How to Future-Proof Your Higher Ed IT Infrastructure

Both factors are major reasons why campus IT infrastructures will need to be modernized and future proofed over the years. But those factors aren’t the only things that are either currently straining IT infrastructures or will do so soon.

Other Factors Impacting IT Infrastructure

The pandemic forced many campuses to pivot quickly to remote learning options. Almost five years later, administrators are finding that while many students have come back to campus, a significant number want to continue using remote learning, either full-time or in combination with on-campus classes. Still more are interested in using digital materials and tools in their classes regardless of where or how they take classes.

Another change that will affect universities’ IT infrastructures is the push toward smart universities and the proliferation of Internet of Things systems at its core.

The concept incorporates more than just remote learning initiatives. It includes the management of campus resources such as energy, transportation and security systems. There is also the potential to manage student needs and health through IoT, as well as assist with things such as class attendance, evaluation and feedback, and STEM education.

In addition, campus IT infrastructures must accommodate a constantly shifting population needing network access on campus and off, with uptime as close to 100% as possible. That last factor is critical: A 2022 EDUCAUSE survey showed that 77% of respondents experienced at least one technology issue in the previous school year.

Modernizing Campus Infrastructure to Support Future Needs

Given all of these potential changes, what do universities need to do to upgrade their infrastructures to meet these demands? First, they will have to devote more resources than they have in recent years: EDUCAUSE found that median IT expenditures by higher learning organizations totaled just over $10 million for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

There will be a need for both cloud storage and computing resources, which will require security and monitoring. Edge computing will become a more important part of schools’ infrastructure, putting students closer to where they can access applications and data, which will require energy-efficient processing and storage.

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Physical footprints need to be fortified, with campuses looking to upgrade cabling and provide students and faculty faster and more reliable wireless access via Wi-Fi 6 and 6E.

Institutions Can Take a Phased Approach to Modernization

University CFOs might be looking at a massive outlay to future proof their IT infrastructures, but seeing what other schools have accomplished should give them some ideas about how to spread the financial load in the coming years.

For instance, initiatives can be phased in over the next few years. In 2022, the University of Florida upgraded its research network to provide up to 200 gigabits per second of throughput; the rest of campus gets up to 20Gbps of throughput. The idea is to provide the highest speeds to the departments that will potentially need it the most and not spend the money on capacity and speed that won’t be as necessary for most students and faculty.

Another planning step is to implement monitoring on all devices, including basic equipment such as universal power supplies and cooling devices. Using IoT-enabled devices and monitoring as much of the infrastructure as possible allows for remote management and identification of problems before they cause serious problems. Monitoring also provides a picture of just what pieces of the infrastructure might be upgraded, moved or reconfigured and which parts are underutilized.