1. Assistant Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Major issues and opportunities facing Higher Ed IT CUCCIO IT Leadership Development Program Monday, June 18
Gayleen Gray,
Assistant Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
McMaster University

2. What do you think the top issue is?
Poll – pick one!
Security
Data governance
Skills development
Costs
Governance and prioritization
Strategy
Supporting student success
Hiring staff
Centralizing IT
Privacy
Aging infrastructure
Supporting students
Cloud computing
IT being valued on campus
Integration of applications

3. EDUCAUSE top 10 for Higher Ed

4. Gartner Top 10 for Higher Ed

5. Asking a friend Reached out to the CUCCIO list
Responses from 22 IT Leaders/CIOs (30%?)
Large institutions
Small institutions
Coast to coast
Many overlapping concerns
Challenges ARE opportunities, but only one IT Leader/CIO focused on opportunities
Many were similar but a few interesting reflections

6. Top 4 overall Cyber Security (15/22) Privacy (11/22)
Security, information security, cybersecurity, linked closely to privacy
Delivery, demand, costs, funding, skills, shared service opportunities, ‘practical’
Opportunity: recognized challenge by our institutions and senior leadership, see that changes/investments are needed to improve security posture, can be leveraged to advance changes and improve processes
Privacy (11/22)
Exposure of data through security incidents
Use of data on premise – old practices, policies, balancing privacy with important opportunities to use data for strategic purposes

7. Top 4 overall /continued
Data (6/22)
governance, information management, inventory,
Privacy (overlaps with above)
Data integration and/or fragmentation across systems and applications
Analytics
Innovation and new/emerging technologies (6/22)
Cloud, AI (automated integration and/or artificial intelligence), BI, Analytics, Blockchain, VR and AR, Quantum, Open Ed technologies, Google-like, IoT, mobile learning, smart classrooms,
Value proposition, preparation (skills and capabilities), organizational structure, culture of change, governance
Transform vs run and grow, innovation, balancing new and old tech, faster implementation, new IT services,

8. Runners up
Integration and management of applications across platforms (2)
Workforce planning and recruitment (2)
Student success – (2) mobilizing data, role of technology in student outcomes/ success
Implementing and enforcing effective IT governance across the institution (2)
Budgets and building a case for prioritized investment in technology that aligns with and supports multiple institutional strategic goals and capital projects (2)
Collaborations partnerships, with faculties and services, to leverage capacity, provide new technologies to deliver on teaching, learning, and service and support efficiencies

9. Some interesting outliers
Cloud computing costs
The cloud is expensive and total IT costs continue to rise
Salaries are not diminished regardless
Still lots of on premise infrastructure and hosted applications
Customer relationship management – CRM for students specifically
pent up demand for a solution that will become increasingly important for understanding our students, their competencies and skills, staying connected
Managing and financing infrastructure growth due to exponential data volume increases – storage
The CIO in the academy – opportunity for participation in teaching and learning technologies
Fragmentation of data and services… due to access to free or inexpensive online services

10. Summarized list Cloud computing costs
Cyber security (15) and privacy (11)
Information management and data (governance, inventory, privacy, integration) (5)
User experience
Innovation and new / emerging technologies (5)
Collaborations and partnerships with faculties and services to leverage capacity
Integration and management of applications across platforms (2)
Workforce planning and recruitment (2)
Skills development and modernization of staff capabilities/ readiness for emerging technologies (4)
Elevation of IT of campus – having it recognized for importance and value
Student success – (2) mobilizing data, role of technology in student outcomes/ success
Customer relationship management – CRM for students specifically
Centralization model for IT
Managing and financing infrastructure growth due to exponential data volume velocity increases
Implementing and enforcing effective IT governance across the institution (2)
Budgets and building a case for prioritized investment in technology that aligns with and supports multiple institutional strategic goals and capital projects (2)
Identity management
Balancing service delivery and project portfolio expectations and management (run/grow/transform with too much focus on transform vs run and grow?
Enterprise Strategic Planning (or lack of it)
Difficulty driving change with financial/budget constraints
Aging of IT infrastructure – need to find best approach for renewal and keep it as a standard process
IT is a common thread to connect campus departments to provide comprehensive services to students and faculty
Fragmentation of data and services… due to access to free or inexpensive online services
The CIO in the academy – opportunity for participation in teaching and learning technologies
Alignment with the academic plan
Demand for new IT services – people want better and more technology while we have to maintain old technology – capacity and costs
Resource constraints – doing more with less for both technologies and services
Expanding scope – expectations of IT to support increasing technological complexity – (IoT) with limited experience and skills

11. What to do with this information?
Reflect on your own institution – what are your top 3?
What can you leverage to gain capacity and support for making change happen
IT governance
IT culture
IT Strategic Planning and engagement
Shared services, enhanced vendor relationships, campus collaborations
Find peers with similar challenges/opportunities and work together
Tap into EDUCAUSE and Gartner research to find pathways forward
Read related materials – Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail

12. Thank you!
Gayleen Gray, Assistant Vice President, Chief Technology Officer McMaster