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 session will help you get the most out of your attendance at the Security Professionals Conference. Beyond a conference overview, we will address how to make smart choices about which sessions to attend, network with colleagues in similar situations, be intentional about taking home what you learned, and become more professionally involved in the activities of the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force.

This panel discussion, led by your fellow academies, will address the successes, challenges, and innovative solutions offered by the SANS Partnership Series program. SANS, a leader in information security training and certification, offers a unique program to the higher education community that has trained over 3,500 university faculty and staff while saving schools over $850,000 in tuition alone. Learn how this program can benefit your school from security, cost, and productivity perspectives. Ask questions of your peers from Virginia Tech, Purdue, Georgia, Nebraska, Indiana, and MOREnet. SANS Partnership Program details can be found at www.sans.org/partnership.

Increased openness, two-way dialogue, and blurred distinctions between experts and amateurs have combined with numerous technology tools for dialogue, personal expression, networking, and community formation to “remake” conferences, influencing not only how attendees participate in but also how organizers host conferences today.

Skidmore's CTO wanted to create a professional development experience for the IT organization that focused on "organizational effectiveness." In response, we created a simulation of an external IT review and asked IT staff to take a hard look at the issues facing the IT organization at the fictitious Highhopes College.