TECHNOLOGY
W
ith 30,000 students, two thirds of them located on the main campus at Flagstaff and the remainder at 30 campuses around the State of Arizona or studying online, Northern Arizona University’s (NAU) strapline is: ‘The world looks different from here’. That could be because Flagstaff – at 7,000 feet and surrounded by mountains – is in such opposition to the hot desert that is often associated with the state, but it probably has more to do with its diversity. Its student population contains a high proportion of minority undergraduates, but above all this is a student-centered institution that aims to give people top quality educational opportunities irrespective of their status and background – from college-bound high school student, to busy professional, working parent, or anything between. This commitment is recognized
by its acceptance as an iPass (Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success – a program that involves new approaches to advising and degree planning services for college students along with new technologies) grant recipient. Founded in 1899, the university grew by accretion over the years. When its current President Dr Rita Cheng came on board in 2014, an early priority was to integrate its departments in response to the need for strategic and integrated solutions that support teaching, learning and research in today’s rapidly changing world of technology. As she has pointed out: “In this day and age, in order to stay competitive, it’s important to take advantage of new technology that reflects the vision of our institution.” Accordingly, she set out to appoint
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