Download this FREE special report to explore how colleges and universities can break through siloed systems, redundant processes and layers of bureaucratic red tape that weigh down so many institutions, offering solutions to clear a path for better student and staff experiences.
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This special report from Inside Higher Ed looks at how outdated campus systems threaten institutional missions, especially success for modern learners: first-generation, transfer and adult students. It explores not just the root causes of siloed systems, redundant processes and layers of bureaucratic red tape that weigh down so many institutions but also solutions.
Through data, case studies and expert insights, this report shows how colleges and universities can break through institutional complexity and clear a path for a better student and staff experience. By streamlining workflows, integrating systems and aligning technology with modern learner and staff needs, colleges and universities can reduce friction at every touchpoint—leading to stronger retention, improved outcomes and healthier, more sustainable operations.
The report will cover the following:
- Where systems friction lives and how it impedes modern learner success and staff productivity and experience.
- How to start building integrated, student-ready systems that make a difference.
- Why technology solutions and stacks must serve people, not the other way around.
- How smarter campus systems aren’t just a technology upgrade but a student success strategy.
Get a copy of the special report by clicking the "Download" button above. And don't forget to register for the live webcast on Thursday, October 23, at 2 p.m. E.T., featuring Inside Higher Ed's Colleen Flaherty and the report's author, Ben Upton, along with higher education experts, as they discuss the report's findings in greater detail.
Number of Pages: 22 (4.39 MB PDF)
Date Released: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
About the Author: Ben Upton is a freelance journalist based in Washington. He served as Times Higher Education’s Europe reporter between November 2021 and October 2023 and previously covered European research policy for Research Professional News. Before graduating from City, University of London’s journalism school in 2017, he worked in academic publishing and taught at a private university in Wuhan, China.
This report was made possible in part by the financial support of Modern Campus.
Support: Please email store@insidehighered.com with questions regarding the report or your download.