Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

A new road map for college CIOs

The first step to transforming the IT organization is developing a service-oriented culture within IT, the road map says.

According to a new report, colleges and universities are facing new market forces, such as online education and MOOCs, which challenge the traditional ways they recruit students, raise money, and deliver services—and the role of the college CIO is also changing, requiring a new road map to success.

The report, “Innovation and Transformation: Going beyond the social campus,” is sponsored by Enterasys Networks and co-authored by Michael Krigsman, CEO of the information technology consulting and research firm Asuret.

“The CIO today is at a crossroads,” says the report: “Embrace stakeholder participation in technology decisions, or risk becoming marginalized. This choice is difficult, because IT’s historical role as guardian of corporate assets requires tight control over computing resources, even though users have come to resent this cultural style.”…Read More

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College CIO academy: Translate the ‘techno babble’

College CIOs could retire en mass over the next decade, creating a huge challenge for educational technology leadership.

The sometimes indefinable role of a college’s chief information officer has become clearer for six campus technology staffers after a week of eight-hour days learning, among other lessons, how to communicate with higher-ups and manage dwindling IT budgets.

The college staff-turned-students attended Excelsior College’s first Center for Technology Leadership (CTL) program at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md., where educational technology experts led classes on topics ranging from how to lead a campus technology department to understanding local, state, and federal rules and regulations.

This month’s program had nine attendees. Tuition for the week-long program was $2,500, and students stayed in the National Labor College’s dormitories.…Read More

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CIOs prepare peers for their changing roles

A survey shows the number of CIOs considered "business strategists" is growing.
A survey shows the number of CIOs considered "business strategists" is growing.

An international group of chief information officers has developed a program designed to shift higher-education technology leaders from a purely technical role to one with more executive power, putting them side by side with campus decision makers who call the shots.

The CIO Executive Council, made up of more than 500 CIOs from across the globe, released a detailed model last month that guides current and prospective IT officials in a more business-oriented approach to the job of managing a company’s or campus’s computer infrastructure.

While the council’s model – known as the Future-State CIO – includes technical expertise as part of the base for a successful technology leader, the organization’s vision for a more influential CIO involves more interaction with stakeholders and bosses.…Read More

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