Higher Digital

🎙️Bringing you another insightful episode of TRANSFORMED as we head into the holiday weekend here in the US, featuring Christina Baum, MBA, PMP, CIO and VP of Digital Transformation at Utah Valley University. In this conversation, Christina shares how UVU is leveraging IT as a sustainable catalyst for strategic change. Listeners will learn about:

- UVU's journey of rapid growth and the challenges it presented
- The creation of partnership director roles to improve collaboration across campus
- Strategies for prioritizing IT projects and managing expectations
- Implementation of shared standards and solutions across the enterprise, while maintaining transparency
- How to leverage AI to enhance student success, including the innovative "TA in a Box" project

Christina offers valuable takeaways on structuring IT organizations to drive priority-based work and converging on shared solutions to focus on innovation. If you're in higher education, or frankly any industry undergoing digital transformation, our expert guest provides actionable steps you can take to align technology with institutional goals.

https://hubs.ly/Q02MNdZ60

Tune in to TRANSFORMED wherever you get your podcasts for an example of strategic IT leadership in higher education in action. 🏁

Leveraging IT as a Sustainable Strategic Change Catalyst IT teams can be a change catalyst for strategic transformation, in higher ed or any industry, especially with support from the top.

📣 Our own Jess Evans, Ph.D., Vice President of Strategic Services, joins in Nashville, TN in October. Dr. Evans, previously named to the Top 100 Women in Technology and a Design and Innovation Fellow, joins other thought leaders to explore a timely Tennessee topic, "Beyond Music and Medical: Understanding Nashville's Thriving Tech Scene."

Register to join the conversation -
https://hubs.ly/Q02M1P4R0
🎓
Venue is the County Music Hall of Fame - how cool is that??? 🎵

In today’s higher education landscape, effective data dashboards are essential, but they are just one piece of the puzzle. To truly harness the power of data, leaders must integrate dashboards with strategic portfolio management to align priorities and drive impactful change.

Our latest blog explores best practices for maximizing the value of your dashboards, from using trusted data to emphasizing collaboration and asking the right questions. Discover how to transform insights into action and support your institution’s mission.

Strategic Prioritization: The Missing Piece to Unlocking Data-Driven Decision Making Find best practices for combining portfolio prioritization and data-driven decision making to give higher ed leaders tools for success.

🎙️New Episode Alert: TRANSFORMED Podcast! 🎧

🚀 Our latest episode of TRANSFORMED is live! This time, we're joined by Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at PASSHE, who shares her incredible experience leading the merger of programs from Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield universities into the newly formed Commonwealth University.
In this episode, Dr. Rogers-Adkinson dives into the strategies and innovation that made this massive transformation possible, all while maintaining a focus on what's best for students. 🎓💡
If you're curious about how higher ed can adapt and thrive in challenging times, this episode is for you. Listen now and see how collaboration and strategic thinking can truly transform an institution! 🎧
👉 https://hubs.ly/Q02LmcHy0


Subscribe or follow TRANSFORMED wherever you listen, to get the latest episode when it drops and hear directly from higher ed leaders and innovators sharing best practices in change management and digital transformation.

Harvesting Necessity to Mother the Reinvention of Programs When universities merge, business drivers require that leaders reinvent higher ed programs, to optimize offerings for student success.

Please join us in welcoming Ian Taylor Head of Digital Transformation at Brunel University London, to Higher Digital's Design Partner Program! 📣

One of Ian’s goals is to find effective ways to work with decision-makers in setting priorities for a portfolio of initiatives, using insights from data to regularly evaluate progress and adjust as necessary to maintain strategic focus and minimizing unnecessary changes or additions.

The Design Partner Program encourages transformation leaders like Ian to share their real-life experiences and vision for improved tools, data, and practices with a cohort of higher ed peers. If you share such a vision and want to contribute to shaping the future of digital transformation in higher ed, we invite you to apply to the HIGHER DIGITAL Inc. Design Partner Program. Learn more and apply here: https://hubs.ly/Q02LjW5s0

Welcome, Ian! 🙌

Become a Design Partner Struggling with portfolio management? Join our Design Partner Program to test drive (SEA)results & engage with peers with the same challenge.

📣Transformation Update newsletter is out!📣

Even in the midst of the Olympics and some serious weather this summer, we keep the information flow going. We point to a recent podcast (Transforming the Strategic Plan to Transform the Institution), a joint white paper with Instructure, a new blog linking prioritization practices with data dashboards, and an invitation for transformation pioneers to join our next Design Parnter cohort.

If you didn't receive the newsletter in your inbox, subscribe today to stay up to date! ⚡https://hubs.ly/Q02KhbRF0

🎙️New Episode Alert: TRANSFORMED Podcast! 🎧

Join Joe Gottlieb, President and CTO of Higher Digital, as he and guest, Jim Brigadier, CEO of Ready Education, talk about the direct impact of student engagement on student success, backed up by real data.

You’ll hear how Ready Education is revolutionizing student engagement and driving success in higher education. Jim Brigadier, a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran and seasoned EdTech leader, shares his unique journey and the innovative strategies his team employs to connect students with essential resources and support systems.

Tune in to learn about the critical role of mobile engagement in enhancing student retention and success, and hear real-world examples of how institutions are navigating the challenges of the modern educational landscape.
Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead in the ever-evolving field of higher education! Listen now and transform your approach to student engagement. 🚀🎓

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform! 🎧

Subscribe or follow TRANSFORMED wherever you listen, to get the latest episode when it drops and hear directly from higher ed leaders and innovators sharing best practices in change management and digital transformation.

higher.digital

Executive Consultant with Higher Digital, Joseph Moreau, shared his insights as a panelist in a recent EDUCAUSE webinar on "Leveraging Consultancies in Higher Ed." Listen in on the engaging conversation through the recording (available for EDUCAUSE members).The panelists explored practical ways the right consultancy team can enable and accelerate higher education transformation, as a trusted partner to guide the process and extend capabilities.

EDUCAUSE Webinar | July 18, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET Webinar | Leveraging the Power of Consultancies in Higher Ed

"...SaaS offers standardized, scalable solutions that are continually updated with new features and security enhancements. This shift reduces the technical debt associated with maintaining heavily customized systems and places the onus on enterprises to adapt their processes to the capabilities of the SaaS platforms. Leaders must now prioritize agility, fostering a culture of rapid iteration and learning to leverage the latest technological advancements."

☝️From our recent white paper, "Transforming the Academic Enterprise: Navigating Change & Maximizing Capabilities to Engage Students of Today and Tomorrow."

If you're charged with implementing SaaS solutions, like an LMS, read this white paper authored by Higher Digital CEO, Wayne Bovier and Instructure Chief Academic Officer, Loble.

www.connect.higher.digital

🎙️ New episode alert! 🚀
Give a listen to our latest TRANSFORMED podcast to hear how Utah Tech’s leadership team cycled through a series of strategic plans and adapted as they achieved overarching goals along the way.

Dr. Michael Lacourse takes us through creating a compelling vision, engaging the entire campus community, aligning initiatives with specific teams and roles, and adapting plans as circumstances change.



Listen now on your favorite podcast platform! 🎧

Subscribe or follow TRANSFORMED wherever you listen, to get the latest episode when it drops and hear directly from higher ed leaders and innovators sharing best practices in change management and digital transformation.

Transforming the Strategic Plan to Transform the Institution Flexible strategic planning cycles evolve as institutions execute, leading to changes and growth that drive transformation.

Emily Rudin, our new Chief Client Officer, recently shared her thoughts about the value higher ed institutions gain by implementing SaaS solutions in a recent blog post. As a former in higher ed, Emily shares her ideas about how to evolve and grow in higher education through innovation, without being overwhelmed by common roadblocks.

A New Chapter: Transformative SaaS Solutions Higher ed can gain value from transforming to SaaS by addressing the challenges inherent in such initiatives head-on, with a trusted partner.

It's a perfect time for a webinar, when you get to hear from an experienced Higher Education practitioner!

Join Joseph Moreau, Executive Consultant at HIGHER DIGITAL Inc. in a webinar next week, hosted by EDUCAUSE: Leveraging the Power of Consultancies in Higher Ed.

You can learn from the perspective of highly experienced and "in the know" consultants, like Joe, as you tackle vital projects in higher ed. Joe has faced similar headwinds and shares ways you can stay on track.

EDUCAUSE Webinar | July 18, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET Webinar | Leveraging the Power of Consultancies in Higher Ed

Bringing our Design Partners to the top of your feed... Our first cohort has been incredible, adding their voices to guide development direction for (SEA)results(R), a strategic portfolio management system for higher ed. Their open minds, real-world inputs, frank feedback, and willingness to share their challenges has led to amazing insights as our development team explores capabilities that are truly transformational for higher ed technology leaders aligning strategy with ex*****on.

Led by Joe Gottlieb, president and CTO, and Pacini, director of product management, the Design Partner Program welcomes and sincerely values the contributions of these higher ed experts. Cohort 1 includes Arizona State University, Kent State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rollins College, St. John's University, University of Idaho, University of Southampton, and Ventura County Community College District. Follow the link if you're interested in applying to join a future cohort to add your perspective.

Higher Digital Launches Software Design Partner Program Enabling Strategic Portfolio Management for Higher Education Higher ed leaders in the our Design Partner Program help advance a strategic portfolio management system that serves their needs.

The latest Transformation Update hits our readers' inbox today, highlighting recent opinions and insights from higher ed leaders like Dr. BARNETT BROOKE D Provost, and Beckwith, Chief Strategy Officer of Butler University in the recent TRANSFORMED podcast about the possibilities and impacts of Dual Transformation in higher ed. We also celebrate that higher ed technology strategist and leader, Jess Evans, Ph.D., has joined HIGHER DIGITAL Inc. in our mission to to empower higher education institutions of all sizes to enhance their capacity for change and transformation through technology.

Sign up here for future updates, about every six weeks: https://hubs.ly/Q02DfXhs0

🎙️ Exciting news! Our latest episode of TRANSFORMED features two incredible guests from Butler University: Melissa Beckwith, Chief Strategy Officer and Dr. Brooke Barnett, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
🔍 In this episode, we explore the concept of dual transformation and its application in higher education. Melissa and Brooke share their experiences and strategies at Butler University, emphasizing the delicate balance between strategic objectives and operational urgencies. Note – this concept applies to leaders across industries!
🚀 We also dive into the creation of Butler Ventures, a groundbreaking initiative that’s reshaping the future of academia. Tradition meets innovation, and the results are inspiring!
🎧 Ready to learn more? Tune in to the full episode of TRANSFORMED now. https://hubs.ly/Q02CD5F80
📌
Don’t miss it! Listen and subscribe. 🎙️

Listen to this short clip for a taste of the three-way conversation.

Subscribe or follow TRANSFORMED wherever you listen, to get the latest episode when it drops and hear directly from higher ed leaders and innovators sharing best practices in change management and digital transformation.

Dual Transformation as the Growth Engine for Higher Ed Dual transformation can improve operations today while building a growth engine for your institution. Learn from Butler U's experience.

📣 We're excited to announce that Renee Pacinai has been promoted to Vice President, Product Marketing at Higher Digital!

In this elevated role, Renee will focus on building out our digital transformation platform for higher education institutions, through strategic portfolio management and other capabilities. Her deep expertise in the higher ed market will be invaluable as we continue enhancing our software solutions and services.

A veteran of the higher ed technology space, Renee brings over 30 years of experience leading product marketing, client success, implementation consulting, and product strategy.

We're thrilled to have Renee in this vital executive position as Higher Digital continues our mission to transform and elevate the higher ed experience through innovative consulting and technology solutions.
https://hubs.ly/Q02Bbc300

Congratulations, Renee! 🎉

Higher Digital Promotes Renee Pacini to Vice President, with a Focus on Strategic Portfolio Management and Digital Transformation Capabilities A veteran of higher education, Renee Pacini brings significant experience leading product marketing for software solutions.

We learn from our teammates every day, and you can, too! Join Joseph Moreau, Executive Consultant at HIGHER DIGITAL Inc. in a webinar next month hosted by EDUCAUSE: Leveraging the Power of Consultancies in Higher Ed. It's a topic near and dear to our hearts! You'll hear how you can benefit from highly experienced and "in the know" consultants, like Joe, as you tackle vital projects on your ever-longer to do list.

Register here:

EDUCAUSE Webinar | July 18, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET Webinar | Leveraging the Power of Consultancies in Higher Ed

🏀 Ready for the Next Level of Digital Transformation? (And a few basketball references?)

As the NBA finals kick off, we’re reminded that just like mastering the triangle offense, achieving sustainable digital transformation requires a deep understanding of the interplay between leadership, change management, and technology.

We’re excited to share the second installment of this blog series from our president and chief technology officer, Joe Gottlieb, titled Triangulating Leadership, Change Management, and Technology for Sustainable Digital Transformation.

We dive deeper into how these three elements work together to drive lasting success, much like a championship-winning team, with a focus on foundational elements, spacing, movement, adaptability, and ex*****on.

While the Celtics and Mavericks drive to win the NBA Finals, your organization can also aim for greatness by mastering the dynamics of digital transformation. Read the blog for new insights and practical strategies to elevate your digital transformation and change management game. And start designing your own championship ring!

https://hubs.ly/Q02zlmVH0

Always so productive to collaborate with the team in person, with thanks to those that joined virtually as well. Sharing ideas, validating hypotheses, brainstorming key initiatives, aligning efforts - this is how we do it at HIGHER DIGITAL Inc.!💡

No, not a throwback post! We are super-excited to add another higher ed expert to the management team at Higher Digital! Jess Evans, Ph.D. joins as Vice President, Strategic Services, starting this week. Jess has deep expertise in digital transformation leadership and comes from an environment that values technology advances. One of Jess' super powers is knowing how to mitigate risks and and reap the benefits of modern systems and architectures. Welcome, Jess!

Higher Digital Adds Dr. Jess Evans, Higher Ed Technology Leader, as Vice President of Strategic Services Higher Digital management team expands with addition of Jess Evans, proven expert in higher ed technology and leadership

Meeting people in person - still the absolute best thing about live events for the HIGHER DIGITAL team! An added bonus is making at least one of these people smile when they win a prize in our booth drawing - on this , we're highlighting one of the winner's from 2023 Ellucian Live event: Lauren Almgren Shiver from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Hope you're enjoying your favorite content, maybe even the TRANSFORMED podcast, on those airpods!

Join us in welcoming industry veteran and higher ed tech rock star, Emily Rudin, to the Higher Digital team! With 25+ years of experience, the drive to push boundaries, and energy to guide our clients, Emily fits right in with the team and will work hard to amplify the voices of institutional leaders as our new Chief Client Officer.

https://hubs.ly/Q02x8b6Y0

Higher Digital has just published the next episode of the TRANSFORMED podcast. Every other week we interview experts on higher education, digital transformation, and the challenges and promises represented by both.

In this episode our guest, Ali Houshmand, President of Rowan University, speaks with host, Joe Gottlieb, about the principles he applies as a leader, including measuring against objectives over time and creating a summary report, filled with the facts and figures that show quantitative results of the team’s initiatives - just the facts! Dr. Houshmand stresses the value of transparency and communication across stakeholder groups as they work toward organizational targets.

https://hubs.ly/Q02tZl380

Subscribe or follow TRANSFORMED wherever you listen, to get the latest episode when it drops and hear directly from leaders and innovators in higher ed tech and change management best practices.

Follow Digital to hear about new discussions with higher ed leaders and visionaries.

Principle-Centered Leadership for Confident Transformation With principle-centered leadership, institutions can be objective, progressive and successful in moving their teams towards strategic goals.

Is technical debt one of those things you know is out there but you'd really rather not deal with right now (or ever)? You're not alone... but you've got to get on top of it! Especially as a technology leader in higher ed.

Rocha, a senior consultant on our talented team and former Chief Information Technology Officer for Coast Community College District puts his perspective into a new blog on , including the many innocuous ways it builds in any tech environment, the serious challenges it leads to, and proven best practices to get it under control, move your institution forward, and reduce risks.

https://hubs.ly/Q02tmjd_0

Retiring Technical Debt and Reducing Risk Technical debt contributes to cyber-security risk, disrupts innovation and limits outcomes in higher ed. Here's how to retire technical debt.

One week later, we're still flying high after so many ELive 24 conversations! Our team enjoyed engaging with everyone who stopped by to learn how we can help with higher ed system integrations and keeping important transformation projects on track. Shout-out to Charles Jones of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) as one of the lucky winners of a set of AirPods in our booth give-way!

If you watched the eclipse from a less-cloudy location and we haven't talked yet, reach us at https://hubs.ly/Q02t21XH0l/contact to start the conversation. Our experts are standing by (except Captain Kirk🤭). Colleen Emar Baker Joe Gottlieb Joseph Moreau Dan Küffer Lederhandler