degree program, making the institution the first community university in Texas to offer such a degree. The program aims to prepare students for careers in fields such as machine learning, robotics and automation.

<footnote n="33">³³ Houston Community College Student Population and Demographics: https://www.univstats.com/colleges/houston-community-college/student-population/</footnote>

<footnote n="34">³⁴ 2020 | HCC launches artificial intelligence program | Houston Community College - HCC: https://www.hccs.edu/about-hcc/news/articles/2020/hcc-launches-artificial-intelligence-program.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com</footnote>

<footnote n="35">³⁵ Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, B.A.T. | Houston Community College (HCC) | We are Houston's Community College: https://www.hccs.edu/programs/areas-of-study/science-technology-engineering--math/artificial-intelligence--robotics-bat/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</footnote>
These programs are offered in collaboration with industry leaders such as Intel, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and NVIDIA to enrich its academic programs and offer technical resources. These partnerships provide students with access to cutting-edge technologies and mentoring opportunities. In 2023, three HCC students won first prize nationally at the Intel AI Global Impact Festival competition, demonstrating the excellence of the program and the quality of the training received. Graduates of HCC's AI and robotics programs are well positioned to enter the job market with in-demand skills<fnref n="36" />. Les salaires de départ pour ces professions sont compétitifs, avec une moyenne annuelle d'environ 114000$ pour les nouveaux diplômés.

These programs offer a cost-effective pathway into high-tech careers, allowing students to benefit from affordable tuition while acquiring skills prized by employers.

## Transfer programs to local universities

Houston Community College (HCC) offers transfer programs designed to ease students' transition to four-year universities, including the University of Texas. These programs allow students to begin their academic journey at HCC and then transfer their credits to partner institutions to pursue a bachelor's degree.

**University transfer guide** : HCC provides detailed guides<fnref n="37" /> for students wishing to transfer to Texas universities, including the University of Texas. These guides help students select appropriate courses that will be recognized by the destination university, ensuring a smooth transition. This approach (commonplace, but emphasized by HCC teams) enables local students to start higher education at a more reasonable cost, before completing their bachelor's degree at a university and eventually going on to a master's degree.

In collaboration with universities such as the University of Texas at Tyler<fnref n="38" />, HCC offers specific programs where students can be co-enrolled in both institutions. After completing certain course requirements and maintaining a required academic average, students can fully integrate the partner university's engineering program.

HCC emphasizes the economic benefits of its transfer programs.

**Lower tuition costs** : Starting your studies at HCC means lower tuition costs than at a four-year university. This means significant savings for students in the first two years of their academic career.

**Access to advanced academic resources** : By transferring to a four-year university, students gain access to specialized programs, research opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities, increasing their future earning potential.

**Flexibility and support** : Transfer programs offer a structured transition, with dedicated advisors to guide students, reducing the risk of lost credits and delays in graduation, which can save time and money.

In sum, HCC's transfer programs to universities such as the University of Texas offer a cost-effective and efficient route to a Bachelor's degree, with academic and administrative support throughout the process.

<footnote n="36">³⁶ Houston Community College's AI, robotics programs grow | Community Impact: https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/education/2024/02/20/houston-community-colleges-ai-robotics-programs-grow/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</footnote>

<footnote n="37">³⁷ University Transfer Guides/Plans (Texas) | Houston Community College (HCC) | We are Houston's Community College: https://www.hccs.edu/support-services/transfers/university-transfer-guidesplans-texas/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</footnote>

<footnote n="38">³⁸ UT Tyler Engineering | Houston Community College (HCC) | We are Houston's Community College: https://www.hccs.edu/programs/areas-of-study/science-technology-engineering--math/engineering/ut-tyler-engineering/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</footnote>
# Visit to Texas A&M University
(TAMU)

Frédéric Habert

<figure><img src="image_21.png" /></figure>

## Key figures

**Student number** : TAMU has a total student body of 79,114 (making it the largest university in the USA), including 61,442 undergraduates. The student body breaks down as follows: 72,560 on the College Station campus, 2,804 on the Galveston and Doha (Qatar) campuses and 3,750 at the Health Science Center.

**Staff** : 11,114, including 4,300 faculty.

**Budget** : TAMU's endowment (including property) represents $18.13 billion.
# General overview

## IT transformation in Higher Education

The main campus in College Station is at the heart of this dynamic, with 75,000 students, including 25,000 engineering students. For TAMU, IT transformation in higher education is a fundamental process for meeting the challenges posed by rapid technological change while supporting institutional objectives. The main aims of the strategic project are to merge various IT departments, promote career development and integrate new technologies to enrich teaching.

The merger of IT services represents a major challenge, particularly in a context of expansion where the university aims to welcome 25,000 students over the next ten years, compared with 15,000 at present. This transition was accelerated by the demands of the pandemic, which required an immediate switch to distance learning. At the same time, the institution has refocused its strategy on career development to reduce staff turnover, which has fallen below 7%, reflecting improved employee retention and satisfaction. Finally, the impact of integrating technologies such as artificial intelligence, with its innovation cycles that are renewed every eight to nine years, requires constant monitoring and adaptation of teaching approaches.

## Design, Build, Run, Deliver model

The 'Design, Build, Run, Deliver' model plays a key role in this transformation. It is based on the involvement of groups responsible for planning future technologies, developing innovative products and maintaining active engagement with end-users. This model structures teams according to their expertise and encourages close collaboration with start-ups and entrepreneurs, enabling the integration of innovative technological solutions.

## Resolving technical debt and modernizing networks

Resolving technical debt is also a priority. The network infrastructure has been extensively upgraded by replacing obsolete equipment and significantly increasing the number of access points from 7,000 to 23,000. However, full modernisation remains a major challenge, involving the upgrading of 600 buildings, which raises logistical constraints and risks of delay.

## Emerging technologies and challenges

The rapid development of technologies such as generative artificial intelligence and virtual reality presents both opportunities and complex challenges. Teachers, who are increasingly demanding new technological solutions, are pushing the university to respond quickly to their needs. At the same time, growing concerns are emerging about data confidentiality, particularly with the use of AI-based technologies.

## Strategic planning

Strategic planning is closely aligned with the university's objectives, reinforcing the coherence between technological initiatives and the institutional vision. Partnerships with other universities also play an important role in sharing best practice. In this regard, the university maintains regular collaborations with ten partner institutions through quarterly meetings, as well as targeted discussions with the University of Michigan on AI deployment projects.

## Network extension and institutional collaboration

The extension of the IT network is fostering greater collaboration between institutions and suppliers, paving the way for shared solutions and value for money. European alliances of universities have been formed to pursue common objectives, and groups such as the Common Solutions Group, which brings together 34 member institutions, enable approaches to be pooled to better address common challenges.
## Collaboration with suppliers and open source solutions

Collaboration with suppliers is intensifying under pressure from disruptive start-ups, forcing established businesses to adopt a more agile approach. At the same time, the growing adoption of open source solutions, such as Moodle, confirms their crucial role in the digital transformation of education.

## Integrating AI into education

Integrating artificial intelligence into education brings significant benefits, but requires rigorous management to limit the risks. To address these challenges, the university plans to develop an AI resource control framework to ensure data security and educate teachers on appropriate uses and potential risks, such as algorithmic hallucinations.

## Local computing capacity for Artificial Intelligence

The development of local computing capacity is an essential condition for supporting research into artificial intelligence while complying with security and regulatory requirements. The university is working with state partners to install a local cluster, such as the NVIDIA HBRC cluster planned for Texas A&M University.

## Overview of digital learning

The role of Sunay Palsole, Associate Vice Chancellor for Engineering and Distance Education, is critical to supporting digital learning in engineering programs within the A&M system. His work focuses on creating strategic and innovative solutions for distance learning while generating revenue, given that only 19% of funding comes from the state.

## Effectiveness of HyFlex and hybrid models

The HyFlex model, although popular with students, proved ineffective for undergraduate programmes, resulting in 8% lower performance. However, this model could be suitable for higher levels. Hybrid models, if well organized, offer better results with a balanced mix of online and face-to-face learning.

## Challenges of digital learning

The implementation of digital learning faces obstacles such as excessive workload for teaching staff, large class sizes (over 100 students), and low support from alumni, who prefer on-campus experiences.

## Teacher training for digital learning and Active Learning and Engineering Programme (ALEP)

Training programs are in place to help teachers adopt active learning techniques. This training is reinforced by the Active Learning and Engineering Program (ALEP) initiative. Since 2017, the ALEP program has transformed teaching practices through interactive workshops and coaching for teaching staff. With over 243 participants, it encourages teachers to experiment with new methods and measures its impact through student satisfaction and teacher confidence. The workshops are supported by the Center for Teaching Excellence and are often fully booked.

## Feedback from students and faculty

Feedback from students and teachers plays a crucial role in the continuous improvement of teaching practices. This feedback also influences promotion and tenure decisions for teachers.
## Technology and support

The technological infrastructure, including fully equipped learning studios and standardised audiovisual equipment, ensures effective support for teachers. Services such as a help desk and technical training complement this support.

<figure><img src="image_22.png" /></figure>

## Using lightboards in education

Although lightboards increase student engagement, they do not have a significant impact on learning outcomes. Their use is nevertheless appreciated in the teaching of maths and arithmetic.

## Lecture capture and content processing

An in-house AI-based tool improves the efficiency of lecture capture and processing, generating transcripts, materials and assessments. Voice cloning technology, used with the agreement of teachers, speeds up the correction of transcripts.

## VR simulation for nuclear reactor management

Virtual reality (VR) simulations are a cost-effective alternative to face-to-face laboratories, offering similar learning outcomes while reducing costs and increasing access.

## Development of market-oriented programs

Programs are designed in response to student demand and industry needs, with stackable certificates offering greater flexibility. Tools such as LightCast help to analyse the market and develop relevant curricula.

## Alumni involvement

Alumni play a key role in adapting programs through their feedback and participation in workshops. For example, a recent workshop brought together alumni, current students and teachers to design AI tools for teachers.
## Texas A&M University School of Engineering

<figure><img src="image_23.png" /></figure>

Texas A&M University's School of Engineering is a key player in higher education and research, attracting large numbers of students and collaborating with state agencies to promote innovation and economic development. The school partners with three state agencies: the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and an agency dedicated to workforce development.

### Faculty and students

With a renowned faculty and a large number of graduates each year, the School of Engineering is positioned among institutions of excellence. The school has more than 800 teaching staff. It also boasts 35 members of national academies, including 34 in the National Academy of Engineering and one in the National Academy of Sciences. Every year, around 5,000 students graduate from the school, taking Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees.

### Research and innovation

The School of Engineering is a leader in research, regularly ranking at the top of the research expenditure league table. Thanks to its constant efforts, the school was recently recognized as number one in research expenditure, underlining its commitment to innovation and academic excellence.

### Diversity and access to programs

The School of Engineering offers a diversity of educational pathways across several campuses, providing opportunities to suit a range of needs. The College Station campus is home to around 21,000 students, including 16,500 undergraduates, 3,900 masters and doctoral students, and 525 students on online programs. Other campuses broaden access to training, such as Galveston, which specializes in ocean and computer engineering, and Rio Grande Valley, which offers two engineering degrees. The Qatar campus, although in a transition phase, has already trained up to 900 students. In addition, engineering academies, in partnership with community colleges, offer pathways into these programs.
## Enrollment management and future plans

The School of Engineering has achieved its enrollment targets and plans to stabilise its enrollment to optimise the use of its resources. With an initial target of 25,000 students by 2025, the school has already reached this milestone and is now adopting a strategy of stabilisation. Under the leadership of the new Dean, enrollment is expected to remain at between 24,000 and 25,000 students.

## Shifting the balance between undergraduate and graduate students

The school aims to increase the proportion of master's and doctoral students by encouraging more undergraduates to go on to higher education. At present, only 15% of undergraduates go on to higher education, which leaves considerable room for improvement. The school is seeking to further balance this dynamic to support growth in research funding.

## Research funding and academic staff development

The increase in research funding supports the expansion of doctoral programmes and the recruitment of new teaching staff. With a research budget of $445 million, particularly in areas related to defence and interdisciplinary projects, the school plans to recruit more doctoral students and strengthen its academic staff to meet the growing demands of research.

## Student placement and retention

Student success and retention are greatly enhanced by the school's guidance and academic support programmes. The joint first-year engineering programme enables students to choose their specialization from among the 22 on offer. In addition, support tools such as the mathematics learning centre and integration seminars play a key role in their academic success.

## International outlook and strategic partnerships

The internationalisation of the programmes and the worldwide partnerships prepare the students for the challenges of engineering in a globalised world. More than 1,000 students take part in international programmes every year, enhanced by partnerships with leading universities and work placements abroad. These initiatives strengthen students' international skills and broaden their academic opportunities.

## Digital transition and remote campuses

Improving the digital learning experience is key to keeping students engaged on remote campuses. Although progress has been made, many students on remote campuses continue to favor the main campus. This highlights the need to invest in more immersive and engaging digital solutions.

<figure><img src="image_24.png" /></figure>
Graduation rates

Recent reforms have led to a significant improvement in graduation rates in several departments. While the national graduation rate in engineering is considered successful at 50-60%, the school's departments are outperforming these figures thanks to a modernized pedagogical approach.

Lifelong learning

Continuing education programmes meet the needs of working professionals who are motivated to develop their careers. These courses offer a suitable solution for individuals seeking to obtain a degree while continuing their professional activities.

Integrating AI into education

Artificial intelligence offers promising potential for education, but its deployment requires in-depth exploration. AI tools are being experimented with as virtual advisors and to generate digital educational resources. These innovations need to be carefully integrated to maximise their educational impact.
# Visit to Alamo Colleges / San Antonio College

Frédéric Habert

<figure><img src="image_25.png" /></figure>

## Key figures

**Student number** : San Antonio College has a total of 18,233 students (66,148 for all Colleges). The breakdown is as follows: 67% are of Hispanic origin and only 19% are full-time students. 33% of students continue their studies.

**Staff** : 621 faculty
# General overview

Alamo Colleges is a five-college educational institution based in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of 77,000 students and more than 350 academic programs, the institution offers bachelor's degrees as well as certificates in professional development.

## Academic excellence and national recognition

Alamo Colleges is consistently recognized as one of the top community colleges in the United States through its recurring nominations for Aspen Prizes. San Antonio College is one of the top-performing institutions in the country, and Northwest Vista College was recently a finalist. This recognition demonstrates the institution's commitment to academic excellence and diversity.

## Diversity and student profile

Alamo Colleges has a strong emphasis on diversity, with a majority of students of Hispanic origin (69%). Most students are non-traditional: 80% study part-time while working or raising families. The institution takes an inclusive approach, offering support to students through services such as access to books, clothing, mental health care, meals and accommodation.

## Programs and internationalization

The programs on offer include degrees in cloud computing, cybersecurity and business management, recent additions to their portfolio. A notable initiative is Alamo U, dedicated to expanding undergraduate degree options. Internationalization also plays a key role. As many students are unable to travel abroad, the institution implements home-based internationalization strategies such as virtual exchanges (COIL) and programs such as Alamo Global Student Distinction, which allow students to demonstrate their global skills through digital badges. Alamo welcomes students from over 52 countries and collaborates with international institutions to offer face-to-face, virtual and overseas courses.

## Professional development for faculty

Alamo Colleges invests in the professional development of its teachers through initiatives such as the Institute of Excellence, an eight-week program for new teachers to train them in effective and inclusive teaching practices. Participants explore topics ranging from campus navigation to andragogy and the use of technology. Teachers receive ongoing support through Learning Fridays, weekly training sessions, and Faculty 180, a system that evaluates and documents their teaching contributions. Teachers also receive certification in online education and training in digital tools such as Canvas and Open Educational Resources (OER).

## Teaching approach and innovation

The institution uses innovative teaching practices to ensure student success. For example, light boards and virtual reality simulations are used to improve student engagement, particularly in maths and laboratory courses. The in-house AI-supported lecture capture tool automatically generates transcripts, materials and assessments, facilitating blended and online learning. Alamo Colleges follows Quality Matters' international standards for online course design, ensuring accessibility and simplified navigation for students. This does not detract from academic rigor, but ensures that courses are aligned with clear pedagogical objectives and that students focus on learning rather than technological barriers.

<figure><img src="image_26.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_27.png" /></figure>

## Student support and wider access

The institution does its utmost to help students achieve their goals, whether they are pursuing higher education or entering the workforce directly. Through initiatives such as Alamo Promise, students benefit from reduced or free tuition depending on their financial needs. Partnerships with local high schools also enable students to complete their secondary education with university credits.

## Partnerships and collaborations

Alamo Colleges values partnerships, both locally and internationally. These collaborations promote student and teacher exchanges, enhancing academic and professional opportunities. For example, teachers from Alamo have taken part in training courses in Colombia, while the institution is exploring joint research projects and academic mobility initiatives.
# Visit to University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA)

Frédéric Habert

<figure><img src="image_28.png" /></figure>

## Key figures

**Student number** : UTSA has a total of 34,864 students, including 30,020 undergraduates. The breakdown is as follows: 59% are of Hispanic origin and 45% are first-generation college students.

**Staff** : 7178 including 1 400 faculty

**Budget** : UTSA's endowment (including patrimony) represents $286.63 million.
# General overview

## Texas, a global economic powerhouse

Ranked as the world's 8th largest economy by GDP, Texas stands out for its dynamism and impressive economic growth. With nearly half a billion dollars in exports, the state attracts businesses, particularly those from California, thanks to its advantageous tax environment. San Antonio, home to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), is booming. The city's metropolitan population now exceeds 2.5 million, reinforcing its status as a key metropolis and boosting its economic development.

## UTSA: An institution of excellence serving its community

Founded in 1969, UTSA is a public university that combines cutting-edge research with a strong commitment to the regional community. Recognized as an R1 research institution, the highest level in the United States, it ranks in the top 4% of American universities. The university adapts its educational programmes to the economic needs of San Antonio, creating opportunities for populations that are often marginalized. Around 40% of UTSA students are the first in their family to attend university, demonstrating its key role in social mobility.

<figure><img src="image_29.png" /></figure>

## A commitment to strategic areas

In cybersecurity, San Antonio is home to the second largest ecosystem in the United States, after Washington, D.C. For more than 25 years, UTSA has worked with government agencies, including the FBI and the NSA, as well as private companies to train experts in computer security. In brain health, the university is conducting pioneering research into Alzheimer's, precision medicine and stem cells to improve cognitive function. Artificial intelligence is another priority area, with support for the Matrix AI Hub, a collaboration centre dedicated to this technology. Finally, transdisciplinary research into global issues such as clean energy, drinking water and socio-economic inequalities, grouped under the heading 'Fundamental Futures', illustrates UTSA's commitment to tackling global challenges.
## Economic and social impact

The planned merger with the University of Texas Health Science Center, which will bring together nearly 40,000 students, promises to amplify its impact. This merger will strengthen medical training opportunities and facilitate collaboration on ambitious research projects, thereby contributing to the local and national economy

## An inclusive university adapted to its region

San Antonio, a predominantly Hispanic city, is a living laboratory for the demographic and social dynamics of the United States. UTSA strives to meet the needs of its students by offering accessible services and personalized support. The reorganization of the infrastructure has simplified access to resources, while specific support programmes aim to help first-generation students. In addition, many professors and staff share similar backgrounds to those of the students, reinforcing a sense of closeness and mutual understanding.

## International collaboration and innovation

UTSA places great importance on international partnerships to enrich its educational programmes and research projects. It also strives to prepare its students for global challenges by promoting cultural exchanges and encouraging transnational collaborations.

## IT engineering research and development at UTSA

<figure><img src="image_30.png" /></figure>

## A commitment to innovation and inclusive education

UTSA, in partnership with Texas State University, is pursuing innovative computer engineering initiatives focused on applied research and the development of educational programs tailored to the changing needs of the marketplace. These efforts are aimed at integrating students, particularly those from community colleges, into cutting-edge projects, while enabling them to acquire directly applicable skills in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. This commitment to innovation and inclusion provides unique opportunities for often marginalized populations, promoting diversity in technology careers.
## Research and integration of students in laboratories

UTSA encourages the participation of community college students in collaborative research projects. These students work alongside graduate students on initiatives involving artificial intelligence and engineering. Their contribution is particularly notable in laboratories where they apply AI concepts to real-world problems. These experiences build their confidence and skills, while giving them their first taste of the world of university research.

## Development of accelerated programs in AI and data science

One of UTSA's major objectives is to meet the growing demand for qualified professionals in the fields of AI and data science. Accelerated training programs have been developed to enable students to acquire skills in just two years, without the need for traditional four-year degrees. These courses are supported by industry partners such as Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Intel, and include specific certifications tailored to market needs. These programmes aim to reduce the barrier to higher education and offer significant opportunities, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions such as South Texas.

## Strategic partnerships with industry

UTSA relies on collaborations with startups and small businesses to provide research and development opportunities. These partnerships include projects in intelligent energy management, where students use AI to develop predictive models from real energy data. Such projects illustrate the importance of the practical application of AI and reinforce the relevance of the skills acquired by students. Google, AWS and Intel also play a key role in curriculum development, financially supporting educational initiatives and providing resources to integrate the latest technological advances. These collaborations enable UTSA to expand its educational offering and remain at the forefront of technological innovation.

<figure><img src="image_31.png" /></figure>
## Solving engineering and IT shortages

In the United States, a shortage of around 6 million engineers is expected in the coming years. UTSA is taking an active role in addressing this shortage by establishing two-year educational pathways leading to transfers into four-year bachelor's degree programs at Texas State University or UTSA. These pathways are designed to ensure a seamless transition and an experience comparable to that of students who started directly at four-year universities. Statistics show that transfer students are often more successful than their traditional counterparts.

## Representation and appeal of engineering

One of the major challenges for UTSA is to strengthen the appeal of engineering among its students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. Many students do not know any engineers in their circle and have never considered a career in this field. UTSA is working to remedy this problem by exposing students to inspirational role models, developing clubs such as the Society of Women Engineers, and recruiting minority faculty members, particularly women and Hispanics. These initiatives aim to provide diverse representation and encourage students to plan for careers in engineering.

## Dual education programs for high school students

UTSA offers an innovative dual education program that allows high school students to take university courses while completing their high school diploma. These students can obtain an associate's degree (equivalent to two years) even before finishing high school. The program is entirely free and offers a seamless transition to a bachelor's degree, reducing the overall cost of higher education. Around 10,000 students currently participate in this program, which includes partnerships with local high schools and integrated courses on university campuses.

## Faculty Development and technological integration

UTSA invests in the professional development of its teachers to meet the diverse needs of students. This includes training in educational technologies, such as the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), online course management via Canvas, and the integration of virtual reality simulations. These initiatives aim to modernise teaching and ensure an enriching educational experience, whatever the learning modality (face-to-face, online or hybrid).

## Practical applications of AI in curricula

Engineering programmes at UTSA include practical applications of AI, such as the creation of personalised prostheses using photogrammetry and 3D models. Students learn not only how to use generative tools such as ChatGPT, but also how to apply the fundamental principles of AI to solve real-world engineering problems. These skills are essential to prepare students to adapt to the rapid technological disruptions in the marketplace.

## Diversity and inclusion in technology careers

UTSA is committed to promoting diversity in its engineering programs, including hiring minority faculty and creating spaces for traditionally underrepresented groups. These efforts include setting up clubs and communities to encourage the participation of women and minorities in fields historically dominated by men.
# EDUCAUSE Teaching & Learning Symposium 2024

John Augeri, PhD

## New format

The first edition of the EDUCAUSE Teaching & Learning Symposium<fnref n="39" /> was held on June 12th 2024, in replacement of the former ELI Annual Meeting which was annually scheduled until then<fnref n="40" />. This change of title was accompanied by a significant evolution in the format: from a conference organized face-to-face over two and a half days, this new event was held over a single day, and exclusively remotely (synchronous on the day itself, with recordings and content made available asynchronously afterwards).

<figure><img src="image_32.png" /></figure>

While the historical focus on Teaching and Learning issues has logically been maintained, the structure of this symposium has also been largely reworked compared to previous years. The ELI Annual Meetings model combined plenary sessions, breakout sessions (in parallel on the same time slot), and poster sessions. All of them responded to major current topics and issues that had been selected by the program committee. This first edition of the Teaching & Learning Symposium, in its side, was structured in a more vertical way, with on the one hand a single core topic (*Balancing Humanity and Technology: AI in the Classroom*<fnref n="41" />), and on the other hand an identical program for all of the more than 150 registered participants.

## Program

The day started with an opening keynote entitled *From Vivaldi to Van Halen: A Story of Music, Creativity, and Innovation*<fnref n="42" /> which especially explored the relationships between music and creativity and innovation, with a perspective on the need to integrate technology while preserving humanity.

This was followed by four *Learn and Design* type sessions, each combining 15 minutes of presentation and 45 minutes of active and collaborative application. These four sessions addressed the issue of AI from multiple and complementary angles, thus integrating an important phase of reflection from the participants regarding the potential for integrating the principles presented within their own institution. To this end, the organizers provided participants with an *EDUCAUSE Teaching and Learning Symposium Experience Guide* allowing them before, during, and after the event to set up an action plan, collect resources, and create connections within the community. These *Learn and Design* sessions were:

<footnote n="39">³⁹ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning</footnote>

<footnote n="40">⁴⁰ See the article on ELI Annual Meeting in the 2023 edition of this report</footnote>

<footnote n="41">⁴¹ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/program-and-event-experience</footnote>

<footnote n="42">⁴² https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/agenda/from-vivaldi-to-van-halen--a-story-of-music-creativity-and-innovation</footnote>
AI Wrote This Title: How AI and Course Design Can Coexist<sup>43</sup>

This session discussed the IA matters from the Instructional Design standpoint, and how AI and Course Design can co-exist. Presenters especially showed how Instructional Design Teams can create a strategy to use IA and guide others to use it mindfully, and more globally how to infuse AI into course design process.

Authentic Assessment Meets AI: Fostering Human-Centric Pedagogies<sup>44</sup>

This session addressed the (re)definition of the Human-Technology relationship, by focusing on the importance of fostering a partnership between humans and AI in education (shifting from AI as a tool to AI as a creative partner). It especially emphasized on the (re)design of assessments that embrace human-centered pedagogy, and methods which authentically engage students.

Educational Development in the Era of Cooperative Machine Learning: Outcomes, Algorithms, and Students as Partners<sup>45</sup>

This session questioned the role of Faculty Development at the age of AI. It presented a four step plan settled at Purdue University that intends to prepare Faculty to develop an informed and critical insight on AI and its inflections on Teaching and Learning.

Start with Students: A Policy Development Approach<sup>46</sup>

This session presented the way students could be actively involved in a generative AI usage policy development for students and faculty. It especially focused on an *AI & Education* course in which these students learned about AI, tested it, and imagined its applications to settle a set of usage policies which were then institutionalized.

Still with a view to transposing and implementing locally the topics, principles, feedback and methodologies that they have allowed to be addressed, the four *Learn and Design* sessions were followed by 30 minutes of *Test & Reflect*. The objective of this moment was to allow participants to begin designing an action plan and a strategy at their local level, and through the EDUCAUSE community.

The *Teaching & Learning Symposium 2024* concluded with a keynote speech entitled *Are We Alice in Wonderland, or Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory*?<sup>47</sup> which contrasted on the one hand a vision of constantly adjusting to developments related to AI, and on the other hand that of active innovation through the implementation of new learning experiences. This closing session thus aimed to understand the characteristics of personas responding to these two visions, to explore different strategies, and to identify ways to take into account values such as ethics, fairness, and integrity.

<footnote n="43"><sup>43</sup> https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/agenda/learn-and-design-1--ai-wrote-this-title-how-ai-and-course-design-can-coexist</footnote>

<footnote n="44"><sup>44</sup> https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/agenda/learn-and-design-2--authentic-assessment-meets-ai-fostering-humancentric-pedagogies</footnote>

<footnote n="45"><sup>45</sup> https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/agenda/learn-and-design-3--educational-development-in-the-era-of-cooperative-machine-learning-outcomes-algo</footnote>

<footnote n="46"><sup>46</sup> https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/agenda/learn-and-design-4--start-with-students-a-policy-development-approach</footnote>

<footnote n="47"><sup>47</sup> https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/symposiums/2024/teaching-and-learning/agenda/send-off--are-we-alice-in-wonderland-or-willy-wonka-in-the-chocolate-factory</footnote>
## Articulation with EDUCAUSE Annual Conference

The 2023 edition of this report highlighted a real complementarity between the ELI Annual Meeting of the time and the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference which is held approximately four months later. The change in format related to the transition to an EDUCAUSE Teaching & Learning Symposium does not call into question this complementarity, insofar as the focus on a particular issue of Teaching and Learning practices that is its own may very directly concern some colleagues, compared to the much broader scope of the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference. The Teaching & Learning Symposium is distinguished, once again, by its focus on questions and issues relating to Teaching Practices enriched by technology, more than on the technology itself.

To the extent that the new format of the Teaching & Learning Symposium seems to be organized around a specific annual theme (to be confirmed for future editions), it is more the announcement of the latter by the organizers that will have to guide the choice of possible participation.
# EDUCAUSE Annual Conference
explained

Thierry Koscielniak, PhD

Start Here: 2024 EDUCAUSE Conference Orientation<fnref n="48" />

<figure><img src="image_33.png" /></figure>

The Start Here: 2024 EDUCAUSE Conference Orientation, presented by Eden Dahlstrom, Vice President at EDUCAUSE, and Vanessa Kenon, Associate Vice President for Technology Compliance and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at San Antonio, provided attendees with an essential introduction to the conference venues. This orientation offered a detailed walkthrough of the conference map, ensuring that participants could navigate the event effectively and take full advantage of the diverse offerings.

The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference spans multiple venues, each thoughtfully designed to host specific activities, sessions, and interactions. Below is a detailed description of the key locations as outlined in the map.

## Session Spaces

The Sessions Spaces are the focal point for large-scale gatherings, including keynote speeches and breakout sessions. This expansive space is where attendees will hear from prominent thought leaders and visionaries discussing the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in educational technology. The hall is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual systems to accommodate immersive presentations and ensure an engaging experience for large audiences.

<footnote n="48">⁴⁸ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024/agenda/start-here-2024-EDUCAUSE-conference-orientation</footnote>
## EDUCAUSE Commons

EDUCAUSE Commons is a dynamic, interactive hall featuring vendors, startups and solution providers. It offers attendees the chance to explore innovative products and services that address higher education challenges, such as AI tools, learning management systems and cybersecurity solutions. Vendor booths often include live demonstrations, interactive exhibits and networking opportunities with representatives. The exhibition hall is a discovery center, providing resources to take back to institutions for practical application.

This hall includes the poster session area, where educators, researchers and administrators present case studies, research findings and innovative practices. Attendees can browse these visual presentations, engage in dialogue with the authors and learn about emerging trends and challenges in higher education. This space is ideal for discovering real-world applications and ideas directly from practitioners.

## Breakout Rooms

Scattered throughout the conference venue, breakout rooms host workshops, panel discussions, and interactive sessions. These smaller, focused spaces allow for in-depth exploration of specific topics, such as personalized learning with AI, diversity and inclusion in EdTech, and the latest research in immersive technologies. Breakout rooms foster intimate learning environments where participants can interact directly with presenters and peers.

## Networking Lounges

Networking lounges are strategically placed throughout the conference area to provide informal spaces for attendees to relax, connect, and engage in conversations. These lounges are designed to encourage professional relationships, exchange of ideas, and collaboration. Participants can meet peers working in similar fields, share insights, and form valuable connections in a casual setting. Some lounges may also host informal meetups organized around specific themes or interests.

## Community Meeting Spaces

Dedicated to interest-based gatherings, these spaces host meetings for EDUCAUSE's various community groups. They are ideal for attendees who wish to engage in collaborative discussions on specialized topics such as generative AI ethics, institutional strategy, immersive learning, or accessibility in education. These spaces provide an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues who share similar professional goals and challenges.

## Demo Rooms

The demo rooms are set up to showcase live demonstrations of emerging technologies and solutions. Vendors and EDUCAUSE staff use these rooms to present hands-on, practical applications of tools and systems. Attendees can see products in action, ask detailed questions, and gain a deeper understanding of how these technologies could be integrated into their institutions.

## Poster Session Area

The Poster Session Area features displays from educators, researchers, and administrators presenting case studies, research findings, and innovative practices. Attendees can browse these visual presentations, engage with the authors, and learn about emerging trends and challenges in higher education. This area is ideal for discovering real-world applications and insights directly from practitioners.
## Help Desk and Information Booths

Located at key points throughout the venue, the help desks and information booths provide attendees with assistance and guidance. Whether it is navigating the conference map, troubleshooting the EDUCAUSE app, or finding specific session locations, these booths are essential for ensuring a smooth and stress-free conference experience.

## Food and Beverage Areas

Scattered across the venue are designated food and beverage stations, offering attendees opportunities to recharge between sessions. These areas often double as informal networking spaces where participants can connect over coffee or a quick meal.

## Quiet Zones

For attendees seeking a moment of respite, quiet zones are available for relaxation and reflection. These spaces are designed to be peaceful environments, free from the hustle and bustle of the main conference activities.

## Tips for navigating the venues

The presenters emphasized the importance of utilizing the conference map and the EDUCAUSE mobile app to plan each day effectively. The app allows attendees to create personalized schedules, locate venues, and receive real-time updates. Participants were also encouraged to arrive early to high-demand sessions such as keynotes and workshops, as these venues tend to fill quickly.

To foster meaningful connections, the presenters recommended spending time in the networking lounges and community meeting spaces. These areas provide an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded professionals and establish long-term relationships.

The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference offers a thoughtfully organized environment designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, from large-scale keynotes to intimate breakout sessions. The orientation session and the accompanying map ensure that attendees, whether first-timers or seasoned participants, can navigate the event confidently and make the most of their experience. By exploring each venue and engaging in the diverse opportunities available, participants can leave the conference enriched with knowledge, connections, and actionable insights.

This comprehensive guide underscores EDUCAUSE's commitment to creating an inclusive, engaging, and impactful conference experience for all attendees.
## Tips for getting ready to network

<figure><img src="image_34.png" /></figure>

Before attending the conference, load the EDUCAUSE application to access the interactive map and, above all, the customizable agenda.

You can use the app to organize your meetings, take notes and evaluate sessions.

<figure><img src="image_35.png" /></figure>

Once you've got your official badge, do not forget to affix the stickers provided by the organization. Here are two sheets of stickers, so you can easily tell which is the most recent.

<figure><img src="image_36.png" /></figure>

Tie ribbons and badges to show you are part of the communities, projects and centuries-old friendship between your country and the USA. A wooden bow tie is optional.

Then take a welcome selfie.

<figure><img src="image_37.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_38.png" /></figure>

At the end of the conference, you'll probably have more ribbons and decorations.
# Presenting at EDUCAUSE

John Augeri, PhD, Bertrand Mocquet, PhD, Laurent Flory, Thierry Koscielniak, PhD, Emmanuelle Vivier Bruno Urbero, PhD and Romuald Arnold<fnref n="49" />

Since 2014, the EDUCAUSE French Delegation, through several of its members, has given twenty-two sessions as part of the EDUCAUSE Annual Conferences, their Online version, and the ELI Annual Meetings (now Teaching & Learning Symposia).

<figure><img src="image_39.png" /></figure>

Submitting a session to the annual EDUCAUSE conference is a major opportunity to showcase academic initiatives and innovations to an international audience, and potentially to establish collaborations. However, this process requires careful and advance preparation to ensure that the proposal meets the demanding selection criteria of this event, and that the content resonates with the target audience, while highlighting the specificities of the French context. This article describes the different stages of topic selection, design and presentation, as well as lessons learned from the experience.

<footnote n="49">⁴⁹ Romuald Arnold, Digital Vice-President of Reims Champagne-Ardenne University wasn't a part of the 2024 EDUCAUSE French Delegation but contributed to the poster *How are University CIOs Be Trained in 2024? The French Touch*</footnote>
## Choice of topic: a balance between innovation and international understanding

The choice of theme is crucial to capture the attention of conference visitors, largely dominated by North American colleagues. Keeping this context in mind when defining the topic is essential: if a topic focused on the French context can be retained, its angle of approach and treatment must represent a potential contribution to an international audience. A topic too focused on the French context risks not presenting the required relevance. The proposal submission form also includes a Session Takeaways section asking to clearly list the contributions for the audience of the session concerned. In addition, the chosen theme must of course fit into the tracks defined by the program committee for the edition of the conference in question. It should also be emphasized that the treatment of the topics must respond to a practitioner approach, more than a scientific one (even if references in the matter are quite welcome to enrich and clarify the discussion).

## Choice of format

EDUCAUSE offers different submission formats for the two modes of participation in its annual conference: in person on site and remotely via the Online version scheduled a few weeks later.

### On-site

* **Presentation or Panel:** These are the most common face-to-face presentation formats, lasting 45 minutes, involving a maximum of four presenters (+ a possible moderator in the case of the Panel).

* **Learn and Design:** A session format more oriented towards reflection and practical application on the part of the participants: 45' (with 5 to 10' of initial presentation) integrating a majority of working time in small groups, two presenters maximum.

* **Workshop (pre-conference):** This format is specific to the pre-conference sessions, which are held the day before the official opening, and which involve a specific registration (and therefore a cost). The duration is however much longer: half-day or full day.

* **Poster:** One or more assigned 45' slots, as well as space in the EDUCAUSE Commons.

### Online

* **Live Session:** This is the remote equivalent of the on-site Presentation and Panel: 40 minutes broadcast live, four presenters maximum.

* **Facilitated Playback / Simulive:** A pre-recorded 20' format, with a maximum of two presenters who must however be connected at the time of the broadcast to interact with the participants.

* **Virtual Poster:** The Online equivalent of the Face-to-Face Posters. A 45' slot allocated during which the poster must be presented over 5 to 10' several times to allow participants to see several. Two presenters maximum.

## Production and finalization of slideshows and posters

The modalities of the production of the materials are at the discretion of the presenters. However, EDUCAUSE provides a PowerPoint template that can be used, as well as specific guidelines and advice for posters. The printing of the latter as well as their transport to the site is the responsibility of the presenters, even though centralization initiatives can be proposed by local universities (this was the case in San Antonio, where the reproduction service of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio offered to print the posters
to the participants and send them to the conference site, for a fee). It should also be noted that EDUCAUSE suggests making the materials and posters available to participants via the conference website.

## Presentation and interactions during and after the sessions

The session selection process takes into particular account the modalities of interaction with the participants. The exchanges can take place during, but also - and this is feedback from several members of the delegation - after the sessions. This is an even more important point since the time allocations are relatively short, in particular for posters for which the passages will have to involve a presentation several times. Managing the influx of questions, participants and visitors is therefore important, as is recording the contact details of interested colleagues for future contact.

## Support from EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE provides presenters with a presenter support platform, in the form of an online forum, open several weeks before the conference. This forum allows them to exchange with other presenters, ask questions about technical and practical requirements, and benefit from very rich feedback.

On the conference site, a Presenter Room is systematically available to presenters. In addition to workspaces and the presence of staff offering specific support, this Presenter Room offers to test the materials with the same type of video projectors as those installed in the various presentation rooms.

## Contacts and follow-up

During the 2024 edition, as in previous ones, the sessions presented by members of the delegation, regardless of their formats, benefited from a real audience, and allowed some to establish contacts that have lasted over time, sometimes becoming tangible collaborations. The questions raised by the participants particularly demonstrated the curiosity and interest in how the French Higher Education system tackles issues that are ultimately the same as across the Atlantic, which echoes the discussions that the delegation can have during site visits.
2024 presentations

The three proposals of the French delegation in 2024 in San Antonio were accepted by the reading committee, which demonstrates both the interest of this community in the topics presented but also in the testimonies of the presenters. Here is a short summary and feedback.

How are University CIOs Be Trained in 2024? The French Touch (Bertrand Mocquet, PhD, Emmanuelle Vivier, Romuald Arnold)<fnref n="50" />

This presentation explores the changing role of university CIOs in France in 2024. In a post-Covid university landscape undergoing a technological transformation towards the cloud, we examine training to meet the challenges and opportunities of managing an IT department. This talk will present an innovative 5-year training program, co-created by key players in the sector and promoted by the French government and the Association of University Presidents. We also examine a unique ecosystem of peer interaction and collaboration: ADSI-ESR, Amue, CSIESR and IH2EF.

The objectives are as follows:

1/ Understanding the evolving role of CIOs in higher education, addressing challenges and seizing opportunities in a post-Covid digital landscape.

2/ Explore a unique French model of training CIOs, co-created by key players, promoting collaboration and skills development.

3/ To evaluate the effectiveness of the training program and contribute to the development of future strategies for CIO education in universities.

<figure><img src="image_40.png" /></figure>

<footnote n="50">⁵⁰ Available online: https://hal.science/hal-04818844</footnote>
We had about ten people interested in training during our sessions in EDUCAUSE Commons, all of whom hold CIO positions at universities such as Notre Dame, the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Helsinki, a university in England, and the University of Alaska. The discussions mainly focused on the organization of the training, the training framework (particularly appreciated because it does not exist in the USA) and the modules offered (also well received). Several participants stressed that they did not have an equivalent system in their respective countries, training either through private offers or through public management programs that do not specifically target CIOs. Questions also emerged regarding initial training, which does not exist in an institutionalized way in France, as well as on the future of this training, in particular the developments currently being drafted and the integration of non-HE profiles into the new CIOs.

Ten Years of EDUCAUSE French Delegation: the Journey, the Lessons, and the Perspectives (John Augeri, PhD, Laurent Flory, Thierry Koscielniak, PhD, Bruno Urbero, PhD)

The French Delegation EDUCAUSE celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2023. Marking this milestone represents an opportunity to look back on the past decade, which this poster proposes to do. It is composed of two main parts:

1. A reflective analysis of the evolution observed in the main digital issues and trends in Higher Education, from a French perspective and through ten years of continuous participation in the annual EDUCAUSE conference.

2. Particularly for other non-North American participants, a modus operandi that presents the key aspects of the creation, institutionalization, and management of such a delegation, and its most tangible results.

Ten Years of EDUCAUSE French Delegation

the Journey, the Lessons, and the Perspectives

<figure><img src="image_41.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_42.png" /></figure>

John AUGERI

<figure><img src="image_43.png" /></figure>

Laurent FLORY

<figure><img src="image_44.png" /></figure>

Thierry KOSCIELNIAK

<figure><img src="image_45.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_46.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_47.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_48.png" /></figure>

Bruno URBERO

<figure><img src="image_49.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_50.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_51.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_52.png" /></figure>

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French HE Institutions

<figure><img src="image_54.png" /></figure>

Call for Participation
& Feedbacks

<figure><img src="image_55.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_56.png" /></figure>

Steering Committee

UNIF

cne

cnes

<figure><img src="image_57.png" /></figure>

Logistic &
Organization

<figure><img src="image_58.png" /></figure>

Community
FeedBacks

<figure><img src="image_59.png" /></figure>

Reports
Publication

<figure><img src="image_60.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_61.png" /></figure>

Institutional Partners

amue

<figure><img src="image_62.png" /></figure>

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Regular
Participation

<figure><img src="image_64.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_65.png" /></figure>

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MINISTERE
DE L'EUROPE
ET DES AFFAIRE
ETRANGERE

<figure><img src="image_67.png" /></figure>

MINISTERE
DE L'ENSEIGNEMENT
SUPERIEUR
ET DE LA RECHERCHE

Political Support

Financial Support

About fifteen participants, curious and interested in the French prism that this poster offers, visited the presenters during the two sessions. Coming from North American universities, but also from other establishments (notably Japanese and Belgian), their visit allowed for rich discussions concerning the visions respectively perceived concerning the major challenges to come.
Learning Spaces and Learning Territories (re)Definition: Developing a Vision for a Future-Proof Campus (John Augeri, PhD, Mia de Wilde<fnref n="51" />)

The COVID pandemic and the implementation of emergency measures in remote and then hybrid have acted as a trigger for a transformation of teaching and learning practices in the medium and long term. For their part, societal trends are questioning the very definition of what a campus is. These systemic developments present decision-makers in higher education institutions with a challenge to reconsider the design of their learning spaces, their buildings, and more generally, their campus.

This session offers an overview of global trends relating to the redefinition of learning territories in a world of Higher Education which is changing towards a generalization of hybridizations and HyFlex, and is notably fueled by research carried out for several years by UNIF.

An application of this conceptual approach is also proposed through the example of Thomas More University (Antwerp, BE) and its master plan aimed at developing a campus ready for the future.

<figure><img src="image_68.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_69.png" /></figure>

This *Virtual Poster* programmed during the Online conference was presented three times to around fifteen participants, who were particularly sensitive to the perspective it offers in relation to the issues relating to Learning Spaces.

<footnote n="51">⁵¹ Mia de Wilde is Director ICT, Infrastructure & Facilities and Change Manager at Thomas More University, Antwerp (BE)</footnote>
# EDUCAUSE Annual Conference
## 2024 Opening and Closing
### Keynotes

Thierry Koscielniak, PhD

In 2024, the opening and closing keynotes were hosted by two remarkable personalities in a fireside chat format: Brené Brown, renowned researcher in vulnerability, leadership and organizational culture, and Jaron Lanier, pioneer of virtual reality and digital ethics. These speakers brought unique insights that resonate across the higher education landscape, prompting institutions to rethink not only how they operate, but also their commitment to technology and humanity.

Dr. Brown's keynote challenged traditional notions of leadership, advocating for environments rooted in empathy, inclusivity, and accountability. Her emphasis on combating burnout and fostering ethical workplace cultures served as a call to action for academic leaders to prioritize well-being and authenticity.

Lanier's closing address delved into the evolving role of technology in society, particularly the ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI). His call for human-centered innovation underscored the need for education systems to empower individuals as creators rather than passive users of technology.

## A Fireside Chat with Dr. Brené Brown<fnref n="52" />

Dr. Brené Brown, a renowned researcher and author, opened the EDUCAUSE 2024 Annual Conference with a keynote address that explored themes of vulnerability, leadership, and organizational culture. Her presentation offered insights into fostering environments that prioritize courage, empathy, and accountability.

Brown began by recounting her academic journey, reflecting on the challenges she faced and how they shaped her perspective on institutional inclusivity. She noted that many academic systems are designed for an idealized student prototype, often marginalizing those who do not fit this mold. She advocated for more inclusive approaches that consider the diverse experiences of students and staff, emphasizing the role of vulnerability in fostering authentic and transformative leadership.

A core focus of her keynote was the issue of burnout, which she linked to toxic workplace cultures. Citing research, Brown highlighted that disrespect and unethical practices are primary drivers of burnout, surpassing workload concerns. She proposed a shift from “safe spaces” to environments where accountability and transparency are central, enabling individuals to engage in constructive dialogue and navigate organizational challenges effectively.

Brown also addressed the use of power within academic and organizational contexts, distinguishing between “power over” and “power with.” She advocated for collaborative leadership approaches that empower teams and align organizational goals with values of diversity and inclusion. Her emphasis on empathetic leadership and the need for shared accountability provided a framework for fostering trust and resilience within institutions.

<footnote n="52">⁵² https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024/agenda/opening-general-session</footnote>
In conclusion, Brown underscored the importance of modeling the values leaders wish to see within their teams. By integrating principles of empathy, courage, and inclusivity into leadership practices, institutions can cultivate environments that support innovation, well-being, and long-term organizational success.

## Navigating the Digital Frontier: A Fireside Chat with Jaron Lanier on Technology, Humanity, and the Future<fnref n="53" />

Jaron Lanier, a pioneer in virtual reality and a leading thinker on digital ethics, closed the EDUCAUSE 2024 Annual Conference with a thought-provoking fireside chat. His keynote explored the interplay between technology, humanism, and education, offering a critical lens on how technological advancements impact societal and individual agency.

Lanier began by emphasizing the fundamental need for human-centered technology, asserting that technology must be guided by human values to remain meaningful. He critiqued the tendency within the tech industry to focus on abstract or self-serving goals, arguing that such approaches undermine the societal relevance of innovation. This humanistic framework, he noted, is essential for creating technology that serves people rather than systems.

A significant portion of the discussion addressed the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on education and the future of work. Lanier warned against the passive adoption of AI tools, which he believes positions individuals as downstream users rather than upstream creators. He advocated for a shift in higher education, emphasizing the need to teach students adversarial and creative skills that allow them to critically evaluate and innovate with AI. Such an approach, he argued, would empower students to remain active contributors in an increasingly automated world.

Lanier also highlighted emerging trends, such as AI systems with persistent memory, which could revolutionize long-term learning but pose ethical and functional challenges. He called for education systems to engage with these technologies thoughtfully, fostering creativity and critical thinking to counteract the risk of reducing individuals to mere consumers of technology.

In closing, Lanier expressed optimism about the potential for technology to address global challenges, including poverty and sustainability. However, he cautioned that meaningful progress depends on prioritizing human agency and collaboration.

<footnote n="53">⁵³ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024/agenda/closing-general-session</footnote>
# EDUCAUSE Top-10 Issues 2025

John Augeri, PhD & Laurent Flory

The announcement and publication of the Top-10 for the coming year is an eagerly awaited highlight of every EDUCAUSE Annual Conference<fnref n="54" />. It should be noted that its name has recently changed, with the *IT Issues* mention removed<fnref n="55" /> which marks a determination to broaden its scope.

The EDUCAUSE Top-10 is a list of digital issues and perspectives identified as major for the coming year, and drawn up by the community for the community. For this purpose, and as every year, Susan Grajek, EDUCAUSE's Vice President for Partnerships, Communities and Research, is bringing together a ten-month panel of international experts<fnref n="56" /> with technological or non-technological backgrounds, CIOs and teachers/ researchers. It is worth mentioning that this year's participants included John Augeri, member of the French EDUCAUSE delegation and co-editor of this article.

The following lines summarize and comment on elements of the complete version of the Top-10 2025, published in EDUCAUSE Review<fnref n="57" /> and to which readers are invited to refer where appropriate. We would also like to point out that the 2025 edition of the Top-10 is the last to be published under the editorship of Susan Grajek, who announced her forthcoming retirement at the conference. The EDUCAUSE French Delegation, and especially its Steering Committee, would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank Susan for her leadership and decisive contribution to the community over many years, through the Top-10 and beyond, but also for the always open, warm and constructive welcome she has given our delegation over the years.

## Restoring trust

The ten items in the Top-10 are traditionally placed under a major theme, presented as the subtitle of the edition in question. The theme selected for 2025 is *Restoring Trust*.

Trust in higher education varies from country to country, and seems to be associated with political and societal considerations. The U.S. prism, through which the Top-10 is mostly viewed, reveals a problem of trust, the origins of which are not particularly recent<fnref n="58" />. Studies cited in the EDUCAUSE Review article<fnref n="59" /> devoted to this Top-10 2025 report, for example, that 31% of the American population consider higher education to be on the right track, compared with 68% who think the opposite. This skepticism is fuelled by the cost of higher education, and questions about its ability to provide access to stable, well-paid employment<fnref n="60" />.

Beyond this general perception, organizations also face a trust issue when it comes to the way they use data and technology. Trust in large tech companies declines even faster than trust in higher education<fnref n="61" />. The way in which organizations use data appears to be decisive, particularly for Millenials and Gen Z, for whom it can be a criterion of choice. In this context, the rise of Artificial Intelligence also raises obvious questions about the trust that can be placed in technology. However, higher education needs technology and data. It therefore needs an

<footnote n="54">⁵⁴ Discussed in every issue of this report</footnote>

<footnote n="55">⁵⁵ previously, this publication was entitled *Top-10 IT Issues*</footnote>

<footnote n="56">⁵⁶ https://www.EDUCAUSE.edu/about/mission-and-organization/governance-and-leadership/member-committees/meet-it-issues-panel</footnote>

<footnote n="57">⁵⁷ https://er.EDUCAUSE.edu/articles/2024/10/2025-EDUCAUSE-top-10-restoring-trust</footnote>

<footnote n="58">⁵⁸ Several aspects of this trend have already been discussed in previous editions of this report, in the article *Trends of Higher Education in US*.</footnote>

<footnote n="59">⁵⁹ https://er.EDUCAUSE.edu/articles/2024/10/2025-EDUCAUSE-top-10-restoring-trust#fn1</footnote>

<footnote n="60">⁶⁰ Here again, see the article *Trends of Higher Education in US* in the previous editions of this report</footnote>

<footnote n="61">⁶¹ EDUCAUSE Review cites Sean Kates' article as a reference, Jonathan Ladd, and Joshua A. Tucker, "How Americans' Confidence in Technology Firms Has Dropped," The Brookings Institution, June 14, 2023.</footnote>
AI strategy that takes account of the skepticism that may exist about the ability of institutions to use this data ethically, transparently and safely.

Trust is also based on emotional and behavioral aspects. Institutions need to show that they understand and care about their students, staff and wider community, while at the same time ensuring that they work in a way that combines efficiency and effectiveness. Decision-makers must therefore cultivate both benevolence and competence, and strike an appropriate balance between the two.

Digital decision-makers within an institution can play a decisive role in meeting these challenges: by implementing technology- and data-driven strategies that improve teaching, lower costs and reduce risks, by establishing and managing processes that guarantee data security and user confidentiality, and by creating user-centric digital experiences. EDUCAUSE Top-10 2025 thus proposes to restore trust around three axes:

## THE COMPETENT INSTITUTION

2. Administrative Simplification

7. Faster, Better, AND Cheaper

9. Taming the Digital Jungle

10. Supportable, Sustainable, and Affordable (tie)

<figure><img src="image_70.png" /></figure>

## THE CARING INSTITUTION

3. Smoothing the Student Journey

4. A Matter of Trust

8. Putting People First

10. Building Bridges, Not Walls (tie)

<figure><img src="image_71.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_72.png" /></figure>

## THE FULCRUM OF LEADERSHIP

1. The Data-Empowered Institution

5. The CIO Challenge

6. Institutional Resilience

**Building the competent institution:** Competence is an essential component of trust, particularly in view of the steps that CIOs may have to take in 2025 to equip institutions with digital tools.

**Fostering the caring institution:** Trust in institutions stems from trust in the people who work in them, and this trust must be earned. The focus must be on increasing institutional efficiency and improving user experiences.
**Leveraging the fulcrum of leadership:** Building an institution that is both competent and caring is a balancing act that leadership must strive to achieve. This balance is never achieved once and for all, but must be part of a dynamic process.

In the following chapters, we first list the ten selected items, then divide them into the three axes, and discuss how they can contribute to the achievement of each.

## The 2025 ten items

#1 **The Data-Empowered Institution:** Use data, Analytics and AI to improve student success, win the enrollment race, increase research funding, and reduce inefficiencies.

#2 **Administrative Simplification:** Streamline and modernize processes, data and technologies.

#3 **Smoothing the Student Journey:** Use technology and data to improve and personalize student services.

#4 **A matter of Trust:** Promote institutional strategies to protect confidentiality and secure institutional data

#5 **The CIO Challenge:** Leading digital strategy and operations in an era of frequent leadership transitions, resource limitations, social unrest and rapid technological advances

#6 **Institutional Resilience:** Contribute to institutional efforts to prepare for and cope with a growing number and diversity of risks

#7 **Faster, Better, AND Cheaper:** Use technology to personalize services, automate work and increase agility

#8 **Putting people first:** Helping staff to adapt, develop and thrive in an era of rapid change and continuous digital progress

#9 **Taming the Digital Jungle:** Update and unify digital infrastructure and governance to increase institutional efficiency and effectiveness

#10 (ex-aequo) **Building Bridges, not Walls:** Improving digital access for students while preserving their privacy and data protection

#10 (ex-aequo) **Supportable, Sustainable, and Affordable:** Develop an institutional strategy for investments, pilot projects, policies and uses of new technologies
# The competent Institution

## #2 Administrative Simplification: Streamline and modernize processes, data and technologies.

<figure><img src="image_73.png" /></figure>

2

A new generation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems offers facilities a valuable opportunity to solve an age-old problem: over-administration. However, ERP projects and back-office modernization initiatives are not just about technology. They enable technology and operations managers to more effectively apply process improvement frameworks, enterprise architectures, project portfolio management, analytics tools and technologies such as AI to the full range of administrative functions and tasks involving staff, faculty and students.

The promise of these new solutions is twofold. Firstly, they improve affordability and confidence in higher education. Processes perceived as obsolete tarnish an institution's image, reinforcing the already existing reputation of a sector often seen as inefficient and archaic. Administrative simplification, by reducing costs and effort, can directly contribute to lowering the cost of education. It also conveys to the public the image of a modern, efficient organization, alleviating the frustrations associated with higher education.

Secondly, they optimize institutional operations. Administrative functions form the bedrock of an institution's activities, whether it is paying teachers, enrolling students or managing grants. Fast, efficient administrative operations enable the entire institution to achieve these goals with fluidity and performance.

Benefits also include increased efficiency through process simplification, which reduces workloads, eliminates some tasks, speeds up others, and limits time-consuming errors. What's more, these modern systems maximize the use of available tools. Unlike past ERP projects, where institutional requirements often dictated costly adaptations, the lessons learned have enabled a closer alignment between user expectations and the capabilities of the new systems. Today, these tools offer functionalities which, when properly integrated, can not only meet basic administrative needs, but also pave the way for innovative uses.

Finally, these transformations can strengthen human bonds and the link to the institutional mission. Outdated systems and complex manual processes have often supplanted the human interactions at the heart of educational missions. Administrative modernization, when done right, can free up time for meaningful collaboration and mission-aligned work. Technological personalization can also provide faculty and staff with more relevant information about students, fostering enriching interactions and improving both students' sense of belonging and staff job satisfaction.

To move forward effectively, it is imperative to adopt a methodical approach to processes. Revising and redesigning processes takes time, as does understanding the capabilities of a new system and its potential impact. Communicating the importance of this work to the community and encouraging sustained, if demanding, attention are essential for optimal results. Disagreements between stakeholders are inevitable and can slow down or compromise the project. As such, this approach requires strong, empowered leadership, capable of managing tensions and making balanced decisions quickly, while keeping the focus on realistic, achievable goals.
#7 Faster, Better, AND Cheaper: Using technology to personalize services, automate work and increase agility

<figure><img src="image_74.png" /></figure>

The promise of "faster, better, cheaper" is nothing new in digital technology. At times, this promise has been fulfilled, delivering quality education more efficiently. However, there have also been occasions when promising technologies have not lived up to expectations. The promise remains relevant, however, and there is growing pressure to find ways of using technology to reduce institutional costs while improving services and outcomes.

Current systems, structures and cultures allow facilities to operate below their potential. Externally, the pace of innovation is accelerating, but its adoption in higher

education often lags behind other sectors, notably consumer-oriented businesses, which define stakeholder expectations. Although there is a willingness to innovate within institutions, this willingness often seems fragmented, manifesting itself in places. The higher education industry is a proud one, with a long memory. Executives and employees often refer to past technology initiatives that did not work. It is necessary to learn from the past, but not to remain stuck in it, while welcoming an often uncertain future.

As educational services expand to a more diverse student population, including underrepresented groups and first-generation students, new challenges arise. To meet them effectively, institutions need to create personalized learning experiences that help students achieve their educational goals, give them a sense of belonging and strengthen their ties to the institution.

In many institutions, presidents and principals are focused on obtaining and increasing grant funding, as well as developing their research activities. Much of today's research depends on cutting-edge, often expensive, technologies. Faster, better, cheaper" is also a goal for digital infrastructures.

**The promise:** Serve a wider audience: Personalization and the possibilities offered by digital education can provide cost-effective ways for institutions to reach more students and meet their accessibility needs without compromising educational quality.

**Stay relevant and competitive:** Higher education is unaffordable for many people. Some companies are seizing this opportunity to compete with institutions by offering certifications and microloans at lower cost and in shorter timescales. Some entrepreneurs even hope to use artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to marginalize higher education altogether. University and college leaders can meet this challenge by offering similar flexible solutions and adopting equally adaptive and agile approaches to educational innovation, while drawing on what these companies do not have: historic expertise in teaching, learning, advising and supporting students.

**Leveling the playing field for students:** Personalization, digital learning and accessibility support promise to give every student, in every institution, the tools they need to access a quality education. Teachers able to use learning management systems and associated technologies to personalize not only content and assignments, but also pace, can reach all learners more effectively.

**Fostering a sense of belonging:** Personalization helps students feel seen and understood, which can give them a sense of belonging right from the start of their relationship with the institution. Student services and academic staff can use student information to tailor services, learning experiences and extra-curricular activities. This can help students integrate quickly, encourage them to interact with their peers, and help them stay on track.

**Offer personalized teaching at lower cost:** There is no substitute for the inspiration and mentoring that an exceptional teacher can offer, or the benefits of a strong relationship with a faculty member. However, few institutions can afford a very low faculty-to-student ratio, and the majority of professors do not have the opportunities or incentives to provide this kind of teaching and mentoring. The American Association of University Professors reports that 70% of teaching staff are in "contingent" positions. Adaptive learning solutions and other personalization tools can complement excellent teaching. These solutions can provide each student with personalized feedback and learning opportunities in every course, helping institutions to significantly reduce the cost of teaching more students.

**Reducing research costs:** Knowledge creation today, particularly in high-impact research, relies on teams of scientists and staff often working in different institutions and internationally. Technologies and data can greatly accelerate research and enhance collaboration. However, academic researchers struggle to fund data- and
computationally-intensive research, even with grants. Research IT professionals can help reduce these costs by using data intelligence tools to automate and consolidate storage, moving large amounts of data to less expensive archives. This also helps to meet emerging compliance requirements, while minimizing the risks associated with security breaches.

Increasing sustainability: Automation, intelligent HVAC systems, better management of high-performance computing clusters and space management software can optimize energy consumption and reduce waste. This reduces operating costs and helps institutions achieve their sustainability goals, while boosting the confidence of students, for whom environmental issues are key.

Reduce administrative costs: Automation saves time and effort in carrying out administrative tasks. This can enable resources to be reallocated to activities linked to the educational mission, or institutional costs to be reduced.

The Key to Progress: Industry-wide collaboration and commitment could make all the difference. All players in the ecosystem need to work together to use technology and data to make higher education truly faster, better and cheaper. This implies close collaboration between suppliers and institutions, as well as between the institutions themselves via associations, consortia and other networks. It also requires IT and non-IT managers to share responsibility for challenges and solutions, and for companies to rethink their approach, prioritizing social responsibility over mere profit generation.

#9 Taming the Digital Jungle: Update and unify digital infrastructure and governance to increase institutional efficiency and effectiveness

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Data plays a crucial role, and its collection has become increasingly widespread within establishments. However, this proliferation has resulted in a messy, jungle-like digital environment, where tools and data are scattered and risks difficult to anticipate. This disorder calls for the creation of a controlled digital ecosystem, where establishments can identify essential data, eliminate risks, and have the right tools at their disposal for each task efficiently.

Modernizing and unifying digital infrastructures, services and governance can streamline administrative processes and reduce manual tasks. Resources freed up in this way

could be reallocated to core missions such as teaching, research and student support. This approach also helps to reduce risk: too many tools and too much data multiply vulnerabilities and increase the cost of protecting personal and institutional information. A more coherent, centralized organization helps to meet compliance requirements more effectively.

Unified data governance also makes it possible to meet current needs and anticipate future ones. With an overview and robust analytics, decision-makers can better understand and solve problems, while preparing strategies for future challenges. It also enhances the student experience, providing seamless, centralized access to resources and support services, while enabling institutions to better identify their needs.

Such a digital ecosystem can promote student success by identifying and reducing inequalities through reliable and diversified data. It also promotes the personalization of services, learning paths and experiences, whether for students, staff or teachers.

To succeed in this transformation, institutions need to lay solid cultural and political foundations. This requires community involvement, the adoption of best practices and active communication. A culture of innovation and continuous improvement is essential to introduce appropriate digital solutions and encourage the active participation of all stakeholders. This collective approach makes the transition smoother and increases motivation to contribute to change.
#10 (ex-aequo) Supportable, Sustainable, and Affordable: Develop an institutional strategy for investments, pilot projects, policies and uses of new technologies

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In the rapidly changing higher education landscape, institutions face the crucial challenge of implementing new technologies in a responsible, sustainable and affordable way. This balancing act is not just a matter of fashion; it is essential if institutions are to remain competitive, enhance the experience of students and staff, and continuously adapt to new educational paradigms. Declining public confidence and declining enrollments have heightened the urgency for institutions to develop comprehensive strategies for innovating new business models for technology adoption.

Higher education is expensive. An institutional innovation strategy in which digital technology accompanies and supports the reduction of administrative costs, the reduction of technological redundancy and the improvement of the impact of technological investments is one of the avenues proposed.

Improving the reputation of higher education. Improved sustainability could help reverse the decline in the reputation of higher education. Environmental sustainability is much more important to Generation Z and millennials than to older generations. Institutions that integrate sustainability goals into their technology strategy as part of a green agenda could have a recruitment advantage: young people are more likely to use products and services from companies and organizations that actively engage in environmentally friendly practices.

Competition in higher education and lifelong learning is increasing. Institutions that can change quickly and innovate more effectively will be able to adapt agilely to changing circumstances and needs, as well as to new opportunities. They will be able to transcend the reputation of higher education as being reluctant to change and slow to adopt new practices, methods or tools.

The rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) is capturing everyone's attention. AI is going to change everything. But how? We are still in the early days. Leaders at many institutions recognize the importance of gaining experience with AI and using that experience to integrate potentially AI-infused futures into institutional visioning and strategic planning. These leaders will also need to reconcile the high energy levels required to power AI with the institution's sustainability goals.

Higher education leaders still too often manage institutional services and missions as if students and faculty were captive audiences ready to tolerate cumbersome procedures and outdated working or learning environments. Institutions need to provide an environment of services, experiences and products at the level of the outside world, enabling teachers to conduct cutting-edge research and offering students learning experiences that can translate directly into state-of-the-art digital experiences.

Leadership built on relationships of mutual trust and commitment to corporate values can make all the difference. Innovation is hard, disruptive work. Strong, cohesive and collaborative leadership can reduce friction, provide essential skills and capabilities. It can encourage exchange and constructive criticism, and support a unified commitment to successful innovation. Digital is no longer incidental; however, building and maintaining trust with the CIO continues to test a facility's ability to truly deliver on the promise of added digital value.
In conclusion

Competence - and the ability to produce results - is an essential component of trust. Digital departments, and in particular IT Departments, face this challenge, particularly in terms of the development, modernization and deployment of business tools, whose adaptation to the local context and ongoing maintenance represents a financial challenge. In general, this modernization process concerns not only tools and technologies, but also processes. (item #2).

Another facet of building a competent institution lies in its ability to help staff and students work and learn more easily and effectively by increasing personalization, automation and agility. Personalization of the user experience ensures that technologies meet individual needs. Automation, meanwhile, reduces the workload and the risk of errors. Lastly, agility ensures an institution's ability to adapt quickly to new needs. (item #7).

The multiplication of digital services and uses within institutions has resulted in a form of jungle in which data is scattered across the campus. This jungle needs to be tamed to ensure that institutional investments in business intelligence and other analytical tools actually help to reduce costs, improve student success and achieve other data-driven and data-intensive goals. (item #9).

AI is just one example of the wealth of new technologies that institutional players are likely - even eager - to adopt. But these corresponding investments must be well thought-out, adapted to the users and their terminals, tailored to the institution, and in line with compliance requirements. Beyond the technical component of this work, the strategic aspect is essential, as the various stakeholders at the decision-making level may have opposing views on the added value of a new investment, or expect autonomy in their technological choices. (item #10).
# The caring Institution

## #3 Smoothing the Student Journey: Use technology and data to improve and personalize student services.

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A lot of effort goes into applying, enrolling, learning and graduating from a higher education institution. Students must use many institutional services and interact with faculty, staff and tools. The student journey is complex, and students have little idea of what it involves. Student services can simplify and accelerate this journey, but they can also make it complicated and confusing. Students should be able to focus on their educational goals and experiences without worrying about what documents to submit, to whom and when. They should be able to get the help and resources they need, and know where to go

if they need special resources or additional support. Academic work can be difficult, but administrative work should be straightforward. Student services managers work with IT departments and other stakeholders to rethink and modernize services so that they contribute to, rather than hinder, student success.

Helping more students succeed. Whatever the nature of the student journey, technology can help simplify it, and data and analytics can be used to make interactions with students more personal and targeted. Over time, institutions can learn what works best and what to avoid, which could help reduce some of the inequalities between student populations.

Modernize student experiences. While the Amazon.com experience, where users can access almost anything they want through a single point of entry, is still out of reach for most institutions, digital leaders can still use technology and data to update and improve students' interactions with the institution.

Attract potential students. Student success professionals know which types of students the institution can best serve. Improving student services can not only benefit current students, but can also be promoted during recruitment.

Simplify transitions between institutions. Fully integrating technology applications within the institution and collaborating with education systems and consortia to simplify data transfers could both simplify student transitions, whether from secondary to post-secondary education or from a two-year to a four-year institution, whether immediately or after a multi-year break, and help institutions better understand the student trajectory.

Better serve distance students. Good digital student services are particularly important for institutions with limited or no physical campus, or those offering digital-only educational options.

More targeted, cost-effective investments. Rather than designing and sizing services for a generalized use case applicable to all, facilities can identify who really needs which services, and tailor their provision accordingly.

Structure for success. Find a good partner to help, whether it is another establishment that has done this work well and can advise, or a business partner who understands higher education. Identify a trusted person within the institution to lead the work to ensure ongoing responsibility and accountability. Support this leader with a strong, achievable vision, an empowered governance structure and the right cross-functional teams to collaboratively plan and execute the work.
#4 A matter of Trust: Promote institutional strategies to protect confidentiality and secure institutional data

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Regulations are increasing. Cybercriminals, whether private or state-sponsored, seek to steal research data and other academic intellectual property, as well as the personal information of institutional members. Institutions have legal, reputational, operational and ethical obligations to protect students, faculty, staff and alumni. Protecting data means protecting individuals. However, openness, sharing and collaboration are fundamental values of higher education. Not all data needs to be protected with the same rigor, and faculty and administrators want data to be as accessible as possible

to students, the public and other stakeholders. Trust is built as much by the information and knowledge shared with others as by the data and information protected and retained.

Focus on trust. Using the word “trust” opens up the possibility of having important and difficult conversations with outside parties that go beyond individual cybersecurity and privacy tactics. These tactics are crucial, but there is a broader concern about whether institutions are trustworthy. The world is experiencing a crisis of trust. Public trust in higher education used to be very high, but it has declined, as it has in almost every other sector. Refocusing work around cybersecurity and privacy as an issue of trust offers an opportunity to demonstrate that institutions understand that by protecting privacy and safeguarding data, they are protecting and valuing people. This, along with accessibility and success reforms, can help establishments regain people’s trust.

Building trust by valuing confidentiality. Other industries have invested far more in analytical resources and data infrastructure than higher education. They use customer and stakeholder data to persistently and aggressively promote, price and improve goods and services. While limited resources are a big reason why higher education lags behind in data exploitation, another contributing factor is that higher education places a higher value on privacy than the business world.

Building trust by protecting data. Higher education is a source of valuable data, ranging from research data to individuals' financial and personal information. Institutions that can keep pace with threat vectors by protecting digital assets, ensuring stakeholders have the knowledge and resources to avoid hacking, and responding quickly and comprehensively to inevitable breaches won't just protect data. They will increase and preserve community trust.

Maintain and obtain federal funding. For institutions to continue to receive research funding from federal agencies, the U.S. government requires them to manage this data appropriately, including, for certain types of funding, implementing a cybersecurity program that complies with the appropriate federal cybersecurity framework, such as NIST 800-171.

Attract and retain students. Students need to trust that their institution cares about them. Protecting student privacy is one way to demonstrate this. Therefore, teachers and administrators must be able to show that they are effectively managing student data and privacy.

Improve institutional services. The work of auditing and improving data flows, access and storage can be combined with efforts to improve business processes and user experiences. An end result of this holistic thinking about the way institutions do business will be increased cybersecurity, greater privacy and a better experience for faculty, staff and students.

Common ground in the industry could make all the difference. Common ground would be a shared means of expressing the degree of trust among higher education institutions, a shared understanding of the importance of data, information, security and privacy, and shared solutions. The Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT) has become a useful common tool for assessing solution providers' cybersecurity (and soon privacy) practices against a number of standards and regulatory requirements. Having a framework-agnostic (or inclusive) equivalent that facilities could use to express their trustworthiness to outside parties could save each facility from having to figure out how to do it on its own. It would also give presidents and boards a comparative standard to help them make better decisions about funding privacy and security programs. Shared solutions are another form of common ground. Shared solutions are more affordable, especially for smaller establishments with limited capacity to fund sufficient cybersecurity. They also enable facilities to respond more
quickly to threats, which can make all the difference. Smaller facilities can also share staff to ensure 24/7
coverage and access to specialized expertise.

#8 Putting people first: Helping staff to adapt, develop and thrive in an era of rapid change and continuous digital progress

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In the face of rapid technological change, excitement and dismay at the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), and increasing financial pressures, higher education institutions face unique challenges in maintaining a skilled and motivated IT workforce. As any CIO knows, using technology and data to advance strategic priorities depends on the people who implement the technology and manage the data. An excellent workforce is invaluable. To attract and retain talent, CIOs will need to develop more sophisticated management skills and influence cultural change within their organizations.

Recruiting and retaining good people is difficult. Recruitment mistakes happen, and they are damaging. When people leave, the facility suffers a significant loss in terms of productivity and institutional knowledge. However, staff are more likely to stay and less likely to burn out when facilities invest in people. They are also more likely to appreciate and contribute to their workplace. An excellent working environment can also be an excellent recruitment tool.

Everyone is under pressure to do more with less, and to increase employee productivity. One way to do this is to foster effective teams. Groups of people tend to be more effective at solving problems and innovating when they work well together, especially when they collaborate across teams and disciplines. When people feel valued, they are more committed. If they are valued and empowered, they will be more comfortable and effective as collaborators.

Higher education can't compete with business in terms of salary, resources or, in some cases, flexibility. But it can compete on mission. Leaders and supervisors can create an environment where people feel valued and see themselves as an integral part of the institution and its mission. Facilities that focus on people, rather than skills, can help staff feel seen and recognized, rather than as interchangeable parts. If people feel valued, they will be more engaged and collaborative.

The human experience is becoming increasingly digital. Teaching and learning are taking place in new ways. Technology managers can work with other school leaders to understand how to navigate, work and be together in this developing digital environment. Helping staff adapt and thrive in an increasingly digital world means exploring how we learn, how we know what we know, and other big questions. If higher education can understand these things, then perhaps it can help to understand them in communities, in politics and in other places where people come together.

Building a culture of trust is essential. Staff who trust their working environment are more productive, committed and loyal. The four most important components of trust are empathy and kindness, open communication, competence and follow-up, and a flexible and supportive work environment.
#10 (ex-aequo) Building Bridges, not Walls: Improving digital access for students while preserving their privacy and data protection

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Higher education institutions will focus on increasing digital access for students while ensuring confidentiality and data protection. As technology continues to advance, institutions aim to provide up-to-date digital resources and tools that enhance learning and prepare students for their careers. However, expanding access to digital platforms and information also raises questions about how best to protect student privacy and institutional data.

Students benefit from increased digital access, but they are vulnerable when their personal data is stolen or exposed. Institutions that can increase digital access while

protecting student privacy and data will bring learning and institutional resources to students while helping them feel safe, increasing trust in higher education and enhancing the student experience.

Increasing digital access for students means redefining learning territories, whose boundaries extend beyond the traditional physical confines of the campus, and integrating them into academic strategies. This is particularly true for hybrid and HyFlex configurations, which promise to make high-quality education much more flexible and available worldwide through multimodal access. These trends require us to rethink learning environments and build secure access to connect off-site environments to the campus itself.

The digital divide may concern equipment, bandwidth, digital literacy, tools and applications, access to peers and mentors, or an environment conducive to learning. Although this is not always the case, costly technological advances can widen this divide, as those who “have” use their resources to rapidly acquire state-of-the-art devices, tools and networks. It is towards the others, those who “don’t have” or “have less”, that efforts to increase digital access must increase. Institutions that focus on these more disadvantaged populations can help bridge the growing digital divide.

The rate of data creation has never been higher and is set to continue rising. Removing barriers to accessing data and information, whether it is lack of access, lack of data literacy or cost, to ensure that students get the data they need when they need it and where they need it is essential to preparing them for professional and post-graduate life.

Students may be primarily concerned with their grades, but they also have access to a wealth of other data to which they are not as attentive, such as their use of the LMS. What is more, there is a wealth of personal data that the institution tracks that students do not have access to, such as their perseverance in a major, study rooms reserved per term or use of IT resources. Restricting access to data helps protect students' privacy and data security. However, the more information they have about their education and progress, the better they can manage their education.

Increasing computing power and data, as well as the wider diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI), exacerbate and complicate long-standing ethical challenges related to data and data privacy. Staff and teachers need to make students aware of the risks and responsibilities associated with widespread digital access. This will help shape future digital workers and citizens with the skills and values to use data ethically and prudently, and to defend their digital rights.

Innovation and forward-looking teaching and learning practices require collaboration. Broader access to data and digital resources can facilitate and extend collaboration. Again, wider, multimodal access requires greater safeguards and additional training.

By granting students digital access to and ownership of their own data (e.g. study records, skills portfolios, etc.) and enabling digital consent management, institutions can help students build their own “digital brand” and market it to potential employers. Finland's MyData portfolio concept is an example of this kind of empowerment. Institutions can also better align curricula with industry needs by intentionally linking curricula to skills and sharing this information with companies (without, of course, providing data that can be attributed to individual students).

By also granting employers anonymized digital access to skills from higher education institutions, academic leaders can better align their training offerings with industry needs.
Having interoperability frameworks for data, digital access and data protection would be revolutionary. The key to progress lies in fostering a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility, with institutions working together to develop common frameworks and standards for digital access and data protection. This collaborative approach can help overcome resource limitations, accelerate innovation and ensure that best practices are widely shared and adopted. Accompanying the co-creation of such frameworks within communities of institutions and solution providers will not only help achieve interoperability more quickly, but also prevent government regulators from stepping in to legislate and decide on requirements and deadlines.

## In conclusion

Digital tools and services are often intended to enhance or replace interactions between students, teachers and staff. The institution must ensure that they function properly and efficiently, and that they are secure for their users. The challenge of optimizing and securing the user experience must therefore be taken into account by institutions (item #4).

This security challenge is also linked to the extension of learning environments beyond the physical campus, as can be seen in hybrid and HyFlex configurations. These projections imply that the security issue must be combined with easy access to digital resources, tools and continuums from locations that go beyond the boundaries of the campus (item #10).

The number of tools and applications designed to support and facilitate interactions between students and the institution is increasing, and they are having a growing impact on student success. Deploying them involves collaboration between student services and digital services, which must once again take into account the user experience, making it transparent and value-added (item #3).

The challenge of attracting and retaining competent staff (and maintaining the corresponding staffing levels) is fundamental. These staff, both within the IT departments and beyond, need to acquire the skills they need to use digital technology and data in their daily work. Rather than simply offering training in this area, the institution needs to put in place a genuine corporate culture that prioritizes staff, their development and collaboration (item #8).
# The Fulcrum of Leadership

**#1 The Data-Empowered Institution: Using data, Analytics and AI to improve student success, win the enrollment race, increase research funding, and reduce inefficiencies.**

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Institutions are making progress in using data and analytical tools to optimize their resources and promote success, both for themselves and their students. However, current budget constraints make it crucial to rely on solid evidence to guide investment decisions. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) enable decision-makers to gain a shared view of their school's performance, identify its strengths and determine priority areas for further investment.

Data mining offers a number of promising opportunities. It increases enrollment by helping admissions managers identify prospective students and promote the institution's distinctive features, in line with student expectations and local market needs. It also helps improve student success through real-time analytics, enabling rapid intervention with at-risk learners while monitoring the effectiveness of actions taken. By better understanding the diverse expectations of new generations of students, institutions can adjust their services, teaching and programs to better meet their needs. Analysis of performance and learning preferences also enables teaching to be personalized, and targeted investment to be made in courses where students are having the most difficulty.

Data plays an essential role in continuous improvement. It enables us to assess whether interventions are producing the desired results, and to adjust or discontinue those that are not. Access to rich and varied data facilitates better resource planning, with more accurate forecasts of enrollment, student retention and support service needs. In research and innovation, advanced analytical capabilities and artificial intelligence help institutions attract the best academic talent, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and make projects more efficient and less costly.

To make the most of data, it is essential to have the right mix of skills and human resources. Existing positions need to integrate new skills, and teams need to be trained to meet emerging needs. Leaders must also collectively agree on measures to focus limited resources on initiatives with the greatest impact. Recognizing data as a true corporate asset implies a cultural shift where it is shared and governed collectively rather than monopolized by individuals. It is also crucial to develop data literacy so that all players can interpret and use this information while respecting security and confidentiality rules.

Data quality and integration need to be improved to ensure reliability and relevance, which requires a single source of truth and better system interoperability. Furthermore, a balance between openness and confidentiality of data is essential to enable effective use while protecting the privacy and rights of individuals. Finally, establishments belonging to consortia can collaborate to share skills and solutions to meet common challenges.

In the face of budgetary pressures and enrollment issues, the strategic use of data appears to be an essential condition for ensuring the sustainability and success of establishments. This requires a coordinated approach, investment in analytical skills and technologies, and increased collaboration between stakeholders.
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The role of CIO has always been a complex one, requiring a balance between tactical operations and corporate strategy, innovation and risk management, technical expertise and human skills, as well as between virtually unlimited needs and severely limited resources. Today, internal and external pressures make this role even more challenging. CIOs are called upon to participate in arbitrations on critical issues such as campus security, freedom of expression, confidentiality, financial constraints, climate change and innovative business

models. In a context marked by increased instability and frequent change, the role of the CIO is essential in unleashing the potential of establishments, helping them to realize their vision and advance their mission. An effective CIO does not impose, but creates the conditions to enable innovation and adaptation, while managing the growing risks associated with data security and confidentiality.

The promise of the CIO role lies in the ability to redefine this function as an exercise in radical collaboration and partnership, far removed from traditional command-and-control models. By collaborating with other facility leaders, the CIO can integrate strategies, reduce redundancies, identify cumulative risks and strengthen communication and cooperation between units. This role also involves attracting, developing and retaining talent, despite the scarcity and high cost of IT skills. A respectful, authentic and open working environment can compensate for the inability to compete financially with other organizations. The CIO must also create a space conducive to innovation, balancing the management of operations with the ability to explore new ideas. Finally, he or she contributes to the agility of the organization, which rests on a solid foundation combining infrastructure, governance, open culture and committed teams, enabling the organization to adapt quickly to change while remaining stable in the face of turbulence.

A culture of trust is crucial to progress. This trust is based on strong collaborative relationships, increased transparency and the ability to link technological and corporate strategies. It reduces friction, facilitates decision-making in the face of uncertainty, and speeds up processes. A clear mission also strengthens the success of CIOs, aligning objectives across the institution to simplify negotiating priorities and adapting to disruptions. Furthermore, transitions in leadership offer opportunities to redefine the CIO's role and create new dynamics.

It is essential to diversify the profiles of corporate technology leaders to strengthen the pool of CIOs. This means rethinking the role of the CIO and encouraging talent from a variety of backgrounds to consider the role. Each institution should invest in the development of its staff, plan for succession and offer leadership opportunities to promising employees. Institutional perfectionism, which often holds back necessary change, needs to be replaced by a pragmatic and adaptable approach. Institutions need to understand that strategies that have worked in the past can become obstacles in a context of rapid change, particularly with the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

However, CIOs also need to exploit their institution's competitive advantages, whether these be their geographical position, their expertise in high-demand research or teaching disciplines, or their ability to attract a specific type of student or faculty member. Leaders who can identify these differentiators before their peers can position their institution to maximize these assets in an increasingly competitive environment.
#6 Institutional Resilience: Contributing to institutional efforts to prepare for and cope with a growing number and diversity of risks

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Institutional resilience refers to an institution's ability to anticipate, respond and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, so as to maximize opportunities and minimize the consequences of unforeseen events. Higher education faces a wide and growing range of risks, many of which are beyond direct control or influence. No institution can be totally prepared for the unexpected, especially as today's limited resources do not allow for massive investment in risk management. The key is to raise awareness of potential risks, anticipate their impact

on the establishment and its community, and build a solid foundation for risk detection and mitigation. This approach enables a rapid response when, inevitably, a crisis occurs. Inter-facility coordination and leadership capable of making decisions under uncertainty are crucial assets, especially in times of emergency.

An important promise of this resilience lies in the possibility of restoring confidence in higher education. Public confidence in the sector is steadily declining. Although some criticisms fall outside their remit, CIOs can help manage institutional risks and mitigate negative reputational impacts. At the same time, they can reinforce this trust by streamlining student services to improve their interactions with the institution, developing engaging and effective learning experiences, and creating an environment where students feel safe.

Another key issue is the avoidance of existential threats. Technologies, while they may be the source of certain risks, also represent powerful solutions for anticipating and mitigating them. Technology and data management leaders play a crucial role in identifying and preparing the establishment for technological disasters, such as ransomware attacks or major operational disruptions. They also work with executives to design and test continuity and disaster recovery plans, to cope with events such as weather disasters, pandemics or social unrest that impact academic and administrative operations.

Crises, however, also bring their share of opportunities. They pave the way for transformation. By taking advantage of these situations, as was the case with remote working and learning during the pandemic, CIOs can enable establishments to reinvent themselves. By prioritizing staff responsibilities in areas that cannot be outsourced or automated, they create space for teams to develop new skills, anticipate change and adapt when necessary. By limiting the impact of crises, CIOs also preserve the resources and energy essential for corporate innovation and initiatives that bring real satisfaction to staff.

To make progress in this area, it is crucial to learn from minor incidents to avoid major crises. Small problems should be seen as opportunities for early warning, not isolated events. Today's world, marked by disasters once unimaginable, demands a discipline of foresight. By identifying the weak signals of coming changes, managers can use these warnings to anticipate and prepare for emerging problems, protecting the business from potentially disastrous consequences.

## In conclusion

Building an institution that is both competent and caring, as described above, is a balancing act. Improving institutional efficiency can be achieved at the expense of support for students and staff, or their working conditions. Similarly, investing in the well-being and quality of working conditions for users may involve additional expenditure. The institution's leadership must respond to this challenge: balancing competence and benevolence. This balance, moreover, must not be taken as definitively achieved by decision-makers: it is the result of constant adjustments and decisions, linked, for example, to a growing number of risks.

Maintaining the right balance must be based on decisions that are themselves based on tangible elements: data mining and analysis and AI (item #1).

Through the design, deployment and implementation of tools and services, CIOs contribute to the balance between institutional objectives and user well-being. CIOs thus have a central role, which is proving particularly
difficult today, given the turnover of decision-makers, technological developments, reduced funding and increased social unrest, all of which contribute to a form of institutional instability. (item #5).

Finally, higher education is facing a worrying number of risks and crises. Trust in institutions will be won or lost depending on how they prepare for and respond to them, and therefore on their capacity for resilience. (item #6).

Iconography Credits : Zach Peil / EDUCAUSE © 2024

This article was produced with the assistance of the LLM ChatGPT and COPILOT, used to synthesize, analyze and structure the information gathered and the notes produced by the human authors.
# Learning Environments: Change Management, Hybridizations & HyFlex

John Augeri, PhD

This report has been covering the latest news on Learning Spaces (innovative physical learning spaces) for many years. These spaces have indeed attracted growing interest for more than two decades, often being presented as a vector, a catalyst, sometimes a marker of pedagogical innovation within the campuses that host them. They have themselves experiences evolutions, particularly on the typological (with the emergence of informal<fnref n="62" /> then transitional spaces), conceptual, and strategic levels, which we have also been able to observe over the years through the programming of the EDUCAUSE conference (and through sessions in which members of the delegation were involved), but also through on-site visits.

It is obviously unnecessary to remind the impact that the COVID pandemic has had on face-to-face teaching. While the remote teaching measures (full then partial) then implemented in response to the emergency situation were initially temporary, the perspective of mainstream hybridizations (HyFlex and others) in the middle and long term, already discussed in previous editions of this report<fnref n="63" />, then became part of the thinking of practitioners and stakeholders, and has remained a strong trend since 2020, despite a number of questions that remain significant. The discussions held this year during the conference and on-site visits once again confirmed this evolution, with in particular an almost systematic mention of the A/V capture features of the Learning Spaces that were visited.

This leads to considering a phenomenon of redefinition of the very notion of campus, and more generally of learning territories<fnref n="64" />, based on face-to-face/remote and synchronous/asynchronous dimensions, the balances of which would be defined around a generalized multimodality, potentially flexible for the student. Therefore, more than a focus on Learning Spaces in the material sense of the term, it is indeed a holistic approach to Learning Environments integrating their physical and digital components, and their strategic, operational, and pedagogical dimensions that seems to be establishing itself as the norm.

This article reflects this trend, reporting not only on the traditional meeting of the EDUCAUSE Learning Space Design Community Group, but also on several sessions that illustrate strong issues revolving around Learning Spaces, and more generally around Learning Environments: on the one hand, the change management necessary for their implementation and the Analytics that can shed light on it, and on the other hand, their redefinition in conjunction with Hybrid and HyFlex configurations.

The Top-10 also reflects these different moves. In the 2025 edition detailed and commented on above in this same report, item #10 (tie) *Building Bridges, not Walls* which underlines the need to guarantee the confidentiality of users, and the protection of their data while broadening students' access to resources and content, which can particularly correspond to Hybrid and HyFlex configurations. Configurations that were already targeted a year before by item #6 *Meeting Students where they are* of the Top-10 2024, which invited to broaden access to the different services provided by the institution.

<footnote n="62">⁶² especially discussed in the 2018 edition of this report</footnote>

<footnote n="63">⁶³ especially the 2022 and 2023 ones</footnote>

<footnote n="64">⁶⁴ concept discussed in the session *Learning Spaces and Learning Territories (re)Definition: Developing a Vision for a Future-Proof Campus* mentioned below</footnote>
Learning Space Design Community Group meeting

The Annual Conference in San Antonio saw, as every year, a meeting of the EDUCAUSE Learning Space Design Community Group<fnref n="65" />. This traditional meeting, organized for several years in an open manner around discussions

and questions/answers, allowed to discuss
various current topics, and recall the
different means and meetings that allow
for the fueling of exchanges within the
community. The EDUCAUSE Connect
platform<fnref n="66" /> thus brings together numerous
discussion threads (dealing in particular
with equipment, practices, job offers,
announcements of thematic conferences,
feedback), on very varied topics. At the
same time, the Community Group leaders
now propose a monthly videoconference
meeting, each of which focuses on a
specific theme that can be the subject of
suggestions from members. The meetings
of the last semester thus especially
addressed the questions of Faculty
Development, inclusion in design, or
outdoor spaces. These meetings are also
announced on the Connect platform.

<figure><img src="image_84.png" /></figure>

EDUCAUSE Homepage › Community Groups › Learning Space Design Community Group

Learning Space Design Community Group

The way we use space impacts teaching practices, learning activities and effectiveness, student interactions, as well as the campus sense of community. This is true for formal spaces, such as classrooms, as for non-formal spaces, such as a computer or information commons, student unions, study areas, living spaces, or even the hallway. Well-designed learning spaces are predicated on an understanding of the learning activities that must occur, the type of interaction desired, the needs of the discipline, and the learning outcomes sought. The EDUCAUSE Learning Space Design community group provides a forum for the exchange and archiving of information and for discussions of key issues in the field. Topics range from what makes a physical space conducive to learning to the principles and processes of learning space design. This group meets at the EDUCAUSE annual conference and uses the electronic discussion list to discuss issues throughout the year.

Group Leaders

<figure><img src="image_85.png" /><figcaption>Tracey Birdwell</figcaption></figure>

Purdue University

Committee Member: 2023-Present

<figure><img src="image_86.png" /><figcaption>Adam Finkelstein</figcaption></figure>

McGill University

Committee Member: 2020-Present

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To join, leave, and engage in this
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Connect.

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CONNECT

Previous Community
Group Archives

As planned with the launch of
EDUCAUSE Connect, the CG
discussion archives from our
previous email list system have
been decommissioned and are
no longer accessible. CG
discussions that have been
posted to **EDUCAUSE Connect**
since its launch in the fall of
2021 are available on the
platform. For additional
information, visit the **CG**
**Discussion Archives**

Change Management and Analytics

The prospect of a generalization of Learning Spaces within campuses, or at least of moving beyond an experimental stage, naturally raises the question of the change management which must take into account the full diversity of issues which are concentrated in these spaces.

Space matters: Leading change with physical and digital learning environments<fnref n="67" />

McGill, through Adam Finkelstein (Associate Director, Learning Environments, Teaching and Learning Services) and recipient of the EDUCAUSE Community Leadership Award 2024) gave a session dedicated to the change management related to the implementation of innovative spaces. The university has significant experience in this area, having been involved in such an approach since 2006.

The presentation began with a reminder of the McGill context, with a mostly technologically enriched Face-to-Face (in comparison with Remote teaching), and of a strategy around Learning Spaces which relies in particular on a *Teaching and Learning Services* department operating at the intersection of Teaching and Learning, IT, facilities, and purchasing matters.

The discussion continued on the issue of the messages that spaces convey about Learning, emphasizing that they can create expectations in terms of behavior, suggest ways of acting, and communicate what is valued. Aspects of design, architecture and equipment can carry these messages. In addition, the essential nature of supporting teachers on personal, pedagogical and organizational levels was recalled.

<footnote n="65">65 https://www.EDUCAUSE.edu/community/learning-space-design-community-group</footnote>

<footnote n="66">⁶⁶ https://connect.EDUCAUSE.edu/community-home?CommunityKey=5ea15eae-22e1-453b-854a-af345776fe60 (need an EDUCAUSE account)</footnote>

<footnote n="67">⁶⁷ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024/agenda/space-matters-leading-change-with-physical-and-digital-learning-environments</footnote>
With these different foundations in place, the discussion then addressed the challenge of organizational change inherent in an evolution of Learning Environments, and the different stages through which its conduct can pass.
McGill relied on the following main axes:

* Develop a collaborative vision, and strategic and governance planning

* Base orientations on educational principles, and on taking into account Diversity and Inclusion

* Set up comprehensive and sustainable support

* Operate data-based decision-making

It is on this basis that the university has established a list of guiding principles for designing Learning Spaces<fnref n="68" />, which are reflected in the various components such as layout, furnishing, technology, acoustics, lighting and colors. These principles, and the change management implemented for several years now, have enabled the conversion of more than 500 spaces and created more than 1,300 seats in generic or specialized Active Learning Classrooms.

## From Silos to Insights: Leveraging Learning Space Analytics<fnref n="69" />

Following on from the session discussed above, and in particular the issue of data-based decision-making, McGill also presented a poster dedicated to Analytics applicable to Learning Spaces, and its strategy in this area.

This poster listed the challenges related to the management of a set of rooms and the data concerning them: definition, typologies, access, duplication, visualization, questions, roles, and strategies. It also noted a form of dispersion of data relating to Learning Spaces between facilities services, Teaching & Learning, educational support services, and IT and A/V services. Each having and managing distinct and complementary data.

McGill addressed this issue by launching an approach aimed at connecting these different data sources together, based on data extraction, conversion, and aggregation systems. This same approach made it possible to optimize the use of these different data, in particular by setting up thematic dashboards, displaying for example their level of use, their potential to support innovative teaching methods, or their score in evaluation systems such as the Learning Space Rating System<fnref n="70" />, already discussed several times in previous editions of this report.

<footnote n="68">⁶⁸ https://www.mcgill.ca/tls/spaces/principles</footnote>

<footnote n="69">⁶⁹ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024/agenda/from-silos-to-insights-leveraging-learning-space-analytics</footnote>

<footnote n="70">⁷⁰ https://unif.fr/learning-space-rating-system/</footnote>
# Impact of Hybridizations and HyFlex on the Learning Spaces

The trends observed around Hybrid and HyFlex configurations, already mentioned in the 2022 and 2023 editions<fnref n="71" /> of this report, directly impact Learning Spaces. Two sessions in particular (one at the San Antonio conference, the second at the Online event) once again discussed this articulation.

Beyond the conference itself, it should be noted that this same issue was raised during the on-site visits, and is therefore reported in the corresponding articles in this same report.

## Is HyFlex the Death of Lecture Halls ?<fnref n="72" />

This first session focused on the impact of the HyFlex implementation in terms of space typologies was based on a panel bringing together the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Roger Williamson University, and UC Berkeley School of Optometry, whose discussions were moderated by a representative of Logitech. Involving the audience through live polls, this session addressed issues such as the institutional approach to the transition from Lecture Halls to smaller and more flexible Learning Spaces, the technological integration of HyFlex, the evaluation of its implementation, or the optimization of HyFlex-compatible Learning Spaces to promote student success.

Beyond the simple title of this session, the discussions confirmed the impact that a possible generalization of HyFlex can have on the type of Learning Spaces favored on the institutional level, and the challenge that their equipment represents in terms of technologies, particularly A/V.

## Learning Spaces and Learning Territories (re)Definition: Developing a Vision for a Future-Proof Campus<fnref n="73" />

The author of this article and Mia de Wilde from Thomas More University (Antwerp, Belgium) presented a Virtual Poster at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference Online in November discussing the consideration of general trends around Hybridizations and HyFlex in the implementation of a strategic Learning Spaces scheme on a campus scale, and its operational implementation. This session thus first presented a principle of redefinition of Learning Territories in the perspective of the medium and long-term based on three pillars: an extension and diversification of Learning Spaces in and beyond campuses, a generalization of multimodality in Teaching and Learning practices, and a technological ecosystem capable of supporting these movements. A preconfiguration of these perspectives was then illustrated through the example of the master plan established by Thomas More University<fnref n="74" /> and its implementation through an iterative approach to room conversion. This is based on ten fundamental principles that were listed following preparatory work that was largely associated with stakeholders on campus. Thomas More has already deployed two standardized types of rooms: Hybrid Pro and Hybrid Advanced (the second representing an evolution of the first, notably designed on the basis of surveys and feedback).

<figure><img src="image_87.png" /></figure>

<footnote n="71">⁷¹ Especially in the article *Hybridations & HyFlex*</footnote>

<footnote n="72">⁷² https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024/agenda/is-hyflex-the-death-of-lecture-halls-2</footnote>

<footnote n="73">⁷³ https://events.EDUCAUSE.edu/annual-conference/2024-online/agenda/learning-spaces-and-learning-territories-redefinition-developing-a-vision-for-a-futureproof-campus</footnote>

<footnote n="74">⁷⁴ also presented at EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2022, and discussed in the 2022 edition of this report</footnote>