2014
1. Improving student outcomes through an institutional approach that strategically leverages technology.
2. Establishing a partnership between IT leadership and institutional leadership to develop a collective understanding of what information technology can deliver.
3. Assisting faculty with the instructional integration of information technology.
4. Developing an IT staffing and organizational model to accomodate the changing IT environment and facilitate openness and agility.
5. Using analytics to help drive critical instititonal outcomes.
6. Changing IT funding models to sustain core services, support innovation, and facilitate growth.
7. Addressing access demand and the wireless device explosion.
8. Sourcing technologies and services at scale to reduce costs.
9. Determining the role of online learning and developing a strategy for that role.
10. Implementing risk management and iformation security practices to protect institutional IT resources/data and respond to regulatory compliance mandates. Also included in the #10 slot was developing an enterprise IT architecture that can respond to changing conditions and new opportunities.
For so many years the list mentioned Funding IT, ERP, infrastructure, and a little about instructional technology each year in different orders.
In 2009, five years ago, we saw:
1. Funding IT
2. Administrative Systemes/ ERP
3. Security
4. Infrastructure
5. Teaching and learning with technology
6. Identity and access management
7. Governance, Organization and Leadership
8. Disaster recovery and Business Continuity
9. Agility, adaptability and responsiveness
10. Learning management systems.
It is refreshing to see that IT may be breaking out of the self perception as an infrastructure provider and is now thinking of itself as more strategically. I am hoping this is a good sign that the leadership on campuses is seeing IT as a partner and as part of the solution. I know this is not true on every campus. The 2014 CORE Sata Survey, also an Educause effort, notes that 47% of CIOs are a part of the presidents cabinet on their campus. Another good sign. We are in a time when colleges need to redefine themselves, or at least reaffirm (to themselves) who they are. Colleges that don't recognize the role of technology in the delivery of all products and services will be in trouble.
So good job Educasue and many college presidents for bringing IT to the table. I would like to survey college presidents and see if they agree with the Educause panel. Maybe Educause will do this too!
