How Colleges Leverage Summer to Upgrade IT Before Fall 2025 July 7th, 2025 Reading time: 3 Minutes When students pack up and campuses quiet down, colleges have an opportunity that’s bigger than just empty classrooms. For IT leaders, summer is the single best window to tackle the upgrades, migrations, and fixes that keep core systems stable when thousands of students return in the fall. But what exactly makes summer so critical for IT modernization, and how can institutions make the most of it before Fall 2025 brings students, faculty, and pressure back to campus? The Hidden Risks of Standing Still Higher education leaders understand the stakes. According to EDUCAUSE’s June 2025 QuickPoll, The Data-Empowered Institution, which includes upgrading legacy data systems, ranks as the top priority for institutional IT leaders. Yet many critical modernization projects still get pushed to the busy academic year when system downtime can disrupt enrollment, financial aid, and student success services. Summer is the only realistic window to take core systems offline for maintenance, patch known vulnerabilities, and test new configurations under minimal load. Skipping this window increases the risk of performance slowdowns, security incidents, and emergency fixes during peak demand. Why Summer Is the Smart CIO’s Power Season Summer upgrades are not just about maintenance. The colleges that treat summer as a strategic modernization season are the ones that protect themselves from bigger problems later. For example: Student Information Systems (SIS) and ERP migrations: Complex transitions often require weeks of testing and staff training. A quiet summer allows teams to catch issues before student records or payroll are impacted. Network and infrastructure updates: From replacing aging hardware to expanding secure Wi-Fi, these projects avoid costly outages when campuses are full. Cybersecurity improvements: Summer is the ideal time for vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and patch management. These steps are much harder to roll out mid-semester. Cloud transitions and integrations: Moving legacy apps to the cloud is less disruptive when user activity is low. Each of these upgrades brings one clear outcome: a more resilient, modern IT environment ready for the demands of a new academic year. Looking Beyond the Project List Too often, colleges approach summer projects as isolated tasks, but the institutions that get ahead use this time to align upgrades with long-term digital goals. Modernization is not only about what gets fixed today but about how IT can better support enrollment, student success, and campus growth tomorrow. CIOs leading this shift ask questions like: How will this upgrade improve service delivery for students? Does this modernization help reduce costs or free up IT teams for more strategic work? Are we building a roadmap to keep us competitive or just patching what’s broken? These conversations move summer from a season of catch-up to a launchpad for lasting change. What Happens Next Summer will always be a window of opportunity, but smart colleges treat it like a lever. They use downtime to shore up vulnerabilities, modernize systems that power every student touchpoint, and create breathing room for staff who need a head start before September. A proactive plan now means fewer surprises and smoother operations later. If you are mapping out last-minute upgrades or planning next summer’s roadmap, take this season seriously. It could make the difference between scrambling to fix issues in September or starting Fall 2025 stronger than ever. Ready to talk about your institution’s IT priorities? Contact us to learn how we can help you prepare for what’s next.

From AI to Real-World Wins: My Top Goals for EDUCAUSE 2025 August 18th, 2025 Every year, EDUCAUSE brings together the brightest minds in higher education technology, along with plenty of coffee-fueled conversations. This year feels especially exciting. With AI adoption moving into practical applications, data integrations reshaping decision-making, and partnerships driving innovation faster than ever, EDUCAUSE 2025 promises more than informative sessions and a tote bag of giveaways. It is an opportunity to experience the future of campus IT up close. As I prepare for the event, I have been building my personal “must-see” list. It covers the big technology trends, the real-world strategies, and the kinds of hallway conversations that can spark game-changing ideas. Here are six reasons I am genuinely looking forward to EDUCAUSE 2025 and why I believe these topics matter for every higher education leader focused on technology, learning, and growth. 1. Seeing AI in Action for Higher Education Artificial intelligence has moved beyond being a buzzword and is now proving its value in everyday campus operations. I am eager to see how institutions are using AI to improve both efficiency and outcomes, from automating routine IT tasks to helping admissions teams identify students who may need additional support. I am equally interested in how campuses are ensuring AI remains ethical, transparent, and aligned with institutional values. 2. Unlocking the Power of Data Insights and Integrations Data becomes more valuable when it is connected, accessible, and put to work in meaningful ways. EDUCAUSE offers a chance to explore how campuses are integrating data across academic, administrative, and financial systems to make decisions faster and with greater accuracy. When institutions connect their data effectively, they gain the ability to act with confidence and agility. One example is Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which partnered with OculusIT to transition from Tableau to PowerBI. By integrating dashboards, providing on-demand support, and training users, WPI was able to accelerate adoption and ensure smoother decision-making through connected data. 3. Learning from Innovative Partnerships Many of the most impactful changes in higher education happen through strong partnerships that combine campus expertise with the right technology. I look forward to seeing examples where these collaborations have improved access to resources, accelerated modernization, and delivered measurable results without creating additional administrative complexity. At OculusIT, we have more than 20+ CIOs and certified CISOs on staff who bring forward looking leadership and guidance to modernize technology and improve student success, making partnerships not just about implementation but about long-term strategy. 4. Exploring Campus Cybersecurity in the Age of AI Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly complex as both threats and defenses evolve with AI capabilities. I want to learn more about how institutions are using AI to detect and prevent attacks before they disrupt operations, and how they are making security measures both stronger and easier for users to navigate. 5. Bridging the Gap Between IT Strategy and Academic Goals A strong technology strategy should work hand in hand with an institution’s academic mission. I am hoping to hear stories of campuses where IT and academic leaders collaborate from the earliest planning stages, ensuring that technology investments directly enhance teaching, learning, and research outcomes. 6. Building Real-World Connections Some of the most valuable moments at EDUCAUSE happen in informal settings, where attendees share challenges, trade solutions, and realize that many institutions are navigating similar issues. These conversations often lead to partnerships and initiatives that create lasting impact long after the event ends. Why This Matters Beyond the Conference EDUCAUSE is not just another industry gathering. It is where the ideas, relationships, and strategies that will shape the future of higher education IT begin to take form. I am attending with an open mind, ready to learn from peers, share insights, and return with approaches that can be applied immediately to strengthen the institutions we serve. If you are attending EDUCAUSE 2025, let’s connect and explore how we can collaborate to drive innovation and improve outcomes for your institution.

From AI to Real-World Wins: My Top Goals for EDUCAUSE 2025 August 18th, 2025 Every year, EDUCAUSE brings together the brightest minds in higher education technology, along with plenty of coffee-fueled conversations. This year feels especially exciting. With AI adoption moving into practical applications, data integrations reshaping decision-making, and partnerships driving innovation faster than ever, EDUCAUSE 2025 promises more than informative sessions and a tote bag of giveaways. It is an opportunity to experience the future of campus IT up close. As I prepare for the event, I have been building my personal “must-see” list. It covers the big technology trends, the real-world strategies, and the kinds of hallway conversations that can spark game-changing ideas. Here are six reasons I am genuinely looking forward to EDUCAUSE 2025 and why I believe these topics matter for every higher education leader focused on technology, learning, and growth. 1. Seeing AI in Action for Higher Education Artificial intelligence has moved beyond being a buzzword and is now proving its value in everyday campus operations. I am eager to see how institutions are using AI to improve both efficiency and outcomes, from automating routine IT tasks to helping admissions teams identify students who may need additional support. I am equally interested in how campuses are ensuring AI remains ethical, transparent, and aligned with institutional values. 2. Unlocking the Power of Data Insights and Integrations Data becomes more valuable when it is connected, accessible, and put to work in meaningful ways. EDUCAUSE offers a chance to explore how campuses are integrating data across academic, administrative, and financial systems to make decisions faster and with greater accuracy. When institutions connect their data effectively, they gain the ability to act with confidence and agility. One example is Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which partnered with OculusIT to transition from Tableau to PowerBI. By integrating dashboards, providing on-demand support, and training users, WPI was able to accelerate adoption and ensure smoother decision-making through connected data. 3. Learning from Innovative Partnerships Many of the most impactful changes in higher education happen through strong partnerships that combine campus expertise with the right technology. I look forward to seeing examples where these collaborations have improved access to resources, accelerated modernization, and delivered measurable results without creating additional administrative complexity. At OculusIT, we have more than 20+ CIOs and certified CISOs on staff who bring forward looking leadership and guidance to modernize technology and improve student success, making partnerships not just about implementation but about long-term strategy. 4. Exploring Campus Cybersecurity in the Age of AI Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly complex as both threats and defenses evolve with AI capabilities. I want to learn more about how institutions are using AI to detect and prevent attacks before they disrupt operations, and how they are making security measures both stronger and easier for users to navigate. 5. Bridging the Gap Between IT Strategy and Academic Goals A strong technology strategy should work hand in hand with an institution’s academic mission. I am hoping to hear stories of campuses where IT and academic leaders collaborate from the earliest planning stages, ensuring that technology investments directly enhance teaching, learning, and research outcomes. 6. Building Real-World Connections Some of the most valuable moments at EDUCAUSE happen in informal settings, where attendees share challenges, trade solutions, and realize that many institutions are navigating similar issues. These conversations often lead to partnerships and initiatives that create lasting impact long after the event ends. Why This Matters Beyond the Conference EDUCAUSE is not just another industry gathering. It is where the ideas, relationships, and strategies that will shape the future of higher education IT begin to take form. I am attending with an open mind, ready to learn from peers, share insights, and return with approaches that can be applied immediately to strengthen the institutions we serve. If you are attending EDUCAUSE 2025, let’s connect and explore how we can collaborate to drive innovation and improve outcomes for your institution.