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The Higher Education Chief Information Officer (CIO) A 30-year Perspective

Ronald Black

Chief Information Officer

Georgian Court University

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Discussion Agenda

Who is Ron Black??? Technology Transformation in Higher

Education Technology Leadership Technology Leadership across the Decades

1970s to 2000s The Changing Role of the CIO The CIO Transformation

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Who is Ron Black?

Technology Leader in higher education since 1972 Title of Chief Information officer since 1993 Served six institutions ranging in size from 1000 students to

over 20,000 students Active classroom professor in Education and Business Specialist in Distance Learning Technology Held leadership positions in technology professional

organizations over the past 30 years Speaker at national and local seminars and workshops Consultant for more than 25 schools, colleges and universities

over the past 30 years

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Technology Transformation in Higher Education

According to a study by KPMG higher education must transform to meet the needs of the emerging knowledge economy

The changes facing higher education are– An increasing diverse student body (in terms of

age, race, gender, work background– Students who seek to acquire skills needed to

access information, solve problems, and communicate

– Students are less likely to be learning within college and university walls

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For the past thirty years, higher education has been slow to apply technology to the overall management of the institution and slower still to apply it in the classroom.

The demand for technology-based teaching and learning programs will continue to grow in the 21st Century and technology will change the enterprise

The challenge is to explore and use the power of technology.

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Net-based virtual learning centers have created new ways of teaching in which exchanges among students are as important as the exchange with the teacher.

The best way to teach adults online is to form learning communities, to get students working together in collaborative groups.

This capitalizes on the strength of technology.

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– Today Students Want / Need: Ubiquitous Access to Technology University-wide Hardware and Software Standards University-wide Network Central IT Support Services Greater Curricular Integration of Technology More Efficient Business Processes / Greater Access to

Institutional Information and Services / Bringing Together Academic and Administrative Computing

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Sean Rush and Diana Oblinger from IBM provide answers to the question, "How can we transform our students, ourselves, and our institutions?

– The answer is embedded in the philosophy of a future compatible campus. That is, (a) we must redefine learning, (b) we should expand our options with technology, (c) our institutions must be learning centered, (d) we must renew administration, and (e) we need strong technology leadership"

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“… the real question is not whether higher education will be transformed, but rather how… and by whom. If the university is capable of transforming itself to respond to the needs of a culture of learning, then what is currently perceived as the challenge of change may, in fact, become the opportunity for a renaissance, an age of enlightenment in higher education for the years ahead.

- James J. Duderstadt “A University for the 21st Century” - 2000

From Brian L. HawkinsEducause PresentationMarch 25, 2003

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What is a CIO?

Chief Technology strategistEvangelist / Visionary / on a “Quest”Service ProviderSure that technology is a key

“answer”Part of central administration

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Technology Leadership – Qualifications for a CIO

Excellent communication skills The ability to form alliances The ability to work collaboratively The ability to make hard decisions The ability to manage resources Deep expertise in at least one aspect of technology itself CIO Skill Sets

– Proven Leadership Skills– Strong Management Skills– Expert Technical Skills– And a solid grasp of all three…

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Technology Leadership

Like surfers, leaders must always ride the waves of change. If they get too far ahead, they will be crushed. If they fall behind, they will become irrelevant.

Bolman & Deal, 1997Reframing Organizations

From Brian L. HawkinsEducause PresentationMarch 25, 2003

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Technology Leadership

“The CIO must be a– Leader– Manager– Member of the Executive

Orchestra” “The CIO must not only be

able to perform as an effective soloist, but must also perform in concert with others in the “executive orchestra.”

From Carol A. CartwrightPresident, Kent State University

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Technology Leadership across the Decades

The role of the CIO emerges beyond the data centers cutting across all areas of the institution expanding into senior leadership roles throughout higher education.

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Xerox opens the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Intel creates the first 4004 microprocessor. Intel creates the 1103 chip, the first generally available DRAM memory chip.IBM S-360 domination

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1970s

1970s dominated by large mainframe computers

Centralized Organizational Strucure Expansive facilities

– Data centers or data processing centers Technology leader selected from business or

another administrative department My title in the 1970’s – Director of Data

Processing

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1970s

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1970s

Mission of 70s data processing centers was that of service.

Systems programmed in-house, mostly for accounting, payroll, and student records with little or no integration.

3 shift operation with large keypunch and computer operator staff – few programmers

“Glass house management philosophy”

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Quote from Tandy president John Roach, regarding IBM's entry into the microcomputer field: "I don't think it's that significant". Apple Computer runs a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal with a headline that reads "Welcome IBM. Seriously.". "640k should be enough for anybody." -Bill Gates.

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1980s

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1980s Evolution form a data and service approach to an information and

decision making approach – Sparked lively debates between CIO and Users

Mainframe replaced with mini-computer Personal computers introduced by Tandy, Apple, and IBM Forced decentralization technology decision-making

– CIO lost control – end users relished in their glory of taking over technology direction within the institution

Multiple computer vendors Computer labs developed Technology introduced to the classroom CIOs role changed from manager to strategic planner My title in the 1980s – Director of Management Information

Systems

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1990s to Today

A new style of leadership is necessary in a campus environment that is characterized by a growing number of students who expect to actively participate in the creation of knowledge in a distributed learning environment, by an even faster growing number of faculty who want to change their teaching methods both to accommodate their students’ new learning styles, and also to create active learning situations for their students, and by unprecedented growth in external competition. This new style of higher education leadership must accept responsibility for linking infrastructure to academic strategy within the unique value system, culture and world view of a given institution.

Carole Barone in EDUCAUSE Review, May/June 2001

From James PenrodEducause PresentationJune 21, 2001

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1990s to Today CIO began to be an active player in institutional leadership Technology organization attempts centralization again but fails Knowledge management focus CIO faced with revolutionary change based upon the Internet

and World Wide Web Computer integration using client-server technology and the

Internet Students tend to be older and more focused on technology use

in the classroom Net-based virtual learning centers created New rules for competition and new challenges for the CIO Learner-centered strategies built around technology

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1990s to Today

User demands for “integrated” technology applications that are easy to use and understand

CIO establishes team based organizational structure– Administrative Computing– Academic Computing– Servers and Networks– Web Master

My title in the 1990s to present– Chief Information Officer

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The Changing Role of the CIO

A CIO is– …a senior executive of the organization responsible for information

policy, management, control, and standards. Five primary functions are associated with the position, including participation in corporate or institutional strategic planning, responsibility for information systems planning, leading the development of institutional information policy, management of the institution’s information resources, and development of new systems capabilities. These functions contrast with more traditional IS roles which have more of a short-term, project-oriented focus, and an emphasis on day-to-day management responsibility. The most sought after traits in a CIO are leadership and management skills, a visionary capacity, the ability to marshal technology as a strategic resource, and the ability to bring computing and telecommunications under control.

Synnott & Gruber, Information Resources Management, 1981


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Has the CIO Position Changed?

Changed Many more CIOs!

– Now seen as a “typical” higher education position

Fewer are executive officers of the institution

A small proportion have doctorates

Bigger staff Budgets are larger Strategic planners not

technicians

Remained the Same Primarily filled by males Primarily Caucasians Most have IT plans They come from a variety of

academic disciplines Many have a combination of

technical, academic, & administrative backgrounds


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Titles– Over the past thirty years titles for the technology

leader has varied Director/Manager Associate Vice President or Associate Vice Provost Vice President/CIO

Reports to:– Also has varied

Vice President of Finance and Operations Provost

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Organizational Structure– 1970s to 1990s – Flat Structure

Assistant managers reporting up to CIO– Technicians reporting to assistant managers

– 1990s to today – Team Structure The CIO

– Provides strategic direction & alignment– Ensures effective configuration of teams– Ensures needed support systems

Team Leaders selected based upon skills Technicians overlap teams based on projects

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The CIO Transformation

CIO is the Chief Change Agent in higher education Key Senior Administrator Academic and Administrative Specialist Strategic Planner Leadership Focus using the 3 Cs

– Cooperate– Collaborate– Communicate

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The CIO TransformationTop 10 Qualities of a 21st Century CIO

10. Ability to hire, develop and retain high quality IT professionals.

9. Technology leadership experience. 8. Knowledge of and experience in higher

education. 7. Ability to create and manage change. 6. Strong Communication Skills.

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The CIO TransformationTop 10 Qualities of a 21st Century CIO

5. Management Skills 4. Relationship Skills 3. Business savvy. 2. Expertise in aligning and leveraging technology for

the advantage of the institution. 1. Leadership - Leadership is that subjective but

easily discerned quality that set great CIOs apart from good CIOs.

By Mark Polansky, Senior ManagerInformation Technology SectorKorn Ferry International

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References

Cain, M. (2002). The rise of the CIO in higher education. The Edutech Report 17, February, pp. 4-5.

Cartwright, C. A. (2002). Today’s CIO: Leader, Manager, and Member of the Executive Orchestra. Educause Review, January/February, 2002, pp6-7.

Dolence, M. G., & Norris, D. M. (1995). Transforming higher education: A vision for learning in the 21st century. Washington, DC: Society for College and University Planning.

Penrod, J.I., Dolence, M.G., & Douglas, J.V. (1990). The Chief Information Officer in Higher Education. Professional Paper Series No.4, CAUSE. Boulder, CO: Cause.

Polansky, M. (2001). The CIO top 10. CIO Magazine, September 15, 2001. New York: CIO Magazine

Presentations– Hawkins, B. Strategic IT Leadership. Educause: March 2003.– Penrod, J. The CIO from 1979 to the 21st Century – Educause: June 2001.– Penrod. J. From the Backroom to the Boardroom – Seminars on Academic

Computing: August 2001.

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Thank You

Questions…

– Dr. Ronald Black– [email protected]

Abr2006

Technology

technology transformation

power of technology

strength of technology

strong technology leadership

distance learning technology

higher education net

kpmg higher education

technologybased teaching