Outsourcing in higher education refers to the practice of contracting with private, off-campus firms to provide or manage services which have historically been provided in-house. Budget cutbacks and declining private support have led to increased use of outsourcing for non-mission-critical and non-instructional services, such as information technology (IT) services. In addition to lower costs, outsourcing can also lead to improved efficiency in service and operations, increased access to new technologies, and increased flexibility in planning. Drawbacks, however, include loss of jobs for college staff, possible declines in employee morale, and the chance that the college's identity and sense of community may be compromised. At New Jersey's Brookdale Community College (BCC), the decision was made to outsource IT services after the rapid growth of computers at the college left the academic and administrative computing departments unable to both maintain installed computers and support new initiatives. Once a company was selected, all of the staff employed by both computing offices were interviewed for positions, with the vast majority being offered positions with comparable salaries and benefits packages. While the move to outsource has given rise to a sense of loss, resentment, and mistrust toward the college among some employees, many of those rehired into the new IT company have indicated that they are positively challenged by their position. Contains 32 references. (TGI)