Every year, EDUCAUSE creates a list of the top 10 issues facing Higher Education.  This year's overarching topic is "Institutional Resilience" and how technology and data can advance the cause. 

Here at FlightPath Academics, we're eager to answer the call and explain how we can help your institution soar!

2024 Top 10 IT Issues from EDUCAUSE:

1. Cybersecurity as a Core Competency - In these days of malware and ransom attacks, cybersecurity and the protection of your data is critical. That's why at FlightPath Academics we adhere to the most stringent security practices, utilizing SOC-2/3 servers, and making encrypted, daily backups for rapid recovery of data should there be a breech.
    
2. Beter Decisions through Data Quality and Governance - With FlightPath, you have instant access to the full picture at your university, community college, or K-12 school.  FlightPath uses custom-built AI to quickly summarize at-risk levels and other trends in your students, and creates early alerts before they fall behind.
    
3. The Enrollment Crisis - It's no secret that the so-called "enrollment crisis" is affecting institutions across the world. But by using FlightPath and our other products, like Jetstream CRM, you are provided the data and services needed to better identify prospective students, including non-traditional students, or older students who may have started but then left your institution.
    
4. Diving Deep into Data - The decision-makers on your campus need in-depth and insightful reporting and analytics.  With our innovative software solutions, leadership at your institution can make informed decisions about course offerings, registration shortfalls, and what kinds of support students need for success.
    
5. Administrative Cost Reduction - Along with the enrollment crisis, and shrinking budgets in virtually every area of Higher Education, institutions must find a way to reduce their administrative costs.  We are very proud to say that FlightPath (and all of our products) are some of the most affordable in the industry, while still maintaining a consistent level of security, quality, and value.  Contact us today to discuss how we can replace expensive software solutions on your campus with much more budget-friendly options.
    
6. Meeting Students Where They Are - It is critical that your institution provides students with universal access to the tools they need for success.  And as we've already covered, more students than ever are switching to a mobile-only experience on the Internet (no laptop or desktop computer).  Luckily, FlightPath not only provides an elegant solution for mobile devices and tablets, but also appointment scheduling and even video chat integration through Zoom and other 3rd party tools.
    
7. Hiring Resilience - It is becoming more and more difficult to recruit, hire, and retain IT staff.  With the proliferation of work-at-home employment options, overworked IT staff can now easily find employment anywhere in the country. One way to lighten the burden on your staff, and allow them a better work-life balance, is to use open source tools, hosted and maintained by FlightPath Academics. Just think of us as another member of the IT department, except one which costs much less than a typical employee's salary and benefits.  We take on the heavy lifting with FlightPath, Jetstream, or any other open source system, so your team can stay focused and not feel over-worked.
    
8. Financial Keys to the Future - Or, using technology and data to help make tough choices. Higher Ed institutions struggle every year with shrinking budgets and increasing costs.  As EDUCAUSE describes the situation, "Technology leaders can help reduce administrative costs through consolidation and process automation."  We humbly submit that we are such a company, and would love to have a conversation with you on how we can not only fit into your budget, but even free up revenues previously obligated to other sources.
    
9. Balancing Budgets - Have you noticed how much this list has focused on money and financials this year?  It's the unfortunate truth that inflation and global politics have caused the prices of technology and solution providers to rise, sometimes by double digits.  With Higher Education budgets already in a precarious position, FlightPath Academics actually saves your institution money by reducing your IT budget. In addition to our already low-cost solutions like FlightPath and Jetstream CRM, we can build novel, custom solutions meant to replace existing campus systems, and at a fraction of the price. We'd love to discuss exactly how we can help lower your budget while increasing reliability, engagement, and student success!
    
10. Adapting to the Future - It's important for Higher Education institutions to be able to quickly adapt to change, opportunity, and crises. As EDUCAUSE puts it, technology can be a major driver and solution for change, and here at FlightPath Academics, we're ready to be your partner for years to come.  Whether it's early alerts to bolster retention, or analytics for rapid devision-making, FlightPath is the best solution for academic advising and student success.

Contact us today to start the conversation of how FlightPath can help your institution, and/or schedule a live demo. If you only have a few minutes, feel free to check out one of our quick video tours.