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Research and Experience: The Role of theStrategic and Adaptive Chief Information

Officer in Higher Education

Reuben S. Dlamini & Mark AskrenEDUCAUSE Enterprise IT LeadershipConference Friday, May 18, 2012



Agenda

The Changing Expectations for the CIO

The Purpose of the Study

Survey Results and Recommendations

One CIO’s Experience with the TransformedRole

Discussion of the Next Wave of CIO Strategyand Adaptation



Introduction

This research examined the evolving role of information technology executive inhigher education with the objective of detailing the skills and experiencesnecessary for the CIO employed in higher education institutions, theexpectations of the leaders in higher education of these individuals, and howleaders in higher education view the role of CIO.

The IT executive position has evolved from that of just being the head of information technology within an organization “to that of crucial organizationaldecision maker responsible for the development and implementation of projectsintimately connected to the survival of the organization” (Lima, 2006, p. 2).

According to Evans (2009), “CIOs are given more strategic roles than everbefore, yet they are simultaneously seeing their budgets being cut whileexpectations remain unrelenting” (p. 25).

The CIOs are being challenged to embrace and drive business change andreplace old and inflexible computational infrastructure with more robust andintegrated ones appropriate for the behavior of the modern university.

Furthermore CIOs are attempting to change the perceptions that theirdepartments are “cost centers rather than creators of value and accelerators of innovation” (Evans, 2009, p. 25).



The Changing Expectations

Institutions of higher learning seek dynamic, innovative Chief Information Officers to provide

vision, leadership and coordinate comprehensive academic, research and administrativecomputing services (Chronicle Careers, 2009; Chronicle Careers, 2010; Overby, 2009; CIO-2-CEO, 2009; Heller, 2009).

CIOs are to support all institutional computing compliances activities: network security,institution data management, unified communication, desktop and laptop support, Internetconnectivity, intellectual property, and government regulations applicable to systems operations(Chronicle Careers, 2009; Chronicle Careers, 2010; Overby, 2009; CIO-2-CEO, 2009; Heller, 2009;

Pastore, 2010; Curan 2010). The CHECS 2008 study reported that 47 % of CIOs were projecting their departure from their

current position by the next decade (CHECS, 2009).

The CHECS 2009 study reported that 45 % were projecting their retirement in ten years time(CHECS, 2009). The decline could be attributed to the economic meltdown leading to negativeimpact on retirement funds, or some of the CIOs already left their position (CHECS, 2009).

According to Parry (2010) 47% of higher education CIOs are expected to retire in the nextdecade, and there is a shortage of people with the “proper training and mentoring to step intothese complicated jobs” (p. 1).



The Changing Expectations Continued

Due to the redefinition of the business of higher education, the position is no longer highly focused on

technical issues and is increasingly influencing other institutions’ business strategies.

Former Chief Information Officer at Georgetown University, H. David Lambert said, “The scope and complexity of the role has really grown. It's easy to feel some days like I'm not the CIO but the risk-management officer for theinstitution, because every element of risk management comes back to IT” (Young, 2010, p. 1).”

The Director of Information-Technology Policy at Cornell University, Tracy Mitrano acknowledges the complexity of the position as she said, “In the past it took strong, assertive, very traditional leadership…I think a CIO of thefuture is going to have to be a strong team player and much more of a negotiator, not only within the university

but with the vendor community” (Young, 2010, p. 1).

President Emeritus of the University of Colorado, John Buechner, “based on my experience, chief informationofficers often view their world as distinct from the rest of the academy…From my perspective, presidents wantsomeone who is expert in technology but also a multidimensional person who understands what universitycultures are about, what governing boards can or can't do, and the politics of academe.” (Buechner, 2005, p. 250).

In 2003 the first Chief Information Officer at the University of Maryland at College Park, Mr. Donald R. Riley,resigned “after a review of his office's five-year record suggested that his involvement in several nationalinformation-technology efforts was obscuring the university's internal needs, ” regardless of the fact that Mr. Rileyhad internal and external responsibilities (Read, 2003, p.1).

From President Buechner’s perspective the CIO job is the most complex position within the university hierarchy in

this day and age (Buechner, 2005).



Conceptual Framework

The institution of higher learning is a multifaceted organization withseveral ironies as far as leadership is concerned (Morrill, 2007).

Cornell University President Emeritus Frank Rhodes voiced a recurrenttheme in American Universities, “ the development of responsible,effective, and balanced governance, leadership and management is

one of the most urgent priorities for the American Universities as itenters the new millennium” (Rhodes, 2001, p. 201).

In order to examine the institution of higher learning’s complexculture, this study adopts the Burke-Litwin organizational model as thelens through which the researchers examine the dynamics of theinstitutions of higher learning (Burke, 2002).

Bolman and Deal (1992b) provides four frames that examineleadership in colleges and universities: structure, human resource,political, and symbolic (Bolman and Deal, 1992b).



Burke-Litwin Organizational Model



Purpose of the Study

This study examines the CIO position to understand the criteriaused to select a CIO, learn about institutions’ expectations, the typeof experience, education background, behaviors, andcharacteristics in order to be a successful CIO in the intricateculture of higher education.

The study contributes to the following information gap:

IT Leadership in Higher Education – the attributes of a strategic andadaptive Chief Information Office as well as the kind of leadershipCIO’s foster or possess within higher education.

IT Management in Higher Education – the ways in which IT should bemanaged as IT is increasingly playing a major role in higher education.

Institutions’ expectations of a CIO and levels of authority

Experience – the career path to the position



Q. 1

• What are the skills andexperiences of CIOs employed in

higher education?

Q. 2

• How do leaders in highereducation view the role of CIOs?

Q. 3

• What are the expectations of theleaders in higher education of these individuals?

Research Questions

The general research question is: What are the unique attributes of astrategic and adaptive Chief Information Office? What kind of

leadership do CIO’s foster or possess within higher education? Morespecifically the study will address the following research questions:



Triangulate

Documents

Surveys

Interviews

Methodology



Data Collection Techniques

In the documents analysis the research:

looked for the career experience of the CIO

Educational background

Years of experience in higher education prior to the CIO position

Average number of years in the position

Gender distribution

Race

From the researcher learned about the experiences, skills,and expectations of chief information officers in higher

education

Surveys



Results

Education #of CIOs Average Years in HigherEducation Prior to BecomingCIO - Years

Doctorate 17 19

Masters 26 16

Bachelors 15 16

Not Available 3 0

Highest Degree Frequency %

Doctorate 17 29.3M.A. 7 12.1

M.S. 8 13.8

MBA 11 19.0

B.A. 7 12.1

B.S. 8 13.8

Total 58 100

Highest Degree Gender TotalMales Female(s)

Doctorate 16 (94.1%) 1 (5.9%) 17

Masters 16 (61.5%) 10 (38.5%) 26

Bachelors 11 (73.3%) 4 (26.7) 15

43 (74.1%) 15 (25.9%) 58



Results Continued

Level of Education Average #of Years in thePosition

Doctorate Degree 5

Masters Degree 6

Bachelors 6

Career Path

Categories

Doctorate Masters Bachelors %

Traditional 17 24 14 94.8

Nontraditional 0 2 1 5.2

Race & Ethnic Categories Females Males TotalHispanic or Latino 1 (1.7 %) 0 1 (1.7 %)

White (not of Hispanic Origin) 12 (20.7 %) 42 (72.4 %) 54 (93.1 %)

Black (not of Hispanic Origin) 0 1 (1.7 %) 1 (1.7 %)Asian or Pacific Islander 0 2 (3.4 %) 2 (3.4%)

American Indian or Alaskan

Native

0 0 0 (0.0 %)



Survey

Top Ranked Factors from Online Interviews

Higher Education Executives Chief Information Officers

Building Relationships Across the

University Community

Building Relationships Across the

University Community & Customer

Services and Support

Strategic Business Planning Strategic Business Planning

Customer Services & Support IT Management

Negotiation Skills Instructional Delivery & Research &

Scholarship & Business Processes &

Operations & Integrated Information

Systems & Adaptive

Business Processes & Operations Budgeting & Management Procurement

Services & Distributed IT & Leading

Projects & Teaching & Learning &

Negotiation Skills & Centralizing IT



Interviews

Some of the experiences and skills those hiring CIOs are looking for: Strong technical background, understand the business, understand the

organization, understand business processes and how new technologies can impactbusiness processes.

Business Skills, well rounded person, someone who understands highereducation or is able to quickly learn the ropes in higher education , technicalexpertise, governance, flexible & adaptive.

Wide range of experience in the technical field, higher education experience ondifferent levels, strong technical experience in public and private sector.

Good communicator, establishes priorities, and develop processes that determinepriorities, and understand when to let go.

Have a diverse background in terms of being able to understand business processes

and being able to understand how to develop technology platforms thatcan meet a variety of different constituent needs.

From my perspective, and you have to understand that I think that it’s a blend of skills. My belief is that the person ought to be technically inclined or certainlyunderstand all of the technology and how it works together as a tool tosupport faculty, staff, and students.



Expectations

CIOs have to understand their users, and what students, faculty, and staff want and need. Theyneed to understand how to put all those puzzle pieces together, and still keep the old systemsup and going till you get the new ones in. It’s a huge, sort of vicious cycle.

CIOs really need to understand the business, the organization, and the work that all of the different peopledo. How they use technology in their jobs. Understanding the functional side of the house,understanding existing business processes and how new technologies can make things moreefficient and effective is extremely important. Those are skills you don’t necessarily learn incomputer science class.

The ability to develop and maintain a strategic perspective that grounds IT in the institutionalmission and strategic objective. Communication and outreach capabilities that enable the CIO to frame

IT issues clearly, concisely, and in terms relevant to the institution as a whole.

The ability to collaborate effectively to leverage shared needs and resources within and beyondthe institution, and thus maximize IT’s value in advancing higher education.

A broad understanding of IT policy and regulatory, compliance, and legal issues .

Listen for understanding needs, build relationships with all constituencies on campus; serve allcustomers (students, faculty and staff) with commitment and passion; and lead, don’t be afraid to take

some risk .



Views

To be effective the CIO has to figure it out and see it all together , whether it’s researchsystems, or networking, or teaching in classroom, security and policy. Expect criticism and

little praise. Hire and build strong people and develop strong leadership within yourorganization. Expect to devote a lot of time to relationship building, leadershipdevelopment, and healthy environment. Take care of yourself e.g. exercise.

Embrace ambiguity. Choose a higher education career because you think education canmake a difference.

Work with all constituencies across campus identifying the best way to provide efficient IT

solutions…map users need to IT capabilities…you have to be able to manage contracts andkeep up with federal and state legislation so that the institution is in compliance at all times.

Serve as a highly visible technology educator, respond to educational initiatives…provideexcellent services to students and faculty and be fluent in higher education language.

CIOs have had to take on a much more extensive role in managing the technology,managing the data, being a steward of university resources, keeping information systemsapplications running, ensuring that information systems work the way they’re supposed to workwith reliability in the 99.99% area. Focus on transformative IT projects that add strategic valueto the institution.



Research Study Conclusions

Coming through the ranks in higher education is critical

An earned graduate degrees accompanied by 10 plusyears in management is essential

Experience in IT management in higher education andcorporation is important

Blend of both technical and business skills is important

The MBA degree dominated the CIOs’ field of study

There is gender imbalance in the position

Minority groups are under-represented in the position



Recommendations to CIO Aspirants

Find mentors who are in the position already and learn from themabout the position intricacies

Strengthen your higher education experience is very important inthe position

Attend CIO training institutes, and join CIO forums andorganizations to build your community expertise and connections

Consider a business-oriented graduate degree to develop strategicthinking skills, team building skills, interpersonal skills, andmanagement skills

Leverage any experience as a technology analyst, this tends todeepen industry insight

Understand political savvy, and build your awareness if needed



One CIO’s Experience

There are renewed opportunities for IT (and you) to matter.

The honeymoon for the status quo IT organization and CIO islong over.

Collaboration is finally taking hold beyond the networking space.

Critical thinking and interpersonal skills are now the key successfactors in our profession (maybe they always were).

Leveraging data effectively is what matters now, an institutionspending millions to implement or upgrade transaction systems

in 2012 is behind the curve.



One CIO’s Experience Continued

Our students technology expectations are changing faster thanour ability to serve them, and our vendor partners arereinventing themselves in real time.

Technology continues to be one of very few options for positiveorganizational and process transformation.

Reducing spend never falls out of favor, and there is alwaysopportunity to further improve efficiency. Don’t believe that youare as lean and mean as you need to be.

Each member of our audience is likely doing some IT service

more effectively at their campus than the rest of us, we shouldadapt to leverage that.

If you aren’t taking some risks, you aren’t earning your salary.



The Next Wave of CIO Strategy and Adaptation

CIO becomes the university CEO of technologyintegration.

Your customers and resources are truly worldwide.

The priority is leading strategic data analyticsinitiatives to further the mission…everything else is“just a service”.

You need to know who to trust, and when to

collaborate on innovation versus when to hoard.

Your thoughts?