Genesis

The idea for the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research evolved from a converging set of needs in the higher education and IT communities. Today's college, university, and corporate leaders need reliable, research-based analysis to support complex and consequential decisions.

When EDUCAUSE listened to leading members of the academy and to the corporate community we were challenged to supplement the traditional EDUCAUSE focus on the management of technology in educational environments with one focusing on management of the educational enterprise in technology-enriched environments. EDUCAUSE leaders observed that:

• "Many associations tend to focus more on the academy as it has been, rather than what it is likely to become."
• "We will need greater agility and flexibility to survive in the future."
• "If higher education institutions are to survive, they need new (and multiple) models from which to choose."
• "In higher education, a new competition is emerging, and EDUCAUSE needs to help institutions get into these new arenas, identifying business models and processes that will allow survival."

Perhaps most importantly, EDUCAUSE members and corporate advisors counseled that institutions and individuals are looking for research-based strategies, solutions, and innovations that are effective in the networked environment. ECAR was established to meet those needs.