Information Technology Leadership

Abstract

The novel coronavirus outbreak reinforced the role of Information Technology (IT) leadership as an integral strategic partner in supporting institutional missions of colleges and universities. At the onset of the pandemic, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and IT managers in higher education faced the logistics of moving their entire organizations online. Equity, access, and support for effectively teaching and working remotely also proved major concerns for IT leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed IT’s centrality in areas such as academic quality, access, system integration, and information security. Moreover, it reinforced IT’s criticality for facilitating operations, achieving desired outcomes for student retention, and strengthening administrative functions. This chapter shares the successes and challenges IT leaders encountered while assessing technology infrastructure, networks and systems to ensure work-at-home capabilities for faculty, staff, and students during the COVID-19 crisis. It focuses on the leadership decisions made to assist students and faculty, to provide required applications for remote work, and to reframe IT project management and support.