Documents Contributed by ECAR and Professional Development

This ECAR case study complements the 2008 ECAR study by Philip J. Goldstein, Leading the IT Workforce in Higher Education. Developing the IT Workforce at the University of South Australia describes both the commitment of the University of South Australia (UniSA) to its workforce and the information technology organization’s successful effort to create and foster a high-performing IT team. Since its formation in 1991, UniSA faced exceptionally stiff challenges in transforming itself from a technical institute and college of advanced education into a comprehensive research-oriented university. This evolution brought with it workforce misalignments in both the academic and professional staff. With its longstanding and explicit commitment to equity and a great deal of foresight, UniSA’s leaders have established the institution’s reputation as an employer committed to the well-being of academic and professional staff even in the face of major competition in the turbulent financial environment and the local employment market.

This research bulletin suggests that there is a void in IT professional development programs specific to higher education. Northeastern University has established a course for IT professionals that focuses on understanding how higher education's history, organizational structure, governance, and practices impact the demands on faculty, students, and administrative staff. In its most general sense, the course is designed to meet the challenge of educating IT professionals about the customers they serve and the institutional environment in which they operate. The course also fosters an understanding of the unique language, principles, and practices of higher education.

This research bulletin explores a key finding of the 2004 ECAR study, Information Technology Leadership in Higher Education: The Condition of the Community, that indicates that mentoring makes a difference for successful IT leaders. To gain further perspective on this issue, ECAR conducted a case study of a University of Kansas Information Services mentoring program focused specifically on women in information systems management. This program and the principles that underlie it apply to other institutions of higher education.