Leadership Development and Documents Contributed by ECAR

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.

Presentation at the Sixth Annual ECAR Symposium, December 5-7, 2007, in Boca Raton, Florida. What are the essential skills for an IT leader? How do rising IT leaders perceive the CIO role, and are we doing enough to cultivate them? Are generational differences and demographics reshaping the IT workforce? This session presents preliminary findings from ECAR's research of IT leadership and workforce, including data from a 2007 survey of higher education IT leaders and IT professionals.

How to Cite This Work: Goldstein, Philip J. "Leading the IT Workforce." Presentation at the ECAR Symposium, Boca Raton, FL, December 5-7, 2007, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

This October 2007 survey is part of a study of leading the information technology (IT) workforce in higher education sponsored by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR). Data from this survey will form the basis of a report designed to help universities and colleges position themselves in this important issue. Questions related to IT leadership and the IT workforce loom large among the concerns of higher education's leaders, in part because demographic data predict that there will not be enough skilled workers in the U.S. to meet demand and in part because many senior IT leaders are approaching retirement. As the workforce becomes more mobile and discerning, higher education faces a significantly more competitive environment for IT staff talent. This study will bring the findings of ECAR's 2004 study of IT leadership up to date and will explore new areas including recruitment and motivation of the IT workforce and generational differences in attitudes and expectations among IT professionals.

Presentation at the May 2006 ECAR Academy in Dedham, Massachusetts. "NERCOMP Presents: ECAR Academy" was developed jointly by NERCOMP and ECAR to develop the next generation of current and emerging leaders and further the IT profession by promoting and fostering a culture of evidence. Participants examined the most pressing issues facing higher education/IT today from a data-driven point of view; participated in a rigorous and highly interactive curriculum led by ECAR investigators (fellows); learned how to interpret and use information strategically to inform leadership decisions and processes; and joined an ongoing, supportive peer network.

This research bulletin discusses how leaders at the University of Kansas merged the Libraries and Information Technology into an Information Services department using well-documented strategies for enabling collaboration, group decision making, and mentoring of new leaders. It describes the challenges—and successes—related to making rapid changes in organizational structure, staffing, and services while remaining engaged with users and delivering technology services that were not necessarily tied to organizational boundaries.

This is the June 2003 ECAR survey instrument used for ECAR Research Study concerning IT Leadership in Higher Education.

Information Technology Leadership in Higher Education: The Condition of the Community is a summary of the results of a quantitative survey of 1,850 IT leaders and professionals at 765 higher education institutions in the United States and Canada. The study examines the general demographics, job mobility, and leadership styles of these IT leaders and professionals, as well as the characteristics of higher education work environments, the innovation climate in central IT organizations, respondents' perceptions of IT effectiveness at their institutions, and the possible shape of the future of this professional community.

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.

In this case study, five experienced chief information officers share their insights about information technology leadership in higher education. They discuss the qualities of a good IT leader, what makes leading IT in higher education special, how to recruit a CIO, the next generation of IT leaders, and the future of technology and the CIO position.