8 CIO Tips for Leading Change in Higher Education
When it comes to technology in higher ed, change is inevitable. Here, IT leaders from across the country talk about how they manage change at their institutions.
In a recent Educause Review essay, Joshua Kim noted that campus CIOs must have one foot in daily technology operations, one foot in strategic decision-making and one foot in the larger discussion of how higher education is evolving. "You will notice the CIO needs three feet — an indication of why the role seems so impossible," wrote Kim, director of digital learning initiatives for the Dartmouth (NH) Center for the Advancement of Learning.
Indeed, being a three-footed CIO increasingly requires more communication skills than technical knowledge. In an April 2015 CT interview, Mark Askren, CIO of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said having a technology background helps in the CIO role — but communication skills are the most important to have. "Beyond just speaking skills, you need emotional intelligence, the ability to listen, be authentic and earn trust," he said. "We are change agents. You have to embrace change and reduce the fear level."
Campus Technology interviewed five CIOs from across the country to find out how they manage change — and change minds — at their institutions.
1) Make sure you understand the institutional culture.
Before launching any major technological change, it is a good idea to make sure you have a good grasp of the culture of your own institution and its appetite for change, said Hilary Baker, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at California State University, Northridge.
New CIOs should surround themselves with trusted colleagues for advice about where the university is in terms of technology change. "Ask what has worked and what hasn't," she said, "and about where there were snags when one tried to roll out a change."
Camille Shelley, executive director of the Office of Information Technology at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ, agrees with Baker. "I have 15 projects right now that we could move quickly on," she said. "However, I have to take into consideration what is involved in terms of communications, timing, the academic calendar and the overall tempo of the campus. Once you understand that, you can successfully implement your changes."
2) Be visible and transparent as CIO.
CSUN's Baker cited a 1:1 iPad initiative (MyCSUN) as an example of change management success at her institution. Started in January 2013 and rolled out to students in multiple disciplines that fall, the project impacted a wide array of faculty, staff and students. She said she made sure to keep a high profile on campus about the project: "During that first semester, there wasn't a meeting I attended where I didn't talk about the MyCSUN Tablet initiative. I addressed the faculty Senate and engaged faculty committees about it and spoke to the student body."
Baker also worked to improve the IT organization's communications efforts. "Who knew that a CIO was in the marketing business? But I am — and my team is — so much so that I now have a director of communications reporting to me that I did not have in other times in my CIO career." She said social media, e-mail, and Web site videos are all part of the package.
This fall, CSUN was preparing to launch an e-portfolio program for more than 42,000 students. "It is no small thing to communicate with such a large number of students," Baker noted.