In higher education, technology is supposed to be an enabler. But for too many CIOs and IT Directors, managing AV across multiple campuses feels like a constant game of catch-up. One school invests in Zoom Rooms, another prefers Teams, a third cobbles together legacy hardware from three different vendors. The result? Faculty frustration, student complaints, and an IT staff drowning in support tickets for systems that never seem to work the same way twice.

This isn’t just an inconvenience. Fragmented AV strategies across campuses create hidden costs, erode productivity, and undermine the institution’s ability to deliver consistent, modern learning experiences. When every classroom feels different, training faculty is harder, supporting users is more resource-intensive, and scaling up new initiatives becomes nearly impossible.

Picture this: a brilliant professor stands in front of a packed lecture hall, ready to deliver a captivating presentation. But instead of engaging the room, she’s fumbling with disconnected cables, outdated projectors, and inconsistent AV controls. Across campus, a science lab with cutting-edge equipment has no reliable way to capture simulations for remote students. Meanwhile, the IT team fields daily support tickets from frustrated staff trying to figure out ten different AV setups across ten different classrooms.

Sound familiar?

Higher education is evolving rapidly. As institutions strive to meet the needs of diverse learners, modernize campuses, and stay competitive, technology plays a crucial role in shaping the future of education. One area where technology is making a transformative impact is audio-visual (AV) solutions.

AV technology enhances collaboration, engagement, and accessibility, creating environments where students and faculty can thrive. But with so many options on the market, which solutions are truly essential for today’s higher education campuses?

Here are five must-have AV technologies that every modern institution should consider.

Distance learning and extension programs are excellent ways for higher education institutions to increase enrollment and reach without making large investments in new buildings, staff, and other infrastructure. But the colleges and universities that will benefit the most these programs are those that create a remote learning experience that is equal to that of the classroom. Here are three questions to help you determine whether remote students can participate to the same extent and in-classroom students—and here’s how to fix it if they can’t.