From Cost Centers to Catalysts: How Collaboration Is Rewiring University Operations

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | 4:30PM–5:30PM MT | EDUCAUSE Commons, EDUCAUSE Central, Poster Area
Session Type: Poster Session
Delivery Format: Poster Session
Higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to reduce administrative costs while preserving the quality of services that students, staff, and faculty rely on. Most institutions default to familiar levers such as hiring freezes, deferred investments, and incremental budget reductions. These approaches buy time, but they rarely solve the underlying structural problem. This session presents an alternative. Three public universities within the California State University system made the bold decision to consolidate their information technology, procurement, and accounts payable functions into a shared services network under a single operating entity known as the San Francisco Bay Region Network (SFBRN). The result is a model that has already delivered measurable savings in its first year of operation, with a trajectory for compounding returns as additional functions come online and processes and systems are further standardized. The presenting panel includes the SFBRN vice president for regional transformation, the leader of its consolidated IT function, and the Deloitte engagement partner. Together they will outline the imperatives for change, frameworks and tools used, financial model and savings, phased implementation approach, and lessons learned from asking staff to shift their professional identities from a single campus to a multi-institution collaborative model.

Presenters

  • Nish Malik

    Chief Information & Digital Strategy Officer, San Francisco State University

  • Karen Moranski

    Vice President, Regional Network Transformation, Sonoma State University

  • Austin Wolff

    Technology Consultant, Deloitte

Resources & Downloads

  • SFBRN Educause Poster

    Updated on 9/22/2026