Technology in Higher Education: Defining the Strategic Leader — from educause.edu

Excerpts:

Two major changes have helped in defining the strategic IT leader of today and tomorrow. The first is specific to higher education: There has been an evolution in the business of higher education, with institutions needing to adopt new models to stay competitive and focus on outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and responsiveness. The second has been experienced at all levels in society: the pervasive nature and rapid development of technology. Within a higher education context, technology’s expanded presence impacts all areas of an institution. The IT leader occupies a unique position at the center of massive change, making this role both a challenging one and one that will continue to evolve in the coming years. The profession must be ready for both the changes and the opportunities.

Perhaps the greatest opportunity is for the IT leader to demonstrate the value of technology. Technology advances the institutional mission and the business of higher education. Regardless of the size or maturity of your IT organization, we think the concepts discussed here will be relevant and useful. As your IT organization moves to become a significant campus player, understanding the role of the IT leader will increase your institutional impact and enable your organization to truly lead.

 

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From DSC:
What higher ed institutions need right now are more leaders who are visionary, innovative, creative, and bold — those who understand the strategic value that a variety of technologies can bring to the table. The problem is, many in leadership/executive positions didn’t grow up with the technologies that are being used today (and the new ones that will be launched tomorrow)…so they don’t see the value in pursuing them. They’re not sold on them.

So my advice in filling any senior level position today — as well as in filling open positions on the boards that oversee our institutions of higher education — is to ask:

  • Is this candidate visionary? Innovative? Creative? Can they think outside the box? Or at minimum, are they open to other visionaries’ perspectives?  (This type of person is in direct contrast to the person who seeks to do higher ed the same way that it’s always been done; i.e., a person who simply seeks to maintain the status quo.)
  • Do they understand that the heat is in the kitchen throughout higher education today?  Do they understand that alternatives to traditional higher ed continue to arise on almost a monthly basis?  (i.e., this is likely not the same environment as when the candidate went through college.)
  • If they understand that higher ed is in a major spotlight with an increasingly skeptical society (i.e., that some people think it’s too costly, that others call into question the return on their investments, that others assert that it’s not preparing students for the workplace, etc.), what do they propose to do about it?  What are their solutions?
  • Are they tech-savvy? Do they use technology in how they communicate, how they achieve their daily tasks, in how they stay informed on the higher ed landscape, and/or in other areas such as establishing their online footprints?

Technology is key from here on out — in every area of running a university, college, or community college. Those who use technologies strategically will survive and thrive; those who minimize the value of technology are now a major handicap and a stumbling block for an institution of higher education. Such perspectives might have been acceptable years ago…but they are no longer acceptable as they completely ignore:

  • The state of the world today, and how increasingly, technology is permeating almost every area of the workplace as well as in the ways that we communicate and connect with each other; in fact, the very ways we live and accomplish things
  • The changing K-12 student and how technology is increasingly being integrated in that arena
  • The skills that our graduates will need
  • The threats to traditional higher education

Discarding the strategic value of technologies is an operational perspective that institutions of higher education simply can no longer afford — the 21st century learner will have other alternatives to choose from.