Increasing Corporate Philanthropy to Enrich Technology Innovation in Higher Education

Abstract

Always a fraught topic in higher education, funding solutions for technology that supports teaching and learning prompt intense debate whenever the subject comes up. Given the necessity of integrating technologies more fully into the curriculum to prepare our graduates for the future, we need imaginative funding solutions to bridge the persistent gap. A good start would be to solidify the relationship between external funding alternatives like competitive grants, particularly from corporate sources, and support for campus innovations. We must initiate a dialogue on campus that focuses on creative solutions to the critical issue of funding and sustaining technology-based projects, learning goals, and digitally based research agendas. Here I outline some ways to build a mutually productive link between academia and the business world.