Fayetteville State University Report November 2022 | Page 11

FSU
Secure and inclusive access to digital Aside from this , the IT team must also take into account the issue of student retention . It ’ s a problem that not only plagues the university , but , more importantly , hinders the progress of potential graduates . While lecturers and professors are the first pointof-contact for alumni , without inclusive digital tools , teams are unable to deliver the curriculum in ways that cater for individuals with varying capabilities and education levels .
“ A lot of our students come from Tier I or Tier II counties , which are the lower economic counties in our region . So , many students have limited skills , which could hinder their progress at college or university level ,” says Dr . Molina .

“ We ’ re almost at the tail end of the pandemic , and I think it has changed students ’ perception on receiving a college education ”

DR . HECTOR M MOLINA VICE CHANCELLOR FOR INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY AND CIO , FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY
“ Student retention , then , is a really big deal . We have to figure out how to keep them past their freshman fall semester , right into their spring semester and onto graduation .”
This is one of many challenges that creates an exciting environment for the IT team — in the eyes of their CIO — as there are continual opportunities to develop current processes and meet the needs of an everchanging digital environment . “ Finding solutions for those various problems is what excites me ,” says Dr . Molina .
Strategy is where the CIO ’ s head operates best and , to meet the needs of such a large
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