1. Academia and the Evolving
IT World—Thoughts from
the CIO Office
W
ith over 17,000 students from over 45 countries
walking through the university door, each one
carrying a smartphone, a laptop and maybe
a tablet, one wonders how much technology
resources do academia have to provide to ensure that these
‘always’ connected students continue having access to the same
capabilities they had at home, plus new ones that we offer as part
of their education. In the university setting, there are computer
labs, classrooms with computers, wireless access, printing
services, kiosks, access to specialized academic software
packages, and remote help desk services—just to name a few.
They are all necessary front-end, client-facing services that we
must offer today and in a safe and secure manner.
These services are not very different than what any service-
oriented establishment – private or public – faces in offering
an exceptional customer experience. However, there are some
unique challenges that only a university has when providing a
service to students and faculty, who are our customers. It’s not
just about creating a satisfying experience, but rather
an experience that enhances the delivery in an
education and stimulates the desire to learn.
How then do these 17,000 students learn today?
Is governance relevant? How do some global
IT issues such as security and the balance of
privacy versus open collaboration play out in
an academic environment? What is the return
on investment as it relates to IT? All these
questions present opportunities for the CIO
office.
Clearly the environment in which students
grew up has rapidly changed as well as
their mental model towards learning.
Given that, what does the CIO do,
particularly a new one, to adapt
to meet their needs? Do we look
around us and make an educated
guess? Do we form a committee
or a governance committee with student representation? Or do
we hire a consultant to tell us? These are not difficult questions
or a tough decision. The hard part is formulating a plan that
meets student needs in a timely and cost effective manner.
Therefore, governance with student involvement is neither
irrelevant nor considered as interference with innovation. A
governance structure, which more and more IT departments
now embrace, offers crucial interactions with an organization’s
constituents. It is about proactively problem-solving and
anticipating future needs. It’s not a layer of bureaucracy, if
structured and managed properly. It is a valuable mechanism
for planning and implementing efficiencies.
Did you know that it is said that Gen Z tend to shy away
from technology—that’s correct, they prefer direct one-on-one
interactions as opposed to meeting via social media. However,
they use this technology to get instant answers. So, what
systems do we, as CIOs, implement to meet Gen Z’s needs
for instant answers? Can the CIO office afford to have a 24/7
shop? The answer may lie with our librarian friends who
formed great collaborations and consortiums world-
over that allow patrons to get questions answered
around the clock. In reality, we do not need to look
beyond our own backyard for solutions to these
questions. It is clear: the library is successful in
providing spontaneous results along with great
customer service and experience. Let’s collaborate
with that department closely – it is more efficient
to understand their lessons learned and use a page
from their playlist.
Efficiency is vital in any organization.
Cost-savings and being cost effective
are equally as important. We
know that the cost of books and
subscriptions is rising much
faster than inflation. Do we
begin to integrate eBooks
which can save the student
5 percentto 30 percent, depending on the field? Do we
encourage faculty to use “open source” books. Some
faculty, especially in public institutions will offer a PDF
version of the book as they are cognizant of the cost of an
education today. For example, tools such as publishers now
allow the building of a text book—merging chapters from
various sources into one package. There are lots of ways of
reducing the cost. As leaders, we should encourage the use
of technology to reduce costs.
Efficiencies, cost optimization, and customer service
– these are all responsibilities inside the CIO office.
There are also the external parts and influences which
CIO office must also manage. Consider for example the
Internet. Educational institutions do not often make
headlines regarding breaches. The news showcases large
organizations with sophisticated security systems such
as Target, Home Depot, JP Morgan Chase. The question
then becomes: If they cannot keep their data secure, what
chances do we have? Having critical security systems
is on part of the equation. The other piece is the human
factor, possessing talent with the right skills and know-
how. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges the CIO
faces is finding and retaining cyber security engineers/
professionals. Will a cloud-based collaboration or a multi-
institution consortium be the solution to fill the talent gap?
How does research fit into the security concerns?
Research and development to promote innovation is the
foundation on which this great country has been built on.
For any research to take place, the requirements for free
By Apurva Mehta, Interim Vice Provost Technology & CIO, University of Massachusetts Boston
One of the
biggest
challenges
the CIO faces
is finding
and retaining
cyber security
professionals
access to resources is needed.
How then does the CIO strike
a balance between openness
and security? Where does
“research” end and illegal access
begin? Do we invest in tools
that monitor traffic and identify
the person or persons not
behaving properly—whether
it is illegal downloading or
distributing copyright content
or accessing unauthorized sites
and content across the net?
Regardless, we as institutions
must be more agile in all aspects
of the business so we may offer
our students and faculty an
environment where they can
flourish and feel safe at the
same time.
In terms of the faculty, the
members are the heart of the
university. They are the ones
to impart their knowledge and
teach our students; perform and
leadresearchactivities;andmost
important, have the opportunity
of making an impact on a
student’s life. The CIO office
is then the circulatory system
enabling the heart to function
optimally with investments of
tools to enhance teaching and
learning—whether that is an
anchor learning management
system supplemented with
easy to use systems such as
Blogs, Wiki’s, or the ability
to add value by incorporating
systems such as clickers, class-
room-capture, and iTunes U.
Our role is to facilitate so that
the learning experience for the
students is greatly strengthened
cost effectively.
In closing, even prior to
sitting in the CIO position, it
is obvious that any amount of
technology will be worthless
without a talented and motivated
team. Being in the CIO office
underscores the human asset and
its investment that much more.
The dedicated staff members
here are the eyes and ears for
this office and the university’s
technology needs. They are
on the ground helping faculty,
staff, and students for all IT
related concerns. They are the
instructional designers assisting
faculty in richening their
courses, the network engineers
who design and maintain the
flow of packets, the web and
applications developers, and
security engineers. They are
the ones in touch with the
community. As such, their input
and feedback iscritical in any
organizational development or
strategic planning session. This
invaluable resource is organic
and home-grown. In crafting
a strategic plan to navigate into
the future, no external entity
could match or provide value-
added insights as those who
are in constant communication
with every member of this
organization. This perspective
is not a new one for me. It is one
that now takes on a different
dimension by experiencing
things from the inside.
CIO INSIGHT
Apurva Mehta
| |October 2014
1CIOReview| |October 2014
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