JUNE 2018CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM9in higher education are vetted through a myriad of constituent committees, ensuring a thoughtful, yet unhurried and transparent process. Faculty and students very much want to be "part of the process" in major campus decisions (including IT), even if these decisions do not directly impact them. CaseA very successful business CIO goes to a midsize higher education institution. He hits the ground running, making major changes and optimizing several forward-facing customer service processes. Also, he institutes new procedures for how support will be given to students and faculty. These changes save the institution money and bring efficiencies. However, these decisions, in large part, were made without input from the faculty. The faculty become distressed with the new processes and perceived lack of transparency. More changes take place at a brisk pace. The Faculty Senate, the faculty's representative body, brings these concerns to the attention of the CIO and President. The CIO said these changes were necessary, and saw those complaining as people opposed to change. Ultimately, the faculty "voted" to have the CIO removed... and the President fired him.While this case may be the extreme, it highlights the important of campus constituents. There may have been other factors that led to the CIO's dismissal, but the point of the story is to demonstrate how groups can coalesce against a CIO. The best way to work within the politics of academia is to build alliances and consensus within these heterogeneous groups. Many senior non-academic executives shy away from contact with faculty, except during contentious times. Change this dynamic, and reach out to work with key faculty and student groups to build alliances, partnerships, and consensus.PrioritiesIssues such as affordability, accessibility, and the value of higher education have propelled it to the forefront of our country's national dialogue. Institutions are challenged with more governmental oversight and regulation while, at the same time, provided less public support and funding. The coupled challenge to grow faculty research and innovation, while increasing enrollments, puts pressure on faculty with additional teaching responsibilities. Higher education would seem to have several competing and conflicting priorities. For example: the challenge to increase security of the campus networks, while providing open access to the university and enabling connection by any internet-enabled device. Often, IT competes for scarce personnel and financial resources with other areas such as student recruitment, faculty enhancement, and regulatory compliance. The prioritization and importance of IT can become lost in the shifting sands of priorities. IT is usually seen as a cost center and the producer of negative deliverables: it does not produce direct ROI, but is needed to reduce the likelihood of a negative event. One of the best ways to raise the priority of IT is to change the view of IT from cost center to facilitator and innovator. Every department within most colleges is doing more (i.e., teaching, research, recruitment, etc.) with a lot less resources. IT can become a strategic partner in facilitating change and innovation. Through initiatives such as data mining and analytics, process automation and improvement, and workforce mobility, IT becomes a value-adding partner.One great way to ease transition angst and pain is to seek out a seasoned mentor within higher education. A mentor who is successfully running an IT operation within academia can be an important resource, regardless of the wealth of experience you may possess. Good mentors help you see a larger picture, and assist in navigating the different paces, priorities, and politics of academia. Business IT leaders can transition into the world of higher education. The same practices that made you a successful senior IT executive in business and industry, with some tweaking and refining, can help you transition into a highly successful career move within academia. Business and industry IT leaders have so much to offer academia in terms of experience, knowledge, and real-world execution...once they've mastered their new world order. One of the best ways to raise the priority of IT is to change the view of IT from cost center to facilitator and innovatorLeebrian E. Gaskins
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