The Emergence of the Academic Discipline-Specific Technology Professional

The University of Virginia sees a new class of IT roles, "academic discipline-specific technology professionals," as critical to research, teaching, and learning over the next decade. These emerging roles require deep knowledge of IT and academic credentials in a non-IT field. This session will review how these positions were identified and discuss internal assessment, peer institution surveys, creation of job summaries, expertise requirements, and career paths, as well the recruitment and retention challenges of these highly competitive positions. Distinctions will be drawn between these professionals and others serving in IT or academic roles. This is a key development for IT professionals with strong academic credentials.