Strategic Thinking for IT Leaders View from the CFO

1. Strategic Thinking for IT LeadersView from the CFO Seminars in Academic Computing Executive Leadership Institute

2. A CFO’s Concept • The faculty carry out the mission of our institutions and that mission involves our students • The staff provide support for that mission and offer the services that are key to helping the institution to achieve its strategic goals • My departments: Facilities Services (Physical Plant), Business Services, Human Resources, Investments, Auxiliary Services and Information Technology Services • We provide service and support • WE assure compliance with laws and regulations

3. Service & Support • Our goal: to provide the highest quality level of service to help the institution achieve it mission and goals and to make compliance as painless as possible • That service and support role is quite different in Information Technology from any of the other service departments in my area. • Faculty, students and staff are much more immediately involved and interested in IT • They all want some say in the support and services that IT provides

4. Connections to IT • Faculty and students make increasing use technology in a variety of ways to support the teaching and learning process, and they want to be able to make their own choices • Staff need to use technology to be most productive in their work, and they need training and support to do that

5. How will IT succeed? • Comprehensive, institution-wide strategic planning • Connect strategic planning to the budget process • Understand institution-wide financial and budget issues and budget • Provide unbeatable customer service • Build partnerships

6. The Strategic Planning Process Itself Mission Identification of Constituents Core Values Vision Internal and External Environment Analysis Strategic Issues Goals Strategies

7. Strategic Planning for Information Technology • Defined by the Institution’s Strategic Plan • IT Mission: How does IT support the institutional mission? • IT Vision: How will future IT developments support the institutional strategic vision? • IT Core Values: must reflect the core values of the institution • IT Environment & Strategic Issues: informed by ongoing analysis at institution and at departmental level • IT Goals: Support institution goals & are institution wide • IT Strategies: Developed at departmental level Impact on other planning • Operational Planning • Fundraising Planning • Budget Planning • Master Planning

8. Planning for Information TechnologyMust be Campus-wide • IT Departmental Mission, Vision, & Values Statements agreed upon across campus • Understanding of IT Departmental Constituents; look for differences at a unit level: students, faculty, staff • SWOT Analysis should be shared with campus • Strategic Issues for the IT Across the Campus • Goals for the IT Department Understood on Campus • Strategies for Achieving Those Goals - Departmental • Annual Objectives & Budget -Departmental

9. Strategic Planning: Implementation - Linking Planning to Budgeting Operational Plan: • Translates the longer term strategic plan into a one-year timeframe and thus to the annual budget process • Specifies one year objectives in all areas of the College set to achieve the long term, strategic goals Budget Plan: • Allocates resources according to the priorities specified in the operational plan and within the context of financial reality • Makes the operational plan a reality

10. Financial Realities in Higher Education Colleges and Universities are Complex • Many businesses besides our mission of education, research, & service • Residential Services • Food Services • Real Estate, Parking • Hotel & Conferences Services • Facilities & Grounds Maintenance • Architectural Design and Construction • Medical & Other Professional Services • Information Technology

11. Institutional Financial Support • Private Institution Sources of Revenue • Tuition & Fees • Room & Board • Auxiliary Services • Grants and Contracts, Public & Private • Gifts • Endowment Spending Distribution • Medical Services • Patents/Intellectual Properties

12. Institutional Financial Support • Public Institution Sources of Revenue • State Grants & Capital Funds • Tuition & Fees • Room & Board • Auxiliary Services • Grants and Contracts, Public & Private • Gifts • Endowment Investment Distribution • Medical Services • Patents

13. Classification of Expenses Expenditures are Complex & Market Driven • Largest Cost: Compensation • National competition for faculty & upper administration • Market competition is heavy for specific positions • Fund Raising, Technology, Finance staff • Recent energy rates have been largely uncontrollable • Medical benefits premiums are non-negotiable • Technology is continually changing & expensive • Enhanced services are expected • Aging campuses require greater allocations for maintenance & renewal

14. Organizational & Financial Structure • Financial Structure of Your Institution • Centralized or decentralized • Responsibility Centered Management • Operational versus capital budgets • Written documents? • Budget Processes and Structure • Public or private budget process • Who is involved? What is the time frame? • Written documents?

15. Develop Relationships • Learn about people across the campus • Understand their work, families, hobbies, their Myers Briggs type! • Get to know students, faculty, staff • Connect with the community • Respect Individuals • Try to understand their concerns • Do not criticize them to others • Understand your relationship to them

16. Be A Role Model of Commitment • Make sure that you fit the institution • Commit to work hard • Commit to supporting institutional goals • Commit to institutional culture & norms • Communicate that commitment • Behavior • Be reliable – keep your promises • Make decisions, even hard ones • Verbal and written communication • What you say and how you say it • Provide the highest possible customer service

17. Create Partnerships Internally • With Provost, Deans & Faculty for Instructional Technology • Joint purchase of software • Shared support personnel • Create planning teams • Demonstrate academic software with faculty • With Library for Mutual Support • Provide joint support to faculty and students • Support library hardware and software • With Facilities Services for Infrastructure • Get involved with every construction project • Join together on networking projects • Work together on disaster recovery

18. Create Partnerships Internally • With CFO for Administrative Technology • Work with human resources on training • Provide strong financial support for technology purchases • Share support personnel • With Institutional Advancement for Grants • Do your research on available sources of funds • Provide support for alumni • With Auxiliaries for External Funding • Technology in conference centers & hotels • With Communications for Marketing • Create a strong partnership for Institutional Web Site • Get their help for marketing IT issues

19. Create Partnerships Externally • Participate in Relevant Consortia • Purchasing consortia • NITLE program • Regional partnerships • Work closely with Vendors • Communicate your specifications • Communicate your opinion of their service • Take on shared projects • Communicate Often with Colleagues • Use list serves, participate in conferences, visit their campus • Share Costs with Other Institutions • Share personnel, offer joint workshops