Convene at EDUCAUSE 2024: Championing Governance in Higher Education

San Antonio, TX — Convene, a leading provider of secure board governance solutions, joined this year’s EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, the largest gathering of higher education technology professionals. The event, held from October 21 to 24 in San Antonio, brought together thought leaders and decision-makers from across the globe to explore and discuss the latest trends in governance and technology for higher education.

Representing Convene were Craig Henderson, US Head of Sales, and Angela Foster from the US Sales team. The two had the opportunity to connect with higher education leaders in IT and strengthen partnerships that will drive innovation in governance for these prestigious institutions.

Henderson shared, “In such a short time and through multiple conversations, we heard of a great need for transparent, collaborative, and secure channels for higher education board discussion, content sharing, and governance. Convene Board Portal, also available in Teams, provides a solution to the uncertainty of data security that keeps higher ed technical teams awake at night.”

As part of this commitment, Convene also joined EDUCAUSE as a corporate member this year, further establishing its position as a trusted partner to help address the unique governance needs of higher education institutions.

What We Learned at EDUCAUSE 2024

Building on last year’s conference, which drew nearly 7,000 attendees from various industries, EDUCAUSE 2024 was another resounding success. The event demoed insightful sessions and workshops on emerging trends in higher education governance and technology. Some key takeaways from the event include:

Changes in leadership models in higher education

EDUCAUSE 2024 featured hands-on workshops to integrate generative artificial intelligence (AI) into educational and administrative practices. Participants learned how to design and implement AI expos that cater to their needs, facilitating faculty, student, and staff engagement.

Through collaborative exercises, attendees created sample exhibits showcasing real-world AI applications and developed strategies to identify AI innovators on their campuses. This initiative not only promotes the practical application of AI but also provides participants with a toolkit of resources and templates to future-proof their organizations.

IT accessibility and inclusivity

As with the rest of the world, the need for inclusivity in IT products was a popular topic at EDUCAUSE 2024. Several discussions were centered on how technology must meet the diverse needs of all students and faculty in support of a truly inclusive environment.

Addressing common productivity challenges that education professionals face, author Beth Ziesenis led an interactive session focused on research-based solutions to streamline workflows. Participants shared the free and budget-friendly tools that they use to enhance efficiency and organization within their team.

The discussion aimed to empower educators and administrators to leverage technology effectively by highlighting practical solutions to everyday frustrations. In return, it will help foster a more inclusive and productive educational environment.

Focus on cybersecurity

Cybersecurity remains a top priority for higher education institutions as they increasingly become targets of sophisticated ransomware attacks. At EDUCAUSE 2024, experts emphasized that it’s not a matter of if an attack will occur, but when. Whether you like it or not, cyber attackers will do their job, and so should you. Institutions must prepare for potential threats by understanding the anatomy of modern ransomware attacks and the critical steps needed to respond and recover.

Sessions provided real-time scenarios demonstrating early signs of an attack and effective mitigation strategies. Successful case studies were also presented, giving attendees some insight into the latest technologies and tactics to detect threats early and prevent security breaches within their institutions.

Convene at EDUCAUSE 2024

Convene’s booth was a hub of activity throughout the conference, with a lot of attendees stopping by to learn more about how our solutions, Convene and Convene in Teams, streamline board governance processes for higher education institutions. Many visitors were also excited about the chance to win a Samsung tablet, and claimed a special 20% discount, exclusively offered to attendees seeking to upgrade to a digital board management system.

Foster expressed her enthusiasm for the strong interest in Convene offerings, “The energy at EDUCAUSE was palpable! It was incredible to connect with so many education professionals who are passionate about leveraging technology to enhance their board processes. Booth visitors had a fantastic response to Convene board solutions.”

We will remain committed to supporting higher education beyond EDUCAUSE 2024. Taking insights from the productive conversations that happened at the conference, Convene will continue to develop its functionalities that meet the governance needs of colleges and universities, helping them manage their boards efficiently and securely.

To learn more about Convene, visit this link.

Missed us at EDUCAUSE?
Don’t worry—you can still book a demo to discover how Convene’s tailor-made solutions can make board management and governance easier.