by Elson S. Floyd and Viji Murali, EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 45, no. 4 (July/August 2010): 8-9
For any institution, a strong relationship between the president and the chief information officer is crucial to that organization’s success. We would submit, however, that nowhere is that relationship more crucial than in the management and leadership of an institution of higher education. Public universities have a reputation — unfortunately, well-earned in some cases — for being averse to change. In seeking funding for important capital investments, public colleges and universities are dependent on state legislatures, which these days are faced with unlimited demands, sharply curtailed resources, and uncertain future revenue streams, all combining to make immediate funding uncertain and long-range planning nearly impossible. Meanwhile, public colleges and universities are dealing with a customer base of students who invariably are among the earliest adopters of emerging technologies. As a result, institutions of higher education, and particularly public colleges and universities, must adopt a strategy to overcome institutional inertia and a shortage of readily available resources while keeping pace with students for whom the latest technology quickly becomes the minimal level of expectation when choosing a place to pursue a degree.
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