Reflecting on the Role of the CIO
We have different titles, we report to different administrators, and our responsibilities vary from institution to institution, but as CIOs we all have responsibility for enterprise and distributed technology systems and we work with faculty, staff and senior administration to realize institutional goals through information and technology. In a 2004 EDUCAUSE Review article “Framework for the CIO Position” Brian Hawkins tells us that the first CIOs appeared in the late 1970’s when computing went beyond centralized mainframe applications and the advent of microcomputers began to give fuller control of computing applications to faculty and other end-users.
Not long ago there was a flurry of discussion on the EDUCAUSE Chief Information Constituent Group listserv about important CIO traits. There was wide discussion about how important or not it is for CIOs to have a background in technology. There was clear consensus that the CIO does not need to be a technology practitioner, but rather must be able to clearly understand technology and how it is used, and communicate about the major strategic issues related to information and technology. Vision, strong leadership and the ability to speak cogently to many constituencies about technology and its role in higher education were some of the characteristics that were identified as important in a successful CIO.
For me, with a background in libraries, my CIO position is an extension of my earlier roles in library administration. I must fully understand the technologies and be able to speak with and understand the technologists who are part of my organization. It is critical that I recognize how technology can be used to realize the educational and administrative mission. I need to have the skills to work with others to develop strategic plans which must then be operationalized.
In some ways the role of the CIO has changed dramatically as technology has become so completely integrated into the educational experience and the use of a variety of new media is almost commonplace in the classroom. In other ways, it is very much the same: to provide leadership and manage and coordinate information and technology to meet the needs of the institution.