It is likely that the mission of higher education drove many of us into serving this important sector. Whether we are passionate about the transformative impact of higher education or believe the quest for knowledge is a noble pursuit, we genuinely care about our students and our campus communities. Our work has value and meaning despite the challenges that come with working in a complex environment that can be slow to change or transform.
But, almost two years into the disruption wrought by the pandemic, many higher ed professionals – from faculty to admissions pros to IT pros – are resigning and leaving higher ed altogether to take stock of their careers or pursue jobs in the higher-paying and remote-friendly private sector. Compounding this problem is the fact that many higher ed pros are suffering from burnout directly related to taking on more work for the same pay.
As this popular tweet demonstrates, higher ed is grappling with the effects of the extreme pressure on employees. At Apogee, we witness and help our customers through this challenge daily. Our mission revolves around higher ed transformation by helping administrators get relief from day-to-day network and IT operations so they can focus on the important.
To help you navigate and respond to these unnerving challenges, we invite you to take just one hour this month and spend it with Apogee in our new free online short course, Unlock Time to Drive Higher Ed IT Innovation. In just 15 minutes per day over four days we aim to provide you with empathy for what you’re facing, the reasons to persevere through the difficulties, and the actionable steps – including hands-on worksheets – to unlock the time you need to focus on what matters and innovate. December is a great time to take stock, focus on thinking about the future, and align your professional and personal goals for 2022. Watch this preview to get a feel for the online short course and then read on for 7 more reasons to sign up in December.
Here are 7 more reasons to sign up for the Apogee short course in December:
- You’re a higher ed IT pro drowning in the day-to-day. The Apogee short course is designed to help you not only get your head above water, but also help you swim and not tread water once you do. In countless customer conversations this year, we have heard time and again that you and your team feel over-worked and have high staff turnover and lower levels of the expertise needed to advance your goals. In most cases, we hear that your college or university leadership is on your side and that you have strategic plans that solve for more immediate needs while seeking more innovation, but time, human resources, and expertise are the enemy. If this sounds like you, our course is tailor-made for you.
- You don’t know how to fight the “keep it in-house” status quo dilemma. You’ve got a wish list of innovations and leadership support to do them, but you don’t know how to address them without an IT partner’s support. “Outsourcing” is a word still fraught with fear and negativity, and “managed technology services” is not well understood. Overcoming the need to keep certain projects in-house is key to unlocking time, expertise, and innovation. Our course provides clear steps and guidelines for determining what is strategic versus operational, how to use SWOT analysis to evaluate a partner, and how to determine what should stay in-house versus what should be outsourced.
- You want a unique but quick and actionable study experience. Apogee has had a mantra of “blended learning is here to stay” for over a year now, and we eat our own dog food. We developed this online short course with you in mind – we know your time is limited and that you want actionable advice without having to dedicate hours to a meeting or webinars. Our short course is designed to be completed in 15 minutes per day over four days and to adapt to learning styles for auditory learners, visual learners, and kinesthetic learners. There are four modules, one each day that average out to 15 minutes per day, that blend video and worksheets for a quick yet immersive experience. Once enrolled, you can access the course for life.
- You want to study at your own pace, or you have webinar fatigue. One major advantage of online learning is flexibility, a must right now for higher ed professionals who have no time and likely need a break from webinars. Our course sends you an email each day over four days inviting you to take one module per day. You must take each module to unlock the next one, but you can schedule these on your calendar at your leisure. You can also download the worksheets and complete them on your own or with your team members. The opportunity to organize your work as you see fit lets you take your own time with the things that really interest you, or review things you’re still unsure of whenever you feel like it.
- You want to learn something new. Innovation in higher ed can be hampered by the status quo and the fact that the sector can be slow to embrace change. But higher ed is built on the pursuit of learning and knowledge. One needn’t implement every idea, but if you take just one idea from our course and move forward with it, the impact could be remarkable. If you are seeking new ways of approaching IT, now is the time to consider managed technology services. Our short course guides you through what this means, how to evaluate potential partners, and whether Apogee could be the right fit for your campus.
- You want to be inspired to keep going. At Apogee, higher ed is our higher purpose. Our short course kicks off by reminding us why we are here and the important moment that we’re living in right now to create sustainable change and equitable outcomes within higher ed. If you’re burned out and want to be inspired to continue creating a legacy at your institution, sign up for free and invest just 17 minutes in Module 1, our Imagination Challenge, and complete the worksheet. We are confident that once you start the course, you’ll be hooked!
- You want a free Four Fits© assessment by Apogee. If you complete the course and survey this month, Apogee will work with you to schedule a free Four Fits workshop, a collaborative process designed to explore and understand your institution’s current and desired state in four areas: (1) Culture – executive sponsorship, communication and collaboration, and governance, (2) Operations – integrating Apogee processes to deliver exceptional service, (3) Technology – optimizing Apogee support, meeting SLAs, and staying ahead of the curve, (4) Finance – proper stewardship of your school’s resources and how Apogee works within your budget.