May, 2008

Edutech Report - May, 2008 - Full Issue PDF
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Responding to Executive Challenges in IT Governance
By Thomas Warger
It is usually a bad sign when the CEO (president or chancellor) has to ask questions about information technology. It is true that some who occupy that office actually know enough to ask informed questions or to develop an interest in some technology topic. But more often there is a problem.

Quotes of the Month
Embracing consumer technologies; IT as strategic partner

Newsbriefs
“Big Mobile on Campus Challenge” to Award $10,000 Scholarship to Winner; Higher-Education Groups Want Federal Lawmakers to Oppose File-Sharing Measure

System Go-Live
By Thomas Warger
“Go-Live” is the finish line in the marathon to install new software. It is the transition point at which a new system is accepted as ready and goes into use. The concept has increased in importance in recent years, as most institutions have moved away from the practice of running old and new systems in parallel. Now it is more common to set a date for the old system to cease and the new one to start up.

CIO Leadership Series: Office of the CIO
By Thomas Warger
We rely too much on the old idea of the chief information officer as a singular person, keeper of the magic and mysteries of technology. At one time, in the now distant past, it was possible for one person to know much of what needed to be done in IT. But that day is long gone, and not just because technology is now more diversified: leadership and management in the technical field is strongly intertwined with tasks in campus diplomacy, planning, budgeting, personnel development, and communications.

Outsourcing by Design
By Thomas Warger
The commonplace thinking about outsourcing is that it is something you do when you are unable to meet a need with inside resources. In this line of reasoning, the inside solution is inherently better and is to be preferred whenever possible. Website design is shopped out because the institution does not think its staff have the skill or creativity necessary. Or the help desk is outsourced because the campus IT organization cannot provide a satisfactory level of service.

Edutech Responds
Cooperative Work in Computer Labs; Web-based Computer Applications; How Much Bandwidth is Enough?; Software Images