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Attendees of the 2009 NERCOMP Annual Conference will have the opportunity to bring information back to campus to share with colleagues, including conference proceedings and resources. Sessions covering greener, sustainable IT; ways to be more efficient in uncertain financial times; and using Web 2.0 technologies like Twitter in the classroom will provide helpful solutions for use after the conference. This conference offers numerous valuable opportunities to meet and learn with others in similar areas who work in higher education IT.

The early bird registration deadline has been extended to February 23--register now to save money with low rates.

Create some preconference buzz! Post your thoughts about the upcoming conference on Twitter at #NC09. Set up your free Twitter account today.

Registration is now open for the Security Professionals Conference 2009, "Safeguarding Our IT Assets, Protecting Our Community's Privacy," which will offer a unique setting to meet with fellow securitypractitioners and other IT professionals focused on data privacy and security, discuss similar problems, and learn about useful solutions. Browse the program online, then register before March 23 for low rates.

The ten most widely read articles from last year’s online edition of EDUCAUSE Review focused on open education, Web 2.0, virtual worlds, e-books, digital libraries, analytics, and the top issues facing higher education IT:

Data for fiscal year 2007-08 are now being collected for the Core Data Service (CDS) database on campus IT environments. Eligible institutions should complete the CDS survey by March 30. View the 1,016 institutions that participated last year.

EDUCAUSE launched the CDS to provide comparison data about campus information technology environments and practices to help members benchmark and plan for IT at their institutions. View related EDUCAUSE Connect resources: IT Funding, Higher Education Funding, and Budgets.

Attend the Western Regional Conference 2009, “Finding Common Ground Among Shifting Technologies and Expectations,” April 14–16 in San Francisco to:

• Hear from and interact with innovators and forward thinkers in sessions about bleeding-edge topics such as IT funding in the current economy and IT sustainability.
• Network with colleagues to explore ways to overcome common challenges and learn what's going on in the profession in your area.
• Contribute to conversations in roundtable sessions focused on themes like openness, including topics such as values sharing, collaboration, and open access to knowledge and resources.

Register now to save money with low early-bird rates.

EDUCAUSE has released a discussion summary about the impact of the economic downturn from the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) December 2008 Symposium, “Managing the Funding Gap: How Today’s Economic Downturn Is Impacting IT Leaders and Their Organizations.”

The financial crisis and the impact it will have on higher education is on everyone’s mind. A primary goal of EDUCAUSE this year is to stimulate discussion and serve as a conduit for the exchange of ideas that will help its members address today’s economic challenges. This white paper highlights changes already made as well as scenarios for addressing the additional challenges likely to arise in the coming months.

2009 Horizon Report

The 2009 Horizon Report, released today at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, spotlights six emerging technologies that are likely to have a significant impact on higher education in the next one to five years, presenting an overview accompanied by examples and suggested readings for each technology. The report is based on research by the New Media Consortium (NMC) and is a collaborative effort of the NMC and ELI. Read the press release for more information.

Register now for the virtual seminar, The New FERPA Regulations: Compliance for Colleges and Universities, January 29, 12:00 noon–2:00 p.m. eastern time. The new Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations make significant changes regarding disclosure of student educational records. This seminar, presented by NACUA in cooperation with EDUCAUSE, will review the most important new provisions and requirements in the regulations. Learn more about how to register.

Last November, EDUCAUSE held a two-day IT Greening and Sustainability Summit in Adelphi, Maryland, at the University of Maryland, University College. Those participating included several thought leaders in the industry—a cross-section of relevant higher education professionals, as well as those outside the academy. EDUCAUSE has released a white paper, The Role of IT in Campus Sustainability Efforts, which captures key findings from the brainstorming, discussion, and resource sharing and outlines a higher education agenda for moving forward.

Attend the 11th Net@EDU Annual Meeting: Cyberinfrastructure for E-Research, February 1–3 in Tempe, Arizona, and learn about the latest developments in network and system security, regional and state networking, identity management, federal IT policy, converged communications services, and policies for national broadband connections. This smaller conference provides numerous opportunities for intimate discussion with colleagues who have similar challenges and goals surrounding these topics. Register now.