But it was the first large project to focus on the scholarly and instructional side of computing. Additionally, it was the first large project to provide an annual update intended to assist campus officials with the continuing challenges of planning in a changing IT environment. In contrast, the Campus Computing Project's annual survey focuses on campus plans, programs and policies intended to foster use of computers and information technology as a resource for research, scholarship and instruction. The answer is a resounding yes, said Green. Large or small, rich or poor, most campuses are struggling with their own versions of these questions.
Every few years brings an expensive technological revolution.
Rapid change of technology and society's increasing reliance on it is the bogeyman of higher education planning and budgeting. Any budgeting or cost-control effort requires an institution to first identify IT expenses. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Few institutions can provide a reliable figure for their total campus IT spending. To track and control IT expenditures, institutions must engage in a detailed planning process and develop a thorough and realistic financial plan.