Is IT a Cloud? Using Metaphors for Better Outcomes

Is IT in higher education like a utility provider or a cloud, or will it go the way of newspapers? Are we like Borders Books (RIP) or Barnes & Noble? As we speculate about the future of IT, we believe that our metaphors matter. The implicit assumptions behind these metaphors shape the way our nontechnical leaders, colleagues, and users understand the role of IT in our institutions. Our goal is to make explicit and deconstruct these metaphors and begin to use them in strategic ways. Our presentation will focus on identifying and analyzing these metaphors as a practice to support effective decision making on campus.