Crosscutting Priority 1: Digital Transformation
NJIT Makes A Human-centered Digital Experience.
As New Jersey’s only public polytechnic research university, NJIT recognizes that technology provides the foundation on which our community teaches, learns, interacts, collaborates, and works. The university’s digital transformation underpins all other strategic priorities, serving as the backbone for our Innovation Nexus. We recognize that rapid technological advances create excellent opportunities to advance efficiencies in the university’s data systems, processes, and workflows. At the same time, the digital dexterity of our workforce must advance to capitalize on new technologies. Through this priority, we will take advantage of a constantly evolving landscape of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality to enhance our operations while maintaining an ethical, human-centered focus.
NJIT will pioneer technological integration in higher education, setting the standard for infusing technology across all facets of an academic institution. As a polytechnic university, we will pioneer the pervasive use of technology not just as a tool but as a foundational element of our identity. At the same time, NJIT will commit to resource stewardship and operational excellence by leveraging technological innovations to improve outcomes in every aspect of the institution. We will embed technology in our operations, academics and infrastructure, ensuring it becomes intrinsic to operationalizing all aspects of our strategic plan. This commitment extends to the responsible management and utilization of resources, ensuring that every process is optimized for efficiency and every policy crafted for effectiveness.
KEY METRICS
- Efficiency and effectiveness of digital business processes
- AI research and application – funding and activities
- Student and employee satisfaction with digital tools and systems
As generative AI and other technological advances change the nature of teaching, learning, research, and work, focused investments in this area will establish NJIT as a leading AI-centered university. Strategic efforts will enhance efficiencies through modernized systems, streamlined digital processes, and enhanced professional development to advance the digital dexterity of our workforce. New investments here will ensure that the university develops a coordinated and coherent approach to leveraging the opportunities of AI in education, research, operational excellence, and infrastructure.
To meet our students where they live, we will pioneer technologies and modalities that offer students the flexibility to participate in high quality, STEM-focused learning experiences regardless of time and space. We will promote lifelong learning by continuously innovating our in-person, online and professional/continuing educational experiences based on emerging skills and technologies.
ACTIONS:
Formalize organizational and support structures to enhance all aspects of NJIT’s credit and non-credit digital education offerings.
Invest in infrastructure to enhance NJIT’s ability to create and offer cutting-edge academic programs using innovative digital learning tools.
We will expose students to emerging technologies at the forefront of their fields to position them for success, while also integrating and examining the ethical and moral impact that these disruptive technologies have on our community and culture. We will ensure our students of the future receive a top tier educational and social experience by becoming early adopters of digital tools that support learning and a holistic student experience. By doing so, our students will develop the power skills necessary to be digital leaders in a rapidly changing world.
ACTIONS:
Integrate cutting-edge technologies into the curriculum to develop career-ready graduates who are the first choice of employers.
Implement a comprehensive digital strategy to improve communication, engagement and support throughout the student lifecycle.
Apply data-driven insights to improve student success through proactive identification and elimination of challenges and bottlenecks.
We will foster interdisciplinary research, innovation, and entrepreneurship through a digital ecosystem that enables collaboration unbounded by space and time. A unique digital inventory of past, ongoing, and new research, equipment, and resources will showcase the impact of NJIT and the opportunities available to our local, regional, and global communities. This directory will also position our faculty and staff as experts in their fields, enabling future collaborations based on expertise and resources.
ACTIONS:
Apply technological innovations to streamline administrative research tasks, enhancing efficiency and reducing complexity for principal investigators and support personnel.
Develop a digital inventory of research equipment to improve accessibility, increase efficiency, and facilitate collaboration.
Implement innovative technologies to highlight faculty achievements including enhanced faculty profiles and automated CVs.
NJIT will enhance the employee experience through a digital framework that will strengthen NJIT as a great place to work. From recruitment, a personalized career path, and ultimately retirement, our diverse workforce will be supported through digital platforms that provide meaningful work and professional development experiences. Understanding that our digital transformation must be human-centered and impact all members of the community, we will push the boundaries of technology to facilitate collaboration and innovation at NJIT.
ACTIONS:
Utilize data analytics and business intelligence to monitor the employee lifecycle including hiring, performance management, career progression, professional development, and compensation to increase employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction.
Implement modern technologies for finance, human resources, and identity and access management to improve business processes and workflows.
Increase the capabilities of our workforce through expanded opportunities for training and professional development.
Strengthen data security and protection through robust security measures and a modern network to protect data availability and integrity.
Embracing the paradigm of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, NJIT is primed to adopt continuous digital evolution. Through the continuous improvement of enterprise systems and early adoption of state-of-the-art applications, we will continue to build a seamless digital ecosystem. Additionally, by harnessing the power of advanced analytics and establishing an intelligent data repository, we will empower decision-makers with real-time, AI-driven insights, transcending intuition and propelling strategic choices into a culture governed by data-driven wisdom.
ACTIONS:
Transform NJIT into a Smart Campus, providing intuitive, seamless experiences for students, faculty, and staff.
Integrate AI into governed dashboards and reports for improved data accessibility, quality, and insights to inform decision-making.
Publish a framework for deploying emerging technologies to increase awareness and ensure consideration of privacy and ethical guidelines.
Embed accessibility across campus to improve usability and ensure a fully inclusive environment that benefits all students.