How will we be using information technology tools to conduct the business of education in the future?
DO: In the next three to five years, I think we will see a great deal of effort put into integration and the creation of a seamless educational enterprise. A lot of information is still being transferred manually from department to department or office to office; we need to move to a point where all the systems talk to each other. Fifteen years ago, institutions invested substantially in creating networks. Each department had a separate e-mail system; however, the separate systems could not exchange information. So, in spite of the technology, we were isolated from each other. A similar problem exists today. Colleges and universities have lots of Web sites and portals, but one portal does not necessarily interface with another. Instead, you have to log on with a different ID and password at each portal. When performed under the rubric of a single institution, this inconveniences users and erodes institutional coherence. By updating systems and integrating IT tools, we can make manageme