03/17/21
In an effort to modernize its operations and improve the overall student and employee experience, Baltimore City Community College is rolling out Ellucian s Banner software-as-a-service platform. The cloud-based enterprise resource planning solution will allow the institution to integrate systems across financial management, human capital management, financial aid, customer service and the college s student information system. It will also allow BCCC to draw on uniform data for decision-making. BCCC s transition to Banner is a major milestone in our overall digital transformation, said Debra L. McCurdy, president of Baltimore City Community College, in a statement. Consistent with our realignment priorities, a uniform technology platform will help to foster an operational framework that will underpin our success in meeting the needs of our students and sharpen our competitive edge. The implementation of this enterprise-wide application will shape our technological produ
03/15/21
California s National University, a nonprofit institution serving adult learners, educators and veterans, is ramping up its textbook affordability initiative to offer students better pricing as well as expanded purchasing choices for course materials. The university partnered with Barnes & Noble College to guarantee lower costs on new and used textbooks, digital materials, as well as offer a marketplace that may provide even more cost-saving options, according to a news announcement.
The university has also incorporated open educational resources in 48 of its courses, saving students more than $1 million a year on textbook costs. And it offers digital textbooks to active-duty military students at no cost (and at a discounted price for other students).
New Opportunities in 2021: Improved Academic Mobility, Flexible Degree Attainment and Skills Verification
The pandemic has accelerated trends in alternative credentials that will be essential to student success in an evolving higher education landscape.
By Stan Novak
03/11/21
While the coronavirus pandemic has certainly presented challenges and highlighted significant issues within higher education, it has also accelerated changes that were coming anyway. Higher education institutions are being forced to grapple with three large-scale converging trends that in normal times would have undergone more lengthy deliberation and debate. But the pandemic has demanded immediate action to contend with academic mobility, degree attainment and the need for a common way to verify demonstrated skills.
03/05/21
Owl Labs has introduced a new suite of features for its Meeting Owl solution, designed to bring more immersive remote and hybrid capabilities to the flagship 360-degree camera, mic and speaker hardware product.
Meeting Owl is a 360-degree videoconferencing tool with camera, mic and speaker integrated into one device. It uses artificial intelligence to discern audio and visual cues to automatically focus and zoom in on whoever is speaking in a room. The new features are:
Owl Connect, which allows two Meeting Owl Pros to be paired together, extending the video and audio reach of the devices by 8 feet in all directions;
03/04/21
A new augmented reality center (ARC) at Oakland University s School of Engineering and Computer Science will offer students hands-on experience in applying AR technology in the manufacturing field. The facility was a collaborative project with the College for Creative Studies as well as regional industry partners.
The center s founding partners including ABB Inc., AM General, Continental, General Motors, Hirotec America, KUKA Robotics, Magna International, MAHLE Industries, Rave Computer, Siemens and US Military Ground Vehicle Systems will serve on an Industrial Advisory Board along with Oakland University faculty, to offer insight into how ARC can implement programs for augmented reality research, training and workforce development.