Balancing Digital Access and Privacy


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Balancing Digital Access and Privacy | EDUCAUSE Showcase Series

Colleges and universities are focusing on increasing digital access for students while also maintaining privacy and data protection. To support students, institutions can promote technology democratization and efficiency, collaborate with AI for student success, support libraries for digital access, and streamline the student technology experience.

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Promote Technology Democratization and Efficiency

Globally, the emphasis on making technology and infrastructure more accessible, efficient, and effective has grown, enabling more people to use technology in meaningful ways, and these efforts have been strengthened by recent developments in AI. Expanding access, however, brings heightened risks for data security and privacy.

Dive into the 2025 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report | Teaching and Learning Edition

Actions to take for using AI Tools for Teaching and Learning | - Start with your own professional learning. - Create policies to guide students' use of Al tools and provide opportunities to experiment. - Provide all students and faculty with access to the Al tools they need. - Raise awareness about Al tools and adhere to all Al-related policies. - Look for gaps in human-delivered services at your institution. - Test the efficacy and accuracy of Al tools regularly, even after procurement. 2025 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report I Teaching and Learning Edition

Psst! Learn about using and communicating with data in the EDUCAUSE Data Literacy Institute - June 2025.

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Collaborate with AI for Student Success

Institutions are increasingly turning to cross-functional collaborations that blend expertise from diverse domains to meet the complex and evolving needs of students. Among the most promising of these collaborations are those that bring together the power of AI, the inclusive accessibility of modern academic libraries, and the human-centered support strategies of student success initiatives.

Find out more in “Empowering Student Success through AI-Driven Collaboration”

'True innovation in student success requires a convergence of perspectives and expertise - Technological, Academic, Humanistic, and Practical.' | K. Bharat, 'Empowering Student Success Through AI-Driven Collaboration,' EDUCAUSE Review.

Psst! Check out the EDUCAUSE Leadership Series | 8 Dimensions of AI Literacies: Institutional Strategy for Future-Readiness - June 2025 to learn about achieving an ideal future of AI literacy.

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Support Libraries for Digital Access

Libraries increasingly face cyberattacks, rising politicization, book bans, and market privatization. Institutions can strengthen the services their libraries provide and expand digital access by championing models where libraries own and manage their collections and support publishers of all sizes.

Check out the full interview with Brewster Kahle from the Internet Archive here

Psst! Learn about the evolving intersection of generative AI and Open Educational Resources (OER) in the EDUCAUSE Learning Lab | Applying Generative AI to Open Educational Resources: Enhancing Learning and Solving Ethical Challenges - September 2025.

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Streamline the Student Technology Experience

Student survey data indicate a desire for seamless experiences with technology. Meanwhile, students who believe their institution is on the cutting edge in its adoption and use of technologies are the most likely to feel career-ready and able to succeed due to their higher education experience.

Learn more in the 2025 EDUCAUSE Students and Technology Report: Shaping the Future of Higher Education Through Technology, Flexibility, and Well-Being

Psst! Dive into the Teaching with AI EDUCAUSE Online Program to learn about incorporating AI into classroom curricula.

Showcase Webinar

Missed the Showcase Webinar | Balancing Digital Access and Privacy? Review the slides and check out the recording webinar recording here.

Preparing to expand digital access with privacy in mind doesn’t stop here. Continue on to find additional resources and insights from your peers, industry experts, and EDUCAUSE.

Hear from the Community and Analysts

Hype Cycle for Privacy, 2024Footnote1

How Tech Elevates Off-Campus Education

Feed Your Curiosity

Hear from Your Peers in EDUCAUSE Review

Dive into the Data and Research

Professional Learning Opportunities

Continue the Conversation in Community Groups

Bookmark EDUCAUSE Library Pages

Meet the Industry Experts

Get to know Hernan Londono, Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist, Lenovo in this quick clip.

Don’t miss the next Showcase.

We hope you learned more about balancing digital access and privacy in this showcase. Next up, we’ll explore how institutions can prepare for and address a growing number and range of risks in the Institutional Resilience showcase.

Note

  1. Gartner, Hype Cycle for Privacy, 2024, By Bernard Woo, Stefan Dumitrescu, 29 July 2024
    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

What’s the EDUCAUSE Showcase Series?

The EDUCAUSE Showcase Series takes a closer look at our popular Top 10, spotlighting the most urgent issues identified each year by the higher ed community, with the curated tools and resources you need to guide your campus forward. Explore the 2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10 to learn more.

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