IT as Strategic Investment Rather Than Cost Center: Using Core Data Service to Guide Transformation

As higher education pivots out of the pandemic and approaches the fiscal implications of the enrollment cliff, it is critical to not only create value and efficiency with IT services, but to also be able to articulate that value as related to strategic investment that transforms the institution. The contributions of information technology to facilitate and preserve institutional operation in the pandemic were straightforward and obvious. As budget pressures grow as a result of a shrinking recruiting population, IT has the potential to help institutions preserve enrollment, facilitate student success, and improve efficiency. The degree to which institutional leadership chooses to approach IT as a strategic investment rather than a cost center to be trimmed will depend, in significant part, on our ability to tell a data rich story about the connections between investments, services, and institutional strategy. A panel of CIOs will share their experience in using Core Data Service, not only to tell this story in real-worlds cenarios, but also to shape value creation within IT itself.