Life’s a Beach (Or Another Bumper Sticker Phrase)

Each of us likes to imagine ourselves sitting beside the Gulf, letting the water lap our feet, a fruity drink in hand. It’s an easy lifestyle. It's the dream setting, the freedom to step away (or retire) without fear that things will fall apart in our absence. The days, weeks, or even years of planning and preparation to retreat and enjoy our destination of choice can be strenuous, chaotic, and sometimes filled with uncertainty. 

However, planning and preparation will only get you so far.  Even if one is to achieve this destination, the larger question looms: are you able to be present? Are you able to soak it in and sit and do nothing and enjoy your time? With all of the interruptions and ways to access each other ubiquitously via technology -- 24 hours a day -- can you really escape? 

If you serve as an administrator at an institution, you may be responsible for the health, maintenance, and stability of the IT infrastructure, or the upkeep of the grounds and facilities, or the general well being of 3,000 students living on your campus. At what point is it possible to step away and distance yourself, if even for a week?

These are the questions that lead us to our upcoming series on Disaster Recovery and Planning.

We believe there is a clear path towards finding that stability and reliability that every institution deserves. After all, you deserve it! Your team deserves it! Everyone deserves that break and a flight to the Keys with loved ones for a few days (or a few weeks). Let’s face it: we are connected. Everywhere, at any time. The reality is, we can enjoy our dream setting now with just a little bit of preparation and planning and support. And the best news is, we don’t have to wait until our retirement plan is in repayment. 

This is our primer on Disaster Recovery. We spoke with many in the Higher Ed community, and we've heard stories of how some folks are managing resources more efficiently than ever (for little to no additional overhead). Best practices are ripe and ready to be employed by institutions willing to make the time. If, as you follow along, have questions or comments, please let us know. We offer this guide not as a map to success, but rather as an approach to helping your institution become less dependent on the resources that are required to keep things running on a day-to-day basis, and more focused on institutional effectiveness as an operation. 

By considering the possibilities of what could happen in a worst-case scenario, it becomes easier to lay out a framework and a road map for how to react if and when the time comes. More importantly, you will find that you are free to address the immediate needs of the institution, the students that each of you service, and the teams that you lead.

Effective planning will allow you the opportunity to be present, no matter what your dream setting. It's time to put that plan in motion!