Presented at EDUCAUSE Annual Conferences; Strategic Planning, IT; Presentations/Speeches; and Strategic Planning

This workshop covers information technology strategic planning in higher education environments. Participants will receive an overview of different approaches to strategic planning for technology, including best practices and analyses of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Three case studies will be presented; each covers a different aspect of strategic planning. A hybrid approach to strategic planning will be developed using the lessons learned from these case studies. The workshop will be of interest to those engaged in any type of planning activity that involves deploying or supporting IT in large organizations.

Dickinson College created an IT strategic planning process aligned with its governance structure, budget process, project management function, and personnel evaluation process. Adapted from the best practices of larger institutions, this "lightweight" approach will appeal to colleges seeking the advantages of planning while minimizing the overhead associated with this activity.

IT leaders from four universities will discuss IT strategic planning process successes and challenges. This session will explore how to succeed when an institution-wide strategic plan doesn't exist, how to involve the community, and lessons learned, as well as what's still missing from our plans.

This session will present the EDUCAUSE "Grand Challenges" initiative, which will be the major focus of the association's initiatives in 2007 and beyond. Higher education faces major issues of access, affordability, and accountability; how IT can make a difference in these arenas needs to be demonstrated. This session will highlight EDUCAUSE's ongoing process of evaluating and identifying IT's role in these issues and the initial projects that will contribute to this linkage.