Video Conferencing Team Collaboration Collaboration Devices Engineering

Higher education, meet Webex

Mar 18, 2020 — Emily Brennan

Cisco Webex collaboration solutions for education

Imagine ivy-covered buildings, students playing frisbee in the quad, and hoodies emblazoned with school colors. What comes to mind? For many people, it’s a college or university campus. For me, however, higher ed is connected classrooms, mobile-friendly interactions with faculty, and taking my university with me—wherever I am.

Students today expect a seamless and personalized digital experience from colleges and universities, from their initial application to their last day in the classroom. As a former digital communications professional at Ivy League and Big Ten universities, I relied on Cisco Webex collaboration solutions to make digital interactions more human. Whether you’re a faculty member looking for ways to connect your classroom or an administrator looking to build connections on campus and in the world, Webex can help you to innovate your institution.

Student–centered enrollment

Choosing a college or grad school is a stressful process, from applications and costly campus visits to understanding financial aid and selecting a school that is the right fit. Admissions offices can easily center the enrollment experience around student needs with Webex Meetings and Events.

Connect with prospects around the world by using Webex Events. You can host online info sessions and potentially reach applicants who might not be able to visit in person or connect with your Admissions team at a local college fair.

Planning a virtual admitted student day or decision day? You can drive meaningful interaction with admits by using Webex Events to host Q&A panels with current students, sit in on a faculty lecture, poll parents and partners on their thoughts about supporting their loved one in school, and much more. No need to worry about picking a date that doesn’t compete with other campus events or decision deadlines—everything is recorded so you can share the link whenever with whoever might need it.

For moments that matter, Webex Meetings can be a powerful tool for creating personal connections and involving your campus community in recruitment. With Meetings, you can cut down on the carbon footprint of admission interviews, have face-to-face conversations during sensitive financial aid counseling sessions, host virtual campus tours with student guides, or attract your top applicants with one-on-one coffee chats with faculty or the Dean. The options are limitless.

Connected classrooms and campuses

Surveys have shown Gen-Z students prefer video-based learning more than previous generations—but is your institution prepared to adapt? If you’re transitioning to virtual learning, Webex Meetings and Teams are the perfect combination to keep your classroom connected, so learning doesn’t have to stop. Plus, Meetings and Teams work seamlessly with popular learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas, Moodle, Sakai, or Blackboard with the Webex Education Connector.

If your institution has multiple campuses, bringing your school communities together—culturally and logistically—can be a challenge. Webex Meetings and Devices can seamlessly bridge the distance across locations. Need some ideas to encourage cross-campus collaboration? Connect students through club meetups or student government summits, expand access to guest speakers and special events, or enable cross-disciplinary faculty connections to propel innovative research—all with Webex.

Whatever your role in your higher ed community, there’s a way you can use Webex to innovate the student experience and improve collaboration across campuses. Webex is a proud educational partner for many institutions.

I’m proud to now work for Webex, at the intersection of human and digital interaction. Now I want to hear from you: how will you use Webex to revolutionize the higher ed experience?