With 2017 now fully underway, Higher Ed IT departments are busy adapting to new trends and implementing emerging technologies. It can be difficult to keep up with every new advancement, especially as a CIO. That’s where we come in as your Higher Ed IT hub! Here are our picks for the must-read Higher Ed IT articles from last month.

Choosing the right vendor in Higher Ed IT is essential to providing students, faculty, and staff with the technology and services they need. Selecting the wrong vendor could be disastrous for the longevity of your project, potentially putting you massively over budget and past your expected deadlines. Ensuring that the product you’re looking into fits within your budget and meets the needs of your project is a good start, but there are a few less obvious and often overlooked items to consider when choosing a vendor. Keep these following items in mind during your next project to avoid any unnecessary hang-ups and complications.

Although Higher Ed may be slow to adapt to new tech trends, it can be tough to keep up with every new technology or innovation─that’s where we come in. Let us save time out of your busy schedule with our list of the must-read Higher Ed IT articles from last month.

The success of an IT project in Higher Ed relies heavily on the strength and organization of the team responsible for its completion. That being said, building a dream team of department employees and contractors will not necessarily guarantee that your project runs smoothly. In fact, there are more subtle, and often overlooked, ways to improve the chances that your project meets its deadline, stays on budget, and exceeds stakeholder expectations. Here are a few of the best tips to keep in mind during your next Higher Ed technology project.

As with any workplace, staff costs can make (or break) your budget. In Higher Ed IT, we are often asked to spin straw into gold; creating the most robust technology environment possible using minimal university resources. One way to produce under such pressures is to create the right balance of team member types, hiring independent contractors for certain roles and employees for others. While there are many benefits to hiring an employee, such as loyalty, continuity across projects, and the retention of years of knowledge, there are also many benefits to working with an IT contractor.