To Thrive, Colleges Need Fewer, Less Complex, More Robust Networks - Part 3

Now more than ever, higher education institutions are recognizing the importance of a digital transformation. However, as an IT professional, you are tasked with managing multiple complex networks while also supporting the changing digital demands of your campus and finding solutions to improve teaching and learning, the student experience, and safety. In part 1 and part 2 of this blog series, we discussed the solutions IT professionals are looking for. In this blog, we will be equipping you with those solutions to simplify your network while improving experiences for students and staff.

Flexible Learning and Teaching

Instead of the traditional teaching methods, college students now expect flexible learning models that include engaging options such as video, on-demand content, and digital collaboration. In order to support this, you need a high-performing and reliable network. Luckily, RUCKUS has the products and solutions to make the teaching and learning experience one that goes above and beyond the demands of students and staff. Our industry leading innovations and infrastructure such as Cloudpath® Enrollment System and RUCKUS SmartZone™ controllers will transform your campus from the practices of yesterday to meet the expectations of tomorrow.

Our Cloudpath Enrollment System works to enhance the lives of teachers and students by supporting easy device onboarding for a multitude of devices and facilitating seamless connectivity across the campus that allows teachers and students to focus on teaching and learning rather than connectivity issues. The RUCKUS SmartZone controller is another product that can significantly enhance teachers’ and students’ experiences, delivering scalable, robust networks. The simplicity of a SmartZone controller means that IT professionals can easily manage the network. Fewer network related issues means that network users can focus on teaching, schoolwork, and studying instead of dealing with network problems. SmartZone also provides analytics on network usage so that colleges can make data-driven decisions to improve the campus experience.

Read our solution brief on smart campus learning to unlock your school’s potential.

Student Connected Experience

For college students, the campus is more than a place to learn. It is their home. Because of this, the student experience can be a differentiating factor for prospective students choosing their next place to call home, which is why it is critically important to enable a network that exceeds the expectations of students. Because of this, an increasing number of colleges are adopting Internet of Things (IoT) to elevate the college experience and transform into a smart campus. A smart campus allows devices and applications to interact with each other in ways that enhance day-to-day life for college students. For example, smart transit and parking allows students real-time views of traffic and parking availability. With less time spent in traffic and looking for parking, IoT helps students arrive to class on time. Not only can IoT enrich the lives of students, but it can also drive down costs as trends are identified and turned into savings.

The good news for you? Our smart campus living solution brief outlines just how you can achieve a connected and enhanced student living experience. RUCKUS® products and solutions allow for the lifestyle that students are expecting all while lowering costs for you.

Student and Staff Safety

The concern for student safety has never been higher. From data privacy to personal security, there are many issues you must be protecting against. While most colleges already have security measures in place, they often operate separately of each other. Instead, smart campus solutions allow your safety features to work together. Using IoT, cameras, alarms, locks and more can all work together to create a safer campus. One way that IoT can increase student safety is through IoT enabled cameras and sensors, which can detect unusual activity and alert personnel to prevent accidents before they occur. By becoming a smart campus, you can use technology to protect students and staff 24/7.

Get started on making your institution safer by reading our solution brief on smart campus security.

How to Manage Operations for Robust Networks?

For overall operations, RUCKUS AI® is a complete game changer. This powerful tool is designed to provide comprehensive visibility into network operations, which is a crucial factor in maintaining a robust and reliable network infrastructure.

RUCKUS AI uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to automate tasks, meaning you can spend less time on routine maintenance and more time on initiatives that improve teaching and learning, student experience, and safety.

RUCKUS AI also delivers insights into the experience of specific users and devices, which allows IT professionals to quickly identify and resolve issues across the network topology. This is a huge time saver as thousands of students, staff, and guests connect to the network each day. Along with this, RUCKUS AI provides health monitoring, allowing you to identify potential issues before they affect operations.

As a higher education IT professional, you are being pulled in many different directions. Making the business support of your faculty and students easier is one way RUCKUS AI can reduce those demands. Request a demo to see how we can help you and your campus.

Summary - Digital Transformation and a Smart Campus Network

Now more than ever, a digital transformation of college campuses is necessary. Building a smart campus, based upon robust network solutions and new technologies, whether managed or IT-owned, allows all your devices and networks to operate in synch, providing a seamless experience for students and staff. In addition to this, using data and analytics allows for greater visibility into networks and gives IT staff more time to focus on important initiatives to improve experiences for students and staff. Not only are these advanced networks improving the lives of those on campus, but they act as a differentiator in student recruitment, keeping the doors of your institution open longer. To learn how RUCKUS can elevate your campus, visit our higher education and smart campus solution pages.

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