Reimagining the modern campus: A university’s leap into the future of learning

[ad_1] September 21-27 is Nationwide Traditionally Black Faculties and Universities (HBCU) Week. This weblog will acknowledge one of many methods Cisco has collaborated and innovated with these establishments.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-478843" src="https://blogs.cisco.com/gcs/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/IMG_8735-edited-150x150.jpg" alt="Olga Osaghae, CIO at Howard University" width="200" height="204" srcset="https://blogs.cisco.com/gcs/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/IMG_8735-edited-295x300.jpg 295w, https://blogs.cisco.com/gcs/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/IMG_8735-edited-1006x1024.jpg 1006w, https://blogs.cisco.com/gcs/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/IMG_8735-edited-768x782.jpg 768w, https://blogs.cisco.com/gcs/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/IMG_8735-edited-1509x1536.jpg 1509w, https://blogs.cisco.com/gcs/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/IMG_8735-edited-2012x2048.jpg 2012w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px"/> Olga Osaghae, CIO of Howard College When Olga Osaghae accepted the function of Chief Data Officer at Howard College, she walked into a job that was equal components alternative and problem. “It wasn’t nearly upgrading Wi-Fi,” she mirrored. “It was about reimagining what training might seem like in a digital-first world.”

The campus was wealthy in historical past, its legacy woven by way of many years of educational excellence. However beneath that legacy lay an growing old IT infrastructure, placing the college prone to not assembly Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Know-how (NIST) cybersecurity requirements, impacting their eligibility for essential Title IV Federal Pupil Support. The necessity for change was clear—and it wasn’t nearly tech. It was about objective.

From challenges to potentialities The turning level got here throughout a method session with tutorial leaders and IT stakeholders. Conversations rapidly moved past ache factors—like dropped alerts in lecture halls or siloed programs—and commenced to discover what was potential. Osaghae knew they couldn’t do it alone. That’s when the college turned to Cisco.

What if each pupil had seamless entry to studying assets from wherever on campus? What if school might use real-time knowledge to tailor instruction? What if the college might turn out to be a mannequin for what a ‘good campus’ really seems like?

“Our partnership with Cisco wasn’t nearly options—it was about shared imaginative and prescient. They understood the dimensions of what we needed to do. Extra importantly, they understood why we needed to do it.”— Olga Osaghae, CIO The facility—and duty—of AI in training Synthetic intelligence rapidly emerged as a game-changing alternative. Used nicely, it might help school, streamline processes, and determine at-risk college students. However Osaghae knew this sort of innovation got here with deep duty—and “energy with out duty is harmful.”

To make sure moral, clear, and accountable use of AI, the college labored with Cisco to determine a governance framework. Coaching packages had been additionally launched to assist school undertake AI instruments confidently and successfully.

From connectivity to intelligence: Increasing the imaginative and prescient What started with community modernization quickly advanced right into a broader transformation. At this time, the college is exploring Cisco’s capabilities in:

Classes for different establishments on the journey Reflecting on her college’s transformation, the CIO shared highly effective insights for others seeking to embark on an identical path:

Outline clear targets rooted in your establishment’s distinctive mission Assess and standardize your present infrastructure the place potential Prioritize safety and stakeholder engagement from day one Spend money on change administration to carry your total group alongside

Trying forward: A future-ready campus At this time, the college is a residing blueprint for what’s potential when management, know-how, and objective align. The impression is already seen—college students are extra related, school are extra empowered, and the establishment is extra agile in going through the long run.

However for Osaghae, that is just the start. “Our college students are going to alter the world. Our job is to provide them the setting—and the instruments—to do it.”