The Microsoft Higher Ed Consortium, made up of higher education institutions and Microsoft employees, is working to coordinate collaboration and development to define the next generation learning technologies for higher education. The Consortium is a vehicle for campus leadership to collaboratively define the next generation technologies for education. The consortium has two objectives: | • | Identify and encourage the development of critical teaching, learning and business work roles | | • | Jumpstart the collaborative process with campus leadership |
On This PageGreat ideas come from you: An example collaboration using Microsoft Office SharePoint ServerThousands of higher education institutions have deployed Microsoft Office SharePoint on campus. Many people in those institutions asked Microsoft for additional SharePoint features that are designed to support the unique needs of faculty-student collaboration and course-specific activities. Some higher education institutions developed--at their own initiative and expense--SharePoint capabilities, including | • | MyClasses Web parts | | • | Assignment drop box | | • | Grade book |
Some shared these Web parts in a shared-source environment so that other institutions can use them. Improving the ways and means: The SharePoint platformHigher education institutions can improve the very platform on which collaborate. As they use SharePoint to host discussions and enable multiple channels of communication, often the talk turns to what technological capabilities would make that communication easier and better. When they take those suggestions to Microsoft, change can happen. The results are in: New SharePoint featuresEducation-specific work roles enabled by SharePoint were deemed the most important features. The following are in the process of being developed. The Teaching and Learning Council is now helping shape the following high level features: | • | An Integrated Grade Book Web Part/Web Service | | • | An Assignment Workflow Engine on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 |
Consortium structureSince the launch of this program in July 2007, many Higher Education administrators have joined in the various boards and councils to provide leadership to the community. Any higher education institution can join the consortium. The consortium comprises four boards and five councils. BoardsThe main way by which consortium members communicate is via the boards. The boards communicate the board needs, give recommendations for development priorities and give feedback on their deployment experience. The four boards are | • | Community Colleges Board | | • | Independent Colleges Board | | • | Research Universities Board | | • | State Colleges Board |
CouncilsCouncils focus on specific topics that boards identify. Councils help define the current and future needs of higher education in their focus area. The five councils are | • | Podcasting Council | | • | Services Oriented Architecture Council | | • | Dashboard / Business Intelligence Council | | • | Teaching and Learning Council | | • | Student Collaboration Council |
Join the ConsortiumTo join the consortium, send an email to hec@microsoft.com
| 
