EDUCAUSE

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF THE CIODO WE KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING?

(DO WE KNOW WHERE WE’RE BEING TAKEN?)

Brian D. Voss

Vice Chancellor for Information Technology & CIO

Louisiana State University

LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CIO

H. David Lambert’s excellent Op-Eds on this in EDUCAUSE REVIEW and at EDUCAUSE ’09

Dave Postulates …. That the scope and complexity of the role spans the

institution as a whole CIOs finding their attention focused on security,

compliance, and risk management ‘Cloud’ reliance emphasizes the contracting and vendor

relations aspects (and skill) of the CIO

CONTINUING TO MASH-UP HDL

CIOs and IT organizations must maximize value of existing IT investments rather than new initiatives

CIOs and IT organizations are being pressured to focus on execution rather than strategy

CIO is a strategic leader – cyberinfrastructure, Learning technology, Clouds/SaaS/SOA, Publishing, Student Recruitment, Fund Raising, etc

CIOs are visionaries, but pragmatists; Savvy creators, though relentless cost-cutters; Collaborators and inspiring technology leaders

DAVE SUMS IT UP THIS WAY:

CIOs are striking a delicate balancing act between managing risk and exploiting opportunities.

If you can’t make the trains run on time …. You don’t get to operate the controls*.

* Or as Pink Floyd said: How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat???

EDUCAUSE ISSUES BRIEF:THE EVOLUTION OF THE CIO

EDUCAUSE interviewed 14 of our community members (including me)

Identified several factors driving evolution CIO’s have broad responsibilities and must exhibit

“unprecedented flexibility” Security, Compliance, and Risk Management dominate

CIO’s attention CIOs must be seen not just as “technology leaders” but

as leaders in broad planning and decision making

AN EVOLVING ROLE

2010s era may be one in which the IT unit is less providers of IT and more into sources and coordinating resources for the campus

Negotiating, contracting, and vendor relations are key as institutions move to above-campus sourcing

CIOs must maximize existing value rather than pursuing new initiatives

CIOs cannot assume they have a seat at the table

THE PLANETS ALIGN

The EDUCAUSE Issues Brief closely aligns with Dave Lambert’s views (Dave was interviewed too)

IBM recently published “The New Voice of the CIO” and many of its points also align with the view of HDL, and the 14 EDUCAUSE interviewees

Most sources of wisdom (collective of singular) agree that the CIO role is experiencing a period of change

SO WHERE ARE WE GOING?

One can look at these views and draw some very positive conclusions CIOs are becoming more valuable due to the increased

scope and penetration of IT CIOs have the opportunity to influence their institutions

more broadly than at any other time The campus/institution needs us now, more than ever

SO WHERE ARE WE BEING TAKEN?

One can look at these views and draw some very sobering conclusions too … CIOs had better deliver or be “out”

Out of a job, or out of the cabinet, or out of good graces

CIOs must focus on ‘survival issues’ and not so much on doing new (fun/exciting) things

IT has been “commoditized” and as a result, while it may be strategic in one view, it is no longer magic As a result, CIOs may be the “Physical Plant Director” of the next

decade

CAN WE TALK?

CONSIDER THIS …

Does your boss … Think of you as a critical advisor on not just IT matters, but

broader, more diverse issues? Or not really? Think of you as a good IT person, but don’t see you having

anything to offer on non-IT issues? Like you as a person, but tends to glaze over when you talk

about IT matters? Forget to include you on items that you should be included? Forget your name from time to time? Think of you the way Rick thought about Ugarte?

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER …

Are we spending too much time trying to be “a discipline?” Regional organizations, national organizations, lots of

commitments to community – do we think we’re faculty?

Are we paying more attention to national/global issues and less to what’s going on our campuses? Are we getting carried away with our view of ourselves – do

we think we’re important?

AND SOME MORE …

Do we have a “second in command” … is it along the lines of “Mr/Ms Inside” to our “Mr/Ms Outside?”

What relationships are most important to us? With our CEOs – and Provosts/CAOs? With our Vice-level colleagues? With Deans? With Faculty? With Students? With distributed IT With our CIO peers and community

ANSWER THESE …

If we sit at the Cabinet level – do we realize that there is a smaller subset ‘cabal?’ And are we a part of it? Or do we just think we are?

If we left our job tomorrow – would we be replaced? At the same level, or lower (or higher)? Would ‘they’ go looking for a national talent, or just someone who could get the basics done?

Are our national commitments viewed as distraction to our campus responsibilities? Are they in reality?

MY ANSWERS

It’s like Thanksgiving in a big family – there’s the “big people table” and the “kids table”

Unsure, but think it is likely that it would NOT be a Vice Chancellor or an external search (rather, internal/local recruiting for a ‘CIO’ title w/o VC rank)

Only distractions if something doesn’t work … i.e., if I’m out of town at a conference or meeting and there’s a problem – that’s a problem.

EDUCAUSE

YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS NOW PLEASE!

Feel free to tell me I’m being paranoid!

But just because we’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re NOT out to get us!

For More Information

Visit: http://net.educause.edu/enterpriseconference

Contact: Brian Voss,

Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO,LSU, bvoss@lsu.edu

David Swartz, Assistant VP and CIO, American University,

dswartz@american.edu