Information Technology in Higher Education: Critical Success Factors

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Information Technology in Higher Education
Critical Success Factors

• ISP 499z
• Jennifer Powers
• February 3, 2003

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Stakeholders Who are involved?

• Students
• Traditional
• Non-traditional
• Parents
• High schools
• Faculty
• Library

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Stakeholders Who are involved?

• Administrative computing
• Academic computing
• Budget office
• Admissions office
• Employers

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IssuesWhose got what?

• Students parents--expectations (learning,
  employment, costs)
• High schools--preparation
• Faculty--expectations
• What is expected of them by administration
  (tenure research)
• What can they expect from their students
  (teaching)
• Library
• What is expected of them
• Whos in charge of the university system

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IssuesWhose got what?

• Administrative academic computing
• Whos in charge of the systems
• Budget office--declining budgets, increasing
  costs
• Admissions--student and employer expectations
• Employers--expectations

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IssuesHow have they changed?

• Students and parents
• High schools
• Faculty
• Library
• Administrative and academic computing
• Budget office
• Admissions office
• Employers

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ChangeHow does it happen?

• Unfreeze
• Change
• Refreeze
• What changes need to be made?
• Who is most affected by the changes?
• What does this mean for IT in higher education?

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Critical success factorsWhat must go right?

• Critical success factors are the few key areas
  where things must go right for the business to
  flourish. (Rockart 1979, p. 85)
• Perspectives
• Students/parents learning, employment, costs
• Faculty teaching, tenure, research
• Administrators service, costs
• Employers employees

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CSFsHow does IT come into play?

• Students
• Customized learning
• Job skills
• Lifelong learning skills
• Faculty
• Communication with colleagues
• Teaching methods

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CSFsHow does IT come into play?

• Administrators
• Customized services
• Reduced costs
• Employers
• Skilled knowledge workers

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CSFsSo what are they?

• What must happen for students to successfully use
  IT?
• Access
• Training and support
• Communication
• Cooperation

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CSFsSo what are they?

• What must happen for faculty to successfully use
  IT?
• Training and support
• Communication
• Access
• Cooperation
• Rewards

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CSFsSo what are they?

• What must happen for administrators to
  successfully use IT?
• Communication
• Training
• Financial plan
• Leadership (CIO)
• Strategic plan
• Cooperation

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CSFsSo what are they?

• What must happen for employers to successfully
  use IT?
• Communication

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MeasurementHow do we know it worked?

• Students
• Jobs
• Faculty
• Tenure
• Publications
• Administrators
• Graduates
• Research
• Employers
• Employee turnover

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Critical success factorsWhat did she just say?
Perspectives Students --learning --employment --costs Faculty --teaching --research --tenure Administrators --service --costs Employers --employees
IT impacts Customized learning Job skills Lifelong learning skills Communication Teaching methods Customized service Reduced costs Skilled knowledge workers
CSFs Access Training/support Communication Cooperation Training/support Communication Access Cooperation Rewards Communication Training/support Financial plan Leadership (CIO) Strategic plan Cooperation Communication
Measurement Jobs Tenure Publication Graduates Research Employee turnover
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CSFsSo what matters most and what is being done
about it?

• Communication
• Communicate IT plan to everyone
• Explain why IT is important, especially to those
  not interested
• Different teaching approaches according to
  different teachinglearning processes
• Provide hands-on training

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CSFsSo what matters most and what is being done
about it?

• ODC Ideabook
• Ohio Dominican College
• Encourages faculty to exchange ideas on how they
  are using IT
• What is UA doing?

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CSFsSo what matters most and what is being done
about it?

• Cooperation
• Hire CIO to provide leadership
• Hold open meetings
• Conduct focus groups
• Reconsider tenure and promotion criteria
• Provide funding for faculty to try innovative
  teaching methods

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CSFsSo what matters most and what is being done
about it?

• IUPUI (Indiana University/Purdue University
  Indianapolis)
• Promotion and Tenure committee now includes
  additional criteria
• Provide time off for faculty to devote to IT
• What is UA doing?

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CSFsSo what matters most and what is being done
about it?

• Training and support
• Have experts available for consultation
• Offer workshops for students, faculty and staff
• Teach students how to learn from computers and
  video presentations
• Develop ongoing budget
• Establish Center for Technology in Education

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CSFsSo what matters most and what is being done
about it?

• IUPUI
• Provide electronic and traditional resources,
  consulting services, meeting space and funding
• What is UA doing?

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DiscussionDruckers prophecy?

• In 1998, Peter Drucker thought that IT was about
  to revolutionize education.
• What, specifically, did he think would happen?
• What has or has not happened yet?
• Do you think, with more time, some of his ideas
  will come to fruition?