These modifications have had some real tangible benefits for students as well. We want to use IT not to just enhance learning, but to ensure that students have the best possible support information. As a publicly funded university, we are subject to governmental oversight and funding decisions. This represents a sea change in understanding. As things unfold here, I predict that the pace will accelerate in 2002-2003.
Universities have an intrinsically unstable cost equation.
About 80 percent of university cost of operations is salaries. Our challenge in administration will be to use technology in the ways that successful U.S. service-industry firms have to increase customer service and simultaneously decrease costs. They are incredibly sophisticated. Many schools now expect freshman to arrive with a laptop with certain specs and that will link to the network. Classrooms will be renovated to accommodate laptops.