A number of people have asked about innovation and how we can be more innovative. This is an interesting question. Back in the 80’s and 90’s IT was new and a lot of innovation came from faculty, students, and staff at universities. IT has matured. Universities depend on IT and as a result are less tolerant of issues and outages. Innovation is primarily centered around the faculty and I am proud to say NYU is a leader.
Most of us spend all our time delivering the IT services on which NYU depends. There is little time or resources to develop new technologies. Some of us provide support to innovators as they develop new technology or uses of technology.
There is room for and a requirement for innovation and creativity though. It might not seem as exciting but it is even more important. That is incorporating the most recent processes and best practices which leads to introduction of new tools.
Continuous improvement requires us to keep up with our areas of expertise, determine whether new practices would benefit NYU, and then (the hard part) put them into practice. Sometimes these new practices require or benefit from a new tool. This includes making the case to get the resources for new tools.
Another way we can be innovative is to help others understand and leverage new technology. I’m sure most of you have been approached by someone who wants to buy a new technology. We can help them understand the problem they are trying to solve and how well the new technology will actually address the issue. Then as we know, putting the technology in place is only half the battle. Training and supporting them as they leverage the technology to solve the problem is every bit as important and installing technology.
It might not be as exciting as you hoped, but in the long run it is absolutely vital if NYU is going to continue to be a global leader.
Take Advantage of the NYU Federal Credit Union
I recently was elected to the board of directors for the NYU Federal Credit Union. As I was going through my orientation there were two points that really struck me. First, credit unions are not-for-profit so all their profits go back to the members. They are essentially a bank with a mission to better the lives of their members. The second is that as a federal credit union they are a conduit for a whole host of grant programs from the U.S. government and that last year eight grants for homebuyers that they had available went unclaimed. They went unclaimed because people didn’t know about the opportunity.
Here are some examples of what they offer:
- NYU FCU offers up to 95% financing on 1 to 4 Family Homes, Condos, and Co-Ops in all 50 states up to $3,000,000.
- If you have outstanding debt and little cash flow, a Mortgage Preparedness Loan can help you consolidate your debts and make one affordable monthly payment.
- Through our partnership with Federal Home Loan Bank NY, first-time homebuyers have a chance to apply for a $20,000 grant during open grant rounds.
- A 20% down payment is required to avoid having to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). NYU FCU will lend you half of the required down payment to lessen the cost of your new home with a fixed rate loan, or a variable rate line of credit.
- Each New York city borough offers Neighborhood Housing Services (NSH) to their communities. Take advantage of housing counseling, grant opportunities for first time homebuyers and current homeowners, home repair assistance, and more.
I encourage you to investigate the NYU FCU. Membership eligibility is an additional benefit of working for NYU of which you might not have known.