2014 Study of the Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness
Wayne A. Brown, Ph.D. Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officers Studies, Inc. (CHECS)
Foreword by Ronald L. Danielson, Ph.D. Vice Provost and CIO Santa Clara University
2014 Study of the Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness By Wayne A. Brown, Ph.D. Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officers Studies, Inc. Foreword by Ronald L. Danielson, Ph.D. Vice Provost and CIO Santa Clara University
Copy edited by Wilma Montz
Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies, Inc. Albany, NY 12203 www.CHECS.org © 2014 All rights reserved
First and foremost, we wish to gratefully acknowledge our generous sponsors. As supporters of this study, these organizations understand the importance of the chief information officer (CIO) role in higher education. They recognize and are also committed to CIO enrichment and growth, which occurs through education and knowledge.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................... 7 Foreword..................................................................................................................................................... 11 Executive Summary..................................................................................................................................... 13 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 15 Demographics ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Age .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Chart 1. CIO Age .................................................................................................................................. 17 Graph 1. CIOs Older Than 51 Years Old (2010 to 2014)...................................................................... 18 Gender .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Chart 2. CIO Gender ............................................................................................................................ 18 Graph 2. CIO Gender (2008 to 2014) .................................................................................................. 19 Chart 3. CIO Age and Gender .............................................................................................................. 20 Graph 3. Female CIOs and TLs............................................................................................................. 21 Race ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Chart 4. CIO Race ................................................................................................................................ 22 Graph 4. Minority CIOs (2010 to 2014) ............................................................................................... 23 Chart 5. Hispanic CIOs ......................................................................................................................... 23 Graph 5. Hispanic CIOs (2010 to 2014) .............................................................................................. 24 Degree ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 Chart 6. CIO Degree ............................................................................................................................ 24 Graph 6. CIOs with an Advanced Degree (2003 to 2014) ................................................................... 25 Chart 7. CIO Degree and Institution Type ........................................................................................... 25 Chart 8. CIO Associate’s Holders Who Were Internal Hires for CIO ................................................... 27 Chart 9. Overview of Institution Type and Degree Holder ................................................................. 28 CIO Degree Major ................................................................................................................................... 28 Table 1. CIO Degree Major .................................................................................................................. 28 Table 2. TL Degree Major .................................................................................................................... 29 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Page | 3
Experience................................................................................................................................................... 31 Institution Type and Size ......................................................................................................................... 31 Chart 10. Comparison for U.S. and CIO by Institution Type................................................................ 31 Chart 11. CIOs by Institution Size ........................................................................................................ 32 Previous Positions ................................................................................................................................... 32 Graph 7. Previous Position .................................................................................................................. 33 Graph 8. Two Positions Prior Title ...................................................................................................... 34 Title ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Chart 12. CIO Titles ............................................................................................................................. 35 Graph 9. CIO Title (2003 to 2014) ....................................................................................................... 35 CIO Work Experience .............................................................................................................................. 36 Figure 1. CIO Sector for Their Last Position ........................................................................................ 37 Chart 13. CIO Last Position Sector Comparison .................................................................................. 38 Chart 14. Years in Current Position by CIO Sector for Last Position ................................................... 40 Chart 15. CIO Position Internal Hire .................................................................................................... 40 Graph 10. CIO Internal Candidates from 2013-2014 .......................................................................... 41 Table 3. Internal/External CIO Comparison by Institution Type ......................................................... 41 Chart 16. Internal/External CIO Comparison ...................................................................................... 42 Figure 2. CIO Work Experience General Areas.................................................................................... 43 Figure 3. Average CIO Work Experience in Four General Areas ......................................................... 43 Figure 4. Average CIO Work Experience in IT and outside IT.............................................................. 44 Graph 11. CIO Time in Higher-education IT (2007 to 2014) ............................................................... 45 CIO Areas of Responsibility ..................................................................................................................... 45 Graph 12. Other Areas the CIO is Responsible for (2010 to 2013) ..................................................... 46 Tenure ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Table 4. CIO Tenure (2003 to 2014) .................................................................................................... 46 IMT Membership .................................................................................................................................... 47 Chart 17. IMT Membership ................................................................................................................. 47 Graph 13. IMT Membership (2003 to 2014) ....................................................................................... 47 Chart 18. IMT Membership and CIO Degree....................................................................................... 48 CIO Reporting .......................................................................................................................................... 48 Chart 19. Title of the CIO’s Supervisor ................................................................................................ 49 Page | 4
Graph 14. CIOs Reporting to the CEO (2003 to 2014) ........................................................................ 50 Graph 15. CIOs Reporting to the CEO in Two Year Colleges (2009 to 2014) ...................................... 50 Figure 5. CIO Reporting Level .............................................................................................................. 51 Chart 20. CIO Reporting Level and Degree ......................................................................................... 52 Graph 16. CIO Reporting Level (2003 to 2014) ................................................................................... 52 Retirement .............................................................................................................................................. 53 Chart 21. CIO Retirement Plans .......................................................................................................... 53 Graph 17. CIO Retirement Plans by Year (2008 to 2014).................................................................... 54 Table 5. CIO Retirement Plans by Gender........................................................................................... 54 Graph 18. CIO Retirement Plans by Gender 2011-2014 ..................................................................... 55 Table 6. CIO Retirement Plans by Age and Gender............................................................................. 55 Compensation ......................................................................................................................................... 56 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 56 CIO Position Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 58 Required CIO Degree .............................................................................................................................. 58 Chart 22. CIOs: Degree Required For the CIO ..................................................................................... 58 Table 7. CIO Degree and the Degree CIOs Should Possess ................................................................. 59 Graph 19. IMT: Advanced Degree Required For The CIO (2010 to 2013) ........................................... 59 Chart 23. TL: Degree Required For The CIO ........................................................................................ 60 Chart 24. Required CIO Degree Comparison ...................................................................................... 60 CIO Degree Major Opinions .................................................................................................................... 61 Chart 25. TL: Degree Major Needed By CIO ........................................................................................ 61 Chart 26. CIOs: Degree Major Needed by CIO .................................................................................... 62 Chart 27. Required CIO Degree Major Comparison ............................................................................ 62 Graph 20. IMTs: Degree Major Needed by CIO (2010-2013).............................................................. 63 CIO Skills .................................................................................................................................................. 63 Chart 28. Required CIO Skills Comparison .......................................................................................... 65 Table 8. CIOs: Skills Needed by CIO .................................................................................................... 66 Table 9. TLs: Skills Needed by CIO ....................................................................................................... 67 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 67 CIO Effectiveness and Alignment ................................................................................................................ 68 CIO Roles ................................................................................................................................................. 68 Page | 5
Table 10. CIO Roles ............................................................................................................................. 68 Figure 6. CIO Role Hierarchy ............................................................................................................... 69 Table 11. CIO Role Importance and Effectiveness .............................................................................. 70 Table 12. CIO: CIO Role Importance Ratings ....................................................................................... 70 Table 13. CIO: CIO Role Effectiveness Ratings .................................................................................... 71 Where they spend their time .................................................................................................................. 71 Chart 29. CIO Focus ............................................................................................................................. 72 Graph 21. CIO Focus: Increased Focus on Strategy by Year (2011 to 2014) ....................................... 72 CIO Attributes ......................................................................................................................................... 73 Table 14. CIO Attributes ...................................................................................................................... 73 Table 15. CIO Attributes and Perceived Effectiveness Results (2003 to 2013)................................... 74 CIO Effectiveness .................................................................................................................................... 74 Table 16. CIO Effectiveness Average by Gender ................................................................................. 74 Table 17. CIO Perspective on CIO IMT Membership Effectiveness..................................................... 75 Table 18. IMT Membership Impact on CIO Perceived Effectiveness (2003 to 2014) ......................... 75 Table 19. CIO Perspective on CIO Reporting to the CEO .................................................................... 75 Table 20. CIO Reporting to CEO Impact on Perceived CIO Effectiveness (2003 to 2014) ................... 76 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 76 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 77 Table 21. Higher Education CIO Study Results (2003 to 2014) ........................................................... 79 Index............................................................................................................................................................ 80 References .................................................................................................................................................. 81 About CHECS ............................................................................................................................................... 83
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Acknowledgements I would like to thank a number of people for their ongoing help and support of this longitudinal research. Now in its eleventh year, the participants continue to fill out the survey and return results that shed new light on a position, the chief information officer (CIO), which is critical to the higher education institution. I want to thank the 280 higher-education CIOs and the 177 technology leaders (TL) who responded this year. I could not complete the research without these two groups taking time out of what is already a busy day to answer the questions I posed to them. As you read this report and the 2014 TL report, you will see that the information from the two surveys continues to answer questions and generate new thoughts on higher education technology leaders. In some cases, we see a trend in a certain area continue and in others we find the trend has been reversed. Unfortunately, I have not been successful in getting a large number of CIOs from outside the United States to complete the survey. One challenge has been obtaining CIO e-mail addresses to send the survey to them. I want to thank Tahlia Thomas, Manager of the IT Support Center at The George Washington University who volunteered to gather addresses for CIOs from Canada and as a result I was able to obtain a number of additional responses from Canadian higher education CIOs. Last, but not least, I want to thank our generous sponsors (listed below in alphabetical order within the sponsorship level). Without their considerable support, this study would be much more difficult to complete. Our sponsors are committed to the higher-education technology profession. Through their steadfast and philanthropic commitment, the Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies (CHECS) is able to complete this important research year after year and enable you, our equally important supporters, to benefit from the data gathered. If you have the opportunity, please let our sponsors know how much you value and appreciate their continued support. Platinum Sponsors Qualtrics Charter Sponsors Ellucian Excelsior College
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Gold Sponsors BerryDunn Blackboard Brill Neumann Executive Search Consulting Hobsons Moran Technology Consulting CHECS has an advisory board of higher education CIOs and TLs to provide input on the CHECS surveys and other initiatives. The advisory board also provides advice on the CHECS organization and assists with CHECS projects. I want to thank this talented group for all of their hard work and dedication. Members of the 2013-2016 Advisory Board are: Keith McIntosh (Chair), Vice Chancellor for Information Technology & CIO, Pima County Community College District Jill Albin-Hill, CIO, Dominican University Pam Arroway, Senior Statistician, EDUCAUSE Sharon Blanton, Vice President and CIO, Hawaii Pacific University Curtis (Curt) Carver, Vice Chancellor/CIO, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia Jeffrey Cepull, Vice President for Information Resources and CIO, Philadelphia University Stephen deFilipo, Vice President and CIO, Cecil College Jay Dominick, Vice President and CIO, Princeton University Maggie Fung, CIO, Kwantlen Polytechnic University PB Garrett, Associate Provost & Chief Academic Technology Officer, The George Washington University Joel Hartman, CIO, University of Central Florida Ann Kovalchick, Associate Vice Chancellor and CIO, University of California, Merced Page | 8
Bruce Maas, CIO & Vice Provost for Information Technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Susan Malisch, Vice President and CIO, Loyola University Chicago Charlie Moran, Sr. Partner and CEO, Moran Technology Consulting Joe Moreau, Vice Chancellor, Technology & CTO, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District Ganesan Ravishanker (Ravi), CIO & Associate Dean, Wellesley College John (Jack) Suess, Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, University of Maryland Baltimore County Justin Sipher, Vice President of Libraries and Information Technology, St. Lawrence University Rhonda Spells, Executive Director, eLearning Services, Prince George’s Community College Melissa Woo, Vice Provost for Information Services & CIO, University of Oregon When I first began this work, I provided the funding for the research and other expenses associated with CHECS. Even now, everyone associated with CHECS are volunteers. We have kept our operating costs low so that every report sold and every sponsorship dollar received directly benefits the higher education technology career field, either through continued research or endowed scholarships. CHECS is a not-for-profit organization and it is committed to the development of the CIO in higher education. In support of this commitment, CHECS has sponsored three endowed higher education scholarships focused on information technology management. In 2010, CHECS began funding an endowed scholarship in the doctoral Computing Technology in Education program at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. The Dr. Trudy Abramson Scholarship awards a $1,000 scholarship annually to a doctoral technology management student employed in higher education. In 2014, this scholarship was fully funded. In 2012, the Dr. Polley Ann McClure Scholarship was established in the Management Information Systems undergraduate program at the University of Texas at Austin. It awards a $1,000 scholarship annually to a student in this program. In 2014, the Dr. Detlev H. Smaltz Scholarship was established in the Management Information System program at Florida State University. It awards a $1,000 scholarship annually to a student in this program. Page | 9
When you purchase a report or report site license, you can be assured that 100 percent of the nominal charge is going back to our higher education technology field, either in the form of future research or toward helping a fellow higher education technology professional working toward earning a degree. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or there are aspects of the higher education CIO that are not covered that you would like to see in future reports. Regards,
Wayne A. Brown, Ph.D.
[email protected]
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Foreword Congratulations to Wayne Brown on the publication of the tenth edition of his Survey of the Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness. Being a CIO in higher education can be exhilarating and frustrating, sometimes almost in the same breath. On the positive side, American higher education is in a period of tremendous change, and many of the ideas being discussed to help our institutions adapt are strongly rooted in technology. For years, the ubiquity of technology has allowed higher education CIOs who took advantage of the opportunity to have a broader understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of our institutions than any other executive, positioning us to uniquely contribute to the transformations we all feel are on the horizon. On the negative side, most of us are buffeted between high (some might say unrealistic) expectations of service, and severely constrained budgets with which to provide those services, while the economics of IT services are switching from buy and maintain to subscription models. Before Wayne’s surveys began there was lots of conventional wisdom about CIOs at colleges and universities, but it was based primarily on anecdotal evidence. And as a job candidate once told me, “the plural of anecdote is not data.” Wayne’s work and passion have provided data to help us better understand the role of the CIO in higher education, including the relationship between CIOs, other senior executives in the higher education management team and other technology leaders on campus. Among strongly held beliefs these data have debunked are that CIOs have relatively short terms of office, and that a CIO needs to report to the President and be a part of the President’s Cabinet to be effective, neither of which seems to be true. There is much in the survey results to provide comfort to higher education CIOs: strong agreement between CIOs and the institutional management team on the relative importance of the various roles CIOs play, and high rankings by the institutional management team on the effectiveness of the CIO in those roles; relatively long terms of service; and indications that CIOs are focusing more on strategic issues and less on day-to-day tasks. The data also point out areas that should be of concern to the higher education CIO community and to the institutions that employ them: an extreme lack of diversity in the CIO population, poor representation of women in that population, a representation that seems to be declining; an aging CIO population looking forward to retirement while, based on a parallel survey of nonCIO leaders in higher education IT organizations that Wayne also conducts, diminishing interest
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among a likely group of successors in becoming a CIO; and, in light of the demographics of the CIO position, paltry efforts at succession planning and mentoring.
Most disturbing to me personally, given the challenges facing almost all higher education institutions today, is the heavy emphasis by institutional management teams, and by CIOs themselves, on the importance of technical knowledge in a CIO. Certainly technology is so important to daily operations in all institutions that it must be reliable, effective and efficient. However in all but the smallest institutions that is not work that falls to the CIO directly. We need to become more effective at articulating the unique impact that a CIO, operating as a peer with other C-level executives and blending strong understanding of higher education with awareness of the potential for technology application, can have on institutional transformation.
Ron Danielson, Ph.D. Vice Provost and CIO Santa Clara University
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Executive Summary 2014 was a year of change for the higher education CIO and TL. The decline in the percentage of female CIOs topped with an increase of one percent. In a potential positive sign for the future gender balance of higher education CIOs, the percentage of TLs who were women reached a new high of 31 percent. While this was an encouraging development, the percentage of female CIOs who were predicting retirement in the next ten years was 55 percent versus 45 percent of the male CIOs. Furthermore, the female CIOs were predicting retirement at a younger age than their male counterparts. The percentage of minority CIOs reached a new high of nine percent. While this was a positive development, there is still a great deal of work to be done. The requirement for an advanced degree for the CIO has been established. The 2014 results continued to reinforce this degree requirement with 81 percent of the CIOs holding an advanced degree. The TL has received this message and either has an advanced degree or was in pursuit of one. The CIO with an advanced degree was more likely to serve on the institution management team (IMT) and report to the CEO. The major for the vast majority of the CIO degrees, 81 percent, came from business, technology, education, administration, leadership or management. While CIOs and TLs didn’t think the CIO’s degree major was important, the majority of IMTs in the past indicated it should be a technology major. The higher education CIOs followed a traditional IT department career path to get to their position. In addition, the majority of them had a higher education background, specifically in IT. The internal candidate for the CIO position was competitive but less of them served on the IMT or reported to the CEO than their external counterparts. CIO continued to be the dominant title for the senior IT executive. The CIO position in the organizational hierarchy did not change dramatically in 2014 nor has it over the course of this research. The percentage who reported to the CEO, who reported within one level of the CEO, and who served on the IMT remained steady. The CIOs who served on the IMT perceived themselves as more effective than the CIO who did not serve on the IMT. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. In addition, the CIOs who reported directly to CEOs viewed themselves as more effective than the CIOs who reported to someone other than the CEOs. Again, the difference was statistically significant. Furthermore, it should be noted that in the past, the IMT never viewed the CEO reporting relationship as more effective for the CIO. The IMT membership question has shown an inconsistent result for CIO effectiveness. Page | 13
Leadership and communication were chosen as CIO skills by the vast majority of respondents. The remaining top six skills were interpersonal skills, technical knowledge, higher education knowledge, and relationship building. However, there was a significant decline in the percentage of respondents who chose those four skills versus the two most frequently selected skills. The CIOs in this research continued to view the foundational CIO roles as the most important. In addition, the CIOs viewed themselves as more effective operating in those foundational roles than the more strategic roles. The CIO spent more time focused on the department and institution strategy than the day-to-day tasks.
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Introduction The tenth version of the CHECS longitudinal higher education CIO survey was launched in February 2014. More than 2,400 CIOs from higher-education institutions in the United States and other countries were invited to participate in the study and were sent paper and/or electronic surveys. The 2014 survey was answered by 280 CIOs. In addition, for the sixth year, CHECS conducted a technology leader (TL) survey simultaneously. The TL is the position in the next organizational layer down from the CIO. In 2014, 177 TLs responded to the CHECS survey. Information from the TL survey was also used in the CIO report, while the TL survey results as a whole were published in a separate report: “2014 Higher Education Technology Leadership Study: The Chief Information Officers of the Future” (Brown, 2014). In a response to an ECAR request, CHECS added several questions to the CIO survey. The CIO and IMT surveys are based on Dr. Herb Smaltz’ 1999 doctoral healthcare CIO research. The IMT is comprised of the other vice presidents and president of the institution. The CHECS CIO and TL research is unique in that both groups are asked similar questions and the results are compared and contrasted. The respondent answers provide a great deal of information about the higher-education CIO roles, effectiveness, attributes, and background. We have learned more and more about the TL, the individuals who are most likely to succeed the current higher education CIO. In addition, the higher education CIO background, experience and education have been documented, revealing a distinct career path for the TL to follow. The results from previous iterations of this study and the TL report are presented as a way to observe the changes that have occurred The 2014 Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness Study examined the higher education CIO in the following areas: Demographics Experience CIO Requirements CIO Effectiveness and Alignment TLs who are interested in becoming a CIO want to know what path was followed by the CIOs who came before them. They want to try to emulate that path as closely as possible to secure a CIO position. Information on the CIO's background and experiences are also useful for IMT members, who may be trying to hire a CIO. The question about whether or not CIOs are effective has been debated for some time. In this research, the importance of certain CIO roles and the effectiveness of the CIO in those roles were explored through a series of questions posed to the CIO. The CIOs provided a selfPage | 15
evaluation of the importance of seven different CIO roles and how effective they believed they were in those different roles.
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Demographics The group demographics provide a foundation from which to view the group. In 2014, the higher-education CIOs were asked about their age, gender, race, experience, and education. The TLs were asked some of the same questions and their results are presented by way of comparison. In addition, both groups, the CIO and TL were asked about the education required for a higher-education CIO.
Age As might be expected, a group that has risen to the executive level, like the higher education CIO, would be older. In 2014, 65 percent of the higher education CIOs were older than 51 years (Chart 1). In comparison, 70 percent of senior administrators were over 51 years old in 2013 ("Almanac Issue 2013-2014," 2013) Chart 1. CIO Age 1% 1% 11%
5%
31-35
9%
36-40
10%
41-45 20%
15%
46-50 51-55
28%
56-60 61-65 66-70 71 and older
The 2014 result for CIOs who were older than 51 years old was the same as 2013 (Graph 1). The result has increased by six percent since 2010.
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Graph 1. CIOs Older Than 51 Years Old (2010 to 2014) 70% 64% 60%
65%
65%
60%
59%
50%
40%
30%
20% 2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Gender Women have been more prominently represented in the higher education CIO ranks than their cross-industry peers but the percentage had been declining and was never above 26 percent. In a reversal of the downward trend, 22 percent of the higher education CIOs were women in 2014 (Chart 2). According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 43 percent of senior administrators in higher education were women ("Almanac Issue 2013-2014," 2013). Chart 2. CIO Gender
22%
Female 78%
Male
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The lack of proportional representation by women in the higher education CIO ranks has been a major focus of the CHECS research. In 2013, CHECS predicted the percentage of female CIOs would begin to increase based on a number of factors. While not a major upsurge, 2014 represented the first year the percentage of women CIOs increased. Graph 2 depicts CIO gender percentages from 2008 to 2014 (Brown, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). Graph 2. CIO Gender (2008 to 2014) 90% 80% 70%
74%
76%
77%
77%
78%
79%
78%
60% 50%
Female
40%
Male
30% 26% 20%
24%
23%
23%
22%
21%
22%
10% 0% 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
One of the results of this and the TL research has been the realization that the percentage of women CIOs had been on the decline. One reason for the decline in the percentage of female CIOs was the difference in age between the female and male CIOs. In 2014, that difference shifted. In fact, more of the male CIOs were older than 51 years (Chart 3). The male CIOs who were older than 51 years old were 65 percent versus 64 percent of the female CIOs. This difference in age could have an impact on the gender differences between CIOs.
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Chart 3. CIO Age and Gender 34%
35% 30%
26% 25% 20% 20% 20%
18% Female
15%
13%
14%
Male
11% 10% 5%
11% 10%
9%
7% 3%
2% 0%
1% 0%
26-30
31-35
0%
1% 0%
0% 36-40
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61-65
66-70
71 and older
The percentage of higher education female CIOs had been on the decline in this research. The belief has been that women did not have an interest in the technology profession at the same rate as their male counterparts. Furthermore, the female CIO may have entered the role later and retired younger than the male CIO. Graph 3 gives a view of four data points and the trends through the seven years this information has been gathered:
The percentage of female TLs in this survey population, The percentage of CIOs in this survey population, The percentage of female CIOs planning to retire in the next ten years, and The percentage of female TLs interested in becoming a CIO.
As demonstrated in this research, the majority of future higher education CIOs will come from the TL population. The percentage of female TLs has risen from 33 percent in 2009 to 39 percent in 2014. The percentage of TLs who were interested in becoming a CIO and who were women reached a new high of 31 percent this year and the percentage of female CIOs who were planning on retirement in the next 10 years rebounded to the 2010 rate of 55 percent. Some of these changes, may have contributed to the percentage of female CIOs rising for the first time since 2008. While not dramatic, the percentage of female CIOs increased to 22 percent. Perhaps, this year marks the end of the downward trend for women CIOs. Page | 20
Graph 3. Female CIOs and TLs 100%
90% Female CIOs 80%
70%
Female TL
60% 53%
55%
53%
50%
55%
49%
47%
40%
40% 37%
37%
39%
37%
33% 30%
28%
26%
26% 23%
24%
29%
29%
29%
23%
22%
21%
20%
31%
Female CIO Retirement
22%
10% Female TL with CIO Interest 0% 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Race The higher education CIO profession is not racially diverse. As in previous versions of this survey, the 2014 CIO survey respondents were examined in five racially broad areas: Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, or White. In 2014, 91 percent of the CIOs were White (Chart 4). While not a dramatic change from previous years, the remaining nine percent is the largest percentage for minorities holding a CIO position during the last four years of this study. The minority CIOs were Black or African
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American at four percent, Asian at four percent, and American Indian or Alaska Native at one percent. The 2014 TL research revealed that 98 percent of respondents were White (Brown, 2014). In another comparison, 14 percent of senior administrators in higher education were minorities and 30 percent of incoming four year college freshman were minorities in 2012 ("Almanac Issue 2013-2014," 2013). Chart 4. CIO Race
1% 4%
4%
0%
American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American
91%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander White
The percentage of minority CIOs reached a new high, albeit still in single digits, in 2014. Graph 4 depicts the percentage of minority CIOs in this study from 2010 to the present.
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Graph 4. Minority CIOs (2010 to 2014) 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5%
7%
7%
6%
7%
9%
0% 2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
The percentage of four-year college students who were Hispanic rose to 16.5 percent in 2013 (Lipka, 2013), The percentage of CIOs who indicated they were Hispanic, depicted in Chart 5, remained at one percent. In the 2014 TL survey, two percent of the respondents indicated they were Hispanic (Brown, 2014). Chart 5. Hispanic CIOs 1%
Yes No
99%
The percentage of Hispanic CIOs has always been low. In 2010, three percent of CIOs identified themselves as Hispanic and only one percent in 2014 (Graph 5).
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Graph 5. Hispanic CIOs (2010 to 2014) 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
3%
2%
2010
2011
2% 2012
1% 2013
1% 2014
Degree It makes a great deal of sense to assume the higher education CIO should have an advanced degree. The advanced degree assertion has been confirmed through this research. The CIOs, IMTs, and TLs surveyed in this study have been almost unanimous in their opinion that holding an advanced degree was a requirement for a higher education CIO position. In 2014, 81 percent of the CIOs had advanced degrees (Chart 6). As a comparison, only 8.4 percent of the U.S. population holds a Master's or Doctoral degree ("Almanac Issue," 2011). Chart 6. CIO Degree 1% 2% 20%
16% High school or equivalent Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree 61%
Master's Degree Doctorate
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The advanced degree question has been asked of the CIO since 2003, when the result was 82 percent. (Graph 6). The percentage of CIOs with an advanced degree increased by two percent from 2013 and five percent from 2012. Graph 6. CIOs with an Advanced Degree (2003 to 2014) 90% 85% 80%
82%
75%
75%
70%
76%
79%
77%
79% 76%
81%
76%
68%
65% 60% 55% 50% 45% 40% 2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
The CIOs were divided by degree type and the different institution types they worked in (Chart 7). While likely a coincidence, the highest percentage of CIO-degree level was found employed at a similar institution type. For example, 35 percent of doctorate-holding CIOs were employed at doctorate institutions, while 48 percent of respondents were evenly divided between Master’s and Associate’s institutions. For instance, The single largest percent of CIOs with a Master's degree, 31 percent, were working in a Master's institution. The remaining CIOs with this degree were spread across the institution types. The CIOs with a Baccalaureate degree were also distributed across the four major institution types. At 31 percent, the single largest percentage were employed at Baccalaureate institutions. This pattern was even more pronounced for those CIOs with an Associate's degree. Fully 80 percent of these CIOs worked in an Associate's institution. Another 20 percent were working in a Special Focus institution. Chart 7. CIO Degree and Institution Type
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80% 80%
70%
67%
60%
50%
40% 35% 31%
33%
31%
30% 25%
24% 24% 20%
21% 22%
18%
22%
22%
20%
18%
10% 2%
0%
2%
0%0%0%
0%0%0%
0% CIO Doctorate Associate's
CIO Master's Bachelor's
CIO Bachelor's Master's
CIO Associate's
Doctorate
CIO High School
Special Focus
Tribal Colleges
This phenomenon, the CIO with an Associate's degree confined almost exclusively to those working in an Associate's institution, was also present in the 2013 CIO research. While not immediately understood, there may be some relatively straight forward reasons for it. For example, the individual may have worked in the IT department while attending school at the Associate's institution and continued working there until promoted to CIO. As depicted in Chart 8, 40 percent of the Associate's degree holders were internal candidates for the CIO position.
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Chart 8. CIO Associate’s Holders Who Were Internal Hires for CIO
40%
60%
Yes No
In an attempt to determine if there was a relationship between CIO degrees and the institution type, this relationship was examined. Chart 9 provides an overview. In the doctorate institution the vast majority of CIOs (85 percent) had an advanced degree. This result was higher than the percentage of all CIOs with an advanced degree (81 percent). In the Master's institutions, the percentage of CIOs with and advanced degree increased to 89 percent. In the Baccalaureate institution, the percentage of CIOs with an advanced degree declined compared to the Master's and Doctorate institutions. The CIOs with advanced degrees in the baccalaureate institutions accounted for 73 percent of the respondents (57 percent held a Master’s and 16 percent with a doctorate). In the Associate's institution, the percentage of CIOs with advanced degrees was 79 percent. Sixty percent of the CIOs from Special Focus institutions held a Master's degree. The remaining 40 percent were split between an Associate's and Bachelor's degree.
Page | 27
Chart 9. Overview of Institution Type and Degree Holder 80% 71% 67%
70% 60%
57%
60%
CIO High School
60% 56%
CIO Associate's
50% 40%
33% 29%
30% 20% 10%
20% 20%
23% 19% 14%
18%
16%
CIO Master's
15%
11%
6% 1%
3% 0%
0% 0%
0% 0%
0%
CIO Bachelor's
0% 0%0%
0%
0%
CIO Doctorate
CIO Degree Major The degree major the CIO should possess is a frequently asked question by the TL who is interested in pursuing the CIO role. In 2014, business was the most frequently cited CIO degree major (29 percent) for the respondents (Table 1). The technology major was the second most frequently selected at 27 percent. Education, administration, and leadership or management accounted for another 25 percent of the CIO degree majors. These four most frequently selected majors represented 81 percent of the total. The remaining majors were from a variety of disciplines. Table 1. CIO Degree Major DEGREE MAJOR Business (business, MBA, etc.) Technology (IT, IS, computer science, etc.) Education Administration (higher education, public, etc.) Other
PERCENTAGE 29% 27% 13% 8% 7%
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DEGREE MAJOR Engineering Leadership or management Library and information science Mathematics Economics Psychology Philosophy English Law History Knowledge Management
PERCENTAGE 4% 4% 3% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Technology continued to be the most frequently possessed TL major at 29 percent followed by business at 26 percent (Table 2). Education and administration accounted for another 16 percent. The four most frequently named majors accounted for 71 percent of the overall total. The remaining majors were from a variety of disciplines. Table 2. TL Degree Major TECH LEADER DEGREE MAJOR Technology (IT, IS, computer science, etc.) Business (business, MBA, etc.) Education Other Administration (higher education, public, etc.) Leadership or management Humanities Mathematics Engineering Library and information science Law Sociology Psychology Communication
PERCENTAGE 29% 26% 10% 6% 6% 5% 5% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Summary There were some encouraging signs to be found in the demographics data for the higher education CIO in 2014. The percentage of female CIOs increased by one percent and while this Page | 29
was not a large upswing, it ended a percentage decline which had persisted for several years. The percentage of female TLs reached a new high of 31 percent, which is promising for women in future CIO positions. Conversely, the percentage of female CIO who were retiring in the next ten years was 55 percent. The percentage of minority CIOs also reached a new high of nine percent. While this was a heartening result, there is still a great deal of work to be done. The requirement for an advanced degree for the CIO has been established and the 2014 results continued to reinforce this requirement with 81 percent of the CIOs holding an advanced degree. The vast majority of CIO degree major (81 percent) was in business, technology, education, administration, leadership or management.
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Experience Understanding the experience of the CIO is important to TLs, CIOs and IMTs. The following section reports on the CIOs’ experience as well as where they were working, their prior titles in their last two positions held and current title. In addition, comparisons were made between CIOs with different industry backgrounds and CIOs who were working for the institution versus external candidates.
Institution Type and Size Technology is integrated into the higher education institution and as a result, the CIO position is found in every institution type. Chart 10 depicts the percentage of responding CIOs to this survey by institution type and the distribution of the institution types in the United States according to the Chronicle of Higher Education ("Almanac Issue 2012-2013," 2012). Chart 10. Comparison for U.S. and CIO by Institution Type
50% 41% 40% 25%
20%
26%
22%
30% 17%
24% 16%
10% 6%
0%
US Institution Types
CIO Survey Institution Types
Another comparison for CIO respondents is by institution size. Chart 11 depicts the percentage of CIOs who responded to the 2014 survey by full-time student institution size. Thirty-four percent of the CIOs worked in institutions with more than 10,000 students.
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Chart 11. CIOs by Institution Size
Under 3,000
15% 35%
9%
3,001-6,000 6,001-9,999
10%
10,000 - 15,000 14%
17% 15,001-20,000 More than 20,000
Previous Positions The career path of the CIO is of great interest to the TL, who may be attempting to replicate it to prepare for a CIO position. This information is also helpful to other CIOs and IMTs, who may be involved in a search for their next CIO. The CIOs were not asked about their previous position in 2014. However, the results of the question from 2010 to 2013 are presented in Graph 7. The most frequently given answer has far and away been CIO. The other three titles in the graph were the single most common answers in 2013. The answer which stood out the most was "Didn't work in IT". This answer increased from three percent in 2010 to seven percent in 2013. While this was not a large percentage, if it increases in the future it might lend some credence to the anecdote that CIOs are arriving at their positions from a non-IT role.
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Graph 7. Previous Position 40%
35% 34%
35%
35% CIO
30% 29%
25%
Executive Director
20% Network Director 15%
10% 9% 7% 5%
5% 3%
2%
0% 2010
2011
10%
6%
11%
Didn't Work in IT
7%
1% 2012
2013
The CIOs were not queried about their job title for the post held two positions ago but information from the 2010 to 2013 reports were presented in Graph 8. As with the previous title, CIO was the most frequently selected answer.
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Graph 8. Two Positions Prior Title 20% 19% 18%
18% 17%
CIO
16% 15% 14% 12% 10%
10%
8%
8%
6%
6%
11% 10%
Didn't Work in IT
8% 6% 5%
Application Development Director/Mgr
6% 5%
4%
Faculty
2% 0% 2010
2011
2012
2013
Title The CHECS CIO survey continued to ask about the CIO's current title. However, this once contentious question has been answered. The most common title for the senior IT executive has been and continues to be CIO. In 2014, 51 percent of the respondents indicated their title was CIO or CIO was included in their title (Chart 12). Director was the second most frequently selected title at 16 percent. Other titles, which may have been trendy in the popular press, such as chief technology officer were claimed by very few of the respondents.
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Chart 12. CIO Titles
1% 1% 1% 4%
1%
CIO (or CIO is included in my title)
1%
Director
4%
Vice President or Vice Chancellor
5%
Executive Director 14%
51%
Assistant/Associate Vice President Chief Technology Officer
16%
Other Assistant/Associate Vice Provost Dean Manager Vice Provost
The percentage of senior IT executives who had the CIO title has steadily increased since this question was first asked in 2003 (Graph 9). It increased by 19 percent during the 11 years of this research. Graph 9. CIO Title (2003 to 2014) 60% 50%
50% 47% 42%
40% 30%
39%
51%
47%
42%
38%
32%
20% 12%
10% 2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2003- Most frequently reported title was director at 33 percent
Page | 35
2005- Only two-year colleges surveyed and most frequently reported title was director at 45 percent
CIO Work Experience A common anecdotal misconception about CIOs working in high education is that a large percentage of them arrived at their current position through working outside of the industry. The CHECS CIO research has disproven this anecdote. CIOs were asked which of five broad sectors their last position was in. The five sectors were higher education, public (local, state, or federal government), healthcare, commercial/for profit, and nonprofit outside of higher education. Figure 1 depicts the results. The majority, 76 percent, came from higher education. Only 24 percent of the CIOs worked in a sector other than higher education in their last position. Fourteen percent of that non-higher education group worked in the commercial sector.
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Figure 1. CIO Sector for Their Last Position
2% 7%
Healthcare 14 % Commercial/for profit
Public (local, state or federal government)
76% Higher education
2014 Higher Education CIOs
1% Nonprofit, outside higher education
Several comparisons were made between CIOs from the five sectors (Chart 13). The number of survey respondents from the nonprofit, healthcare, and public sector were small. As a result, the following comparison concentrated on the differences between the CIOs who worked in higher education for their last position and the CIOs who had worked in the commercial sector. One of the largest differences between the higher education CIOs and those from the commercial sector was possession of an advanced degree. Eighty-three percent of the higher education CIOs had an advanced degree compared to 71 percent of the commercial sector CIOs. Outside of higher education, the minimum education requirement for the CIO is a bachelor's degree. The percentage of female higher education CIOs was 25 percent, compared to 13 percent of female CIOs from the commercial sector. This gender difference is consistent with findings from CHECS’s studies as well as other CIO surveys. Retirement plans for the CIO continued to be a concern. The percentage planning retirement in the next ten years hovered in the high forty percent range over the past several years of the CHECS CIO research. In the comparison, the percentage of higher education CIOs projecting retirement in the next 10 years was 49 percent versus 41 percent for the commercial sector CIOs. Page | 37
Reporting structure and management team membership were ongoing concerns for higher education CIOs. In analyzing the business sector of the CIOs’ last position, the sector did not affect the reporting structure of CIOs reporting to CEOs. There was a one percent difference between the CIO with a higher education background (33 percent) and the CIO with a commercial background (34 percent). The IMT membership was separated by four percent with higher education CIOs at 57 percent and commercial CIOs at 53 percent. Chart 13. CIO Last Position Sector Comparison
90%
83%
80% 75% 71%72%
80% 70%
60% 57% 53% 50% 50%
60% 50%
50%
49%
50%
44% 40%
41% 40% 40% 30%
33%34%
33% 25%
25% 20%
20% 10%
13% 6%
0% Female
Higher Ed
Retiring in 10 Years Commercial
Advanced Degree
Public
Report to CEO
IMT Member
Healthcare
Nonprofit
On average, the CIO group worked for more than 14 years in higher education IT; this finding is a consistent result through the CHECS CIO study life. On average, CIOs had spent five years and six months working in technology, but outside higher education. These numbers support the idea that a CIO migration from industry to higher education may have already occurred or that it has been more evolutionary than revolutionary. An impeding industry migration has been a discussion topic for several years. Another way to explore whether or not there was an influx of CIOs with a commercial background into higher education CIO positions is by looking at the average tenure in current Page | 38
position. The higher education-groomed CIOs had been in their positions for an average of six years and eight months while the CIOs from the commercial sector had been in their positions for an average of seven years. If there had been a rush by commercial CIOs into higher education in the recent past, the commercial CIO would have significantly less time in their current positions than the higher education CIO. Chart 14 depicts this difference in time in position.
Page | 39
Chart 14. Years in Current Position by CIO Sector for Last Position 7.05 7 7 6.95 6.9 6.85 6.8 6.8 6.75 6.7 Higher Ed CIO
Commercial CIO
The TLs who aspires to the CIO position may question whether or not they can move into the CIO position in their current institution. The anecdotal belief had been the internal candidate for the CIO position was not competitive. However, this research has shown the internal candidate for the CIO position has a good chance of being selected for the job. In 2014, CIOs who were internal candidates for their current position accounted for 41 percent of the total (Chart 15). Chart 15. CIO Position Internal Hire
41%
59%
Yes No
Page | 40
In 2013, 45 percent of the CIOs had worked in their current institution before they were selected as the CIO. Graph 10 depicts the percentage of CIOs who worked in their current institutions when they became CIOs from 2013 to 2014. Graph 10. CIO Internal Candidates from 2013-2014 50% 45%
45% 41%
40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2013
2014
The different institution types and the percentage of CIOs who were internal and external hires are depicted in Table 3. The institution type with the lowest percentage of internal hires for the CIO position was the Baccalaureate institution at 34 percent. The institution type with the highest percentage of internal hires was the Associate's institution at 47 percent. Table 3. Internal/External CIO Comparison by Institution Type
INSTITUTION TYPE Associate's Baccalaureate Master's Doctorate Special Focus Tribal Colleges
INTERNAL HIRE YES NO 47% 53% 34% 64% 39% 61% 45% 55% 20% 80% 67% 33%
Page | 41
There were a number of differences between internal and external CIOs. The results are depicted in Chart 16. As in 2013, two of the larger percentage differences occurred for CEO reporting and serving on the IMT. The CIO who was hired from outside the institution was more likely to serve on the IMT, 60 percent, versus the internal CIO, 50 percent. In another important difference, the external CIO was more likely to report to the CEO, 37 percent, versus the internal CIO at 30 percent. A third difference in 2014 was for gender. The external CIO was more likely to be male, 81 percent versus the internal CIO at 74 percent. While there were differences between the two groups, the internal candidate was clearly able to secure the CIO position Chart 16. Internal/External CIO Comparison 90%
83% 79%
81% 80%
74%
70%
64%65% 60%
60% 50%
49% 45%
50%
37%
40%
30% 30%
26% 19%
20% 10% 0% Female
Male
Over 51
Internal
Retire in 10 Years
Advanced Degree
Report to CEO
IMT
External
The CIOs in this research were asked which sectors they worked in over the course of their careers. The sectors, which were divided into four general working environment areas are depicted in Figure 2. The four areas were: higher education technology, technology not in higher education, higher education not in technology, outside of higher education and technology. This information about CIO career paths may be helpful for TLs who aspire to become a CIO and also to the IMT who may be seeking certain skills or proficiencies in their next CIO. Page | 42
Figure 2. CIO Work Experience General Areas
IT Outside of Higher Education
IT Inside Higher Education
Higher Education Outside of IT
Higher Education CIOs
Outside of Higher Education and IT
On average, CIOs spent the majority of their career, 14.39 years, working within higher education IT. The next closest area was IT Outside of Higher Education at 5.63 years (Figure 3). This result clearly demonstrated the average higher education CIO has not newly arrived from another industry. Indeed, they have spent a majority of their career working in higher education IT. Figure 3. Average CIO Work Experience in Four General Areas
IT Outside Higher Education 5.63 years IT Insider Higher Education 14.39 years
Higher Education Outside IT 3.92 years
2014 Higher Education CIOs
Outside Higher Education and IT 2.68 years
Page | 43
One anecdotal claim often discussed about the higher education CIOs’ background is that they were appointed to their lead post having come from outside of the IT department. Information from this research has disproven this claim conclusively. As depicted in Figure 4, CIOs spent the majority of their careers in the IT field. Figure 4. Average CIO Work Experience in IT and outside IT
Outside higher ed
5.63
Inside higher ed 14.39 2.68 3.92 IT Field
Non-IT field
CIOs, on average, have spent most of their careers not only in the IT field, but in higher education IT.
Over the past eight years, the CIOs in this research have spent (on average) between 13.45 years and 15.70 years in higher education IT through the course of their careers (Graph 11). When compared to the other three areas, the amount of time the CIO has been in higher education IT has always been significantly higher.
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Graph 11. CIO Time in Higher-education IT (2007 to 2014) 16 15.7 15.5 15.06
15 14.75 14.5
14.39
14 13.83 13.5
13.86 13.66
13.45
13 12.5 12 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Years in Higher Education IT
CIO Areas of Responsibility There are two aspects to the speculation which surround the CIO's area of responsibility. The first aspect suggests the CIO's influence is shrinking over time and they are going to be relegated to "the basement" with no strategic responsibilities. This question was addressed in this report in the section which examined “how the CIOs spent their time” and two organizational hierarchy questions: “who the CIO reported to” and “whether or not the CIO served on the IMT.” The second aspect to the speculation was that the CIO was often responsible for areas outside the IT department and the CIO would soon lead large non-technology portions of the institution. In 2014, the CIOs were not asked about their area of responsibility. However, the results of previous versions of this report are presented in Graph 12. The majority of the respondents in this research have only been responsible for the IT department. The other two areas which were consistent were Research and the Library. However, the CIOs responsible for those two areas were single digit percentages and ranged from four percent to 12 percent. A wide variety of other areas have been represented in the responses but the percentages were minimal.
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Graph 12. Other Areas the CIO is Responsible for (2010 to 2013) 80% 76% 70%
69%
66%
65% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
12%
10% 6%
7%
12% 8%
4%
0% 2010
2011 Only IT
2012 Research
2013 Library
Tenure When this research was conceptualized in the early 2000s, one of the popular narratives discussed was about CIOs frequently changing jobs and some speculated that most held a job for only about three years. Since this research started in 2003, the study results have continuously contradicted this anecdote. On average, the CIO in 2014 had been in their position for six years and six months. Results for the CIO tenure from the last decade are displayed in Table 4. Table 4. CIO Tenure (2003 to 2014)
2003
2005*
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
5 years, 3 mo.
6 years, 5 mo.
7 years, 5 mo.
6 years, 7 mo.
6 years, 10 mo.
6 years, 8 mo.
7 years, 4 mo.
7 years, 5 mo.
7 years, 6 mo.
6 years, 6 mo.
* Only two-year college CIOs
Page | 46
IMT Membership A number of questions and anecdotes about higher education CIOs have been addressed through this research. However, a nagging question about CIO membership on the IMT remained even after eleven years of research. The CIO and others view IMT membership as important to the CIO's status and ability to have an impact on the institution. Additionally, some have speculated about IMT membership having an impact on CIO effectiveness. However, this effectiveness speculation has not been conclusively resolved in this research. As depicted in Chart 17, 56 percent of the responding CIOs in this research were members of the IMT. Chart 17. IMT Membership
44% 56%
Yes No
There has also been speculation that CIO membership on the IMT was on the decline, possibly a steep falloff according to some anecdotes. That notion has been disproven through this research. The percentage of CIOs who were IMT members in this study has been relatively steady through the decade, fluctuating between 53 percent in 2007 and 56 percent in 2014 (Graph 13). In 2005, only CIOs from community colleges were surveyed. Graph 13. IMT Membership (2003 to 2014) 70%
66% 59%
53%
58%
56%
55%
54%
57%
55%
56%
45%
20% 2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Page | 47
A comparison between CIOs with different degree levels and IMT membership is presented in Chart 18. The three highest degrees were examined because there was only a small number of CIOs with a high school diploma or an Associate's degree. The highest percentage of CIOs serving on the IMT by degree level was CIOs with a doctorate at 64 percent. This percentage compared with 57 percent of the CIOs with a Master's degree and 47 percent of those with a Bachelor's degree. Possession of an advanced degree appeared to have an impact on IMT membership for the CIO. Chart 18. IMT Membership and CIO Degree 70%
64% 57%
60%
53% 47%
50%
43% 36%
40%
Yes No
30% 20% 10% 0% Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Doctorate
CIO Reporting As with IMT membership, who the CIO reported to continued to be a hotly debated subject and one that was the subject of speculation and anecdotes. In 2014, the percentage of CIOs who reported to the CEO increased to 34 percent (Chart 19).The second and third most frequently given response were chief financial officer (CFO) at 25 percent and chief academic officer (CAO) at 23 percent. The CFO and CAO have been the second and third most frequently selected responses during the course of this research.
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Chart 19. Title of the CIO’s Supervisor
2% 1% 1% 4%
3%
7%
34%
23%
25%
Chief Executive Officer/President
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Chief Academic Officer/Provost
VP for Administration (non CFO)
Senior or Executive VP
Other VP
Joint Reporting
Other
Dean
A longstanding industry assertion has been that CIOs with IMT membership and those who report to the CEO are more effective due to that membership and reporting relationship. However, throughout this longitudinal study the results have shown that CIO reporting to the CEO have not had an impact on perceived CIO effectiveness, and the percentage of CIOs reporting to the CEO has remained between 32 and 39 percent during the last 11 years (Graph 14). (In 2005, only CIOs from community colleges were surveyed.)
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Graph 14. CIOs Reporting to the CEO (2003 to 2014) 50% 45% 41%
40% 35%
39%
39%
34%
34%
35%
33%
35%
34%
32%
30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
The CIO in the community college was more likely to report to the CEO. The percentage of CIOs in the community college who reported to the CEO has been between 40 percent and 51 percent (Graph 15). This reporting difference for the community college may be due to an organizational structure that is simpler in the two-year college than other institution types. In 2014, the percentage of two-year college CIOs reporting to the CEO was 44 percent (Graph 15). Graph 15. CIOs Reporting to the CEO in Two Year Colleges (2009 to 2014) 55% 51%
50% 45%
44%
43% 40%
44% 42%
40%
35% 30% 25% 20% 2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Another important aspect to CIO reporting is how many levels the CIO is removed from the CEO. Figure 5 depicts the percentage of CIOs by their reporting level from the CEO. In 2014, 97 percent of CIOs reported within one level of the president. Page | 50
Figure 5. CIO Reporting Level
Two layers awayreport to someone who also does not report to the CEO 3 percent One layer awayreport to someone else who reports to the CEO 63 percent Zero layers-report directly to the CEO 34 percent
CEO
As with IMT membership, there were differences in CIO reporting level when compared to the degree held by the CIO. Only the three highest degrees were examined because of the small numbers of CIOs with a high school diploma or an Associate's degree. The CIO with an advanced degree was more likely to report to the CEO than the CIO without an advanced degree. As depicted in Chart 20, 51 percent of the CIOs with a doctorate reported to the CEO compared to 32 percent of CIOs with a Master's degree and 29 percent with a Bachelor's degree.
Page | 51
Chart 20. CIO Reporting Level and Degree 67%
70%
65%
60% 51% 47%
50%
Zero
40%
32%
29%
One
30%
Two or More
20% 10%
4%
3%
2%
0% Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Doctorate
The percentage of CIOs reporting within one level or less of the CEO remained between 93 percent in 2007 and 98 percent in 2010. Six out of ten years CIOs have been asked this question, 97 percent of the CIOs reported within one level of the CEO (Graph 16). Despite the anecdotes, the percentage of CIOs reporting to the CEO or within one level of the CEO was not declining and in fact, remained steady. Graph 16. CIO Reporting Level (2003 to 2014) 100% 95%
96%
97%
97%
97%
98%
96%
97%
97%
97%
93%
90% 85% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% 50% 2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Page | 52
Retirement The higher education CIO is no different than any other group in that they are aging and with age comes retirement planning. Responses to planned retirement questions found that close to 50 percent of CIOs are planning to retire during the next 10 years. In 2014, 47 percent of CIOs planned on retiring in the next 10 years (Chart 21). This retirement finding had been a concern for some time and was the major reason CHECS began the TL research. The TL research was an attempt to determine if TLs wanted the CIO position and if so, what steps are being taken in preparation for this move. Chart 21. CIO Retirement Plans
13%
19%
18%
28% 22%
1-5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
21 years or more
The CIO retirement prediction question had been asked in this research since 2008. Graph 17 depicts the percentage of higher education CIOs who planned on retiring in the next ten years from 2008 to 2014. The percentage of CIOs planning retirement in the next 10 years fluctuated between 45 percent in 2009 and 50 percent in 2012.
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Graph 17. CIO Retirement Plans by Year (2008 to 2014) 60%
50% 47%
45%
47%
48%
50%
49%
47%
40%
30%
20%
10% 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
In the past, it had been helpful to look at the differences between female and male CIO retirement plans. This retirement information may shed light on why the percentage of female CIOs had declined in the past. As shown in Table 5, the percentage of female CIO predicting retirement over the next ten years was 55 percent compared to 45 percent for the male CIOs. This difference could mean a further decline in the percentage of female CIOs. Table 5. CIO Retirement Plans by Gender
GENDER Female Male
1-5 years
6-10 years
12% 21%
43% 24%
RETIREMENT PLANS 11-15 years 16-20 years 17% 23%
13% 19%
21 years or more 15% 13%
The CIO gender difference for retirement plans has been tracked since 2011. The results are depicted in Graph 18. The percentage of female CIOs planning retirement in the next ten years rebounded to its 2012 level of 55 percent in 2014.
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Graph 18. CIO Retirement Plans by Gender 2011-2014 90% 85% 80% 75%
Female
70% 65%
Male
60% 55%
55%
53%
50%
50% 47%
48%
46%
45%
55%
45%
40% 2011
2012
2013
2014
In an effort to further understand the gender differences in CIO retirement plans, Table 6 provides a breakdown by age, gender and retirement plans. In the 51-55 year range, 55 percent of the female CIOs were planning on retiring in the next 10 years versus 37 percent of the male CIOs. In the 56-60-years-old group, 100 percent of the women were planning on retiring in the next 10 years versus 70 percent of the men. In the future, these differences will have a negative impact on the percentage of women CIOs. Table 6. CIO Retirement Plans by Age and Gender
GENDER Female Age
21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70
RETIREMENT PLANS 11-15 16-20
1-5
6-10
21 YEARS OR
YEARS
YEARS
YEARS
YEARS
MORE
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 15% 25% 17% 0%
0% 0% 0% 0% 12% 36% 40% 75% 67% 0%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 18% 35% 0% 17% 0%
0% 0% 0% 0% 25% 36% 10% 0% 0% 0%
0% 100% 0% 100% 62% 9% 0% 0% 0% 0% Page | 55
GENDER
Male
71 and older 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71 and older
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 7% 25% 72% 71% 100%
0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 5% 19% 30% 45% 24% 14% 0%
RETIREMENT PLANS 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 35% 11% 53% 26% 45% 44% 13% 27% 2% 4% 0% 14% 0% 0% 0%
0% 0% 0% 100% 57% 32% 10% 6% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Compensation CHECS’ research in 2014 found the average salary for responding CIOs was $139,820. In addition to their salary, the CIOs reported average annual allowances of $1,440 and institution annual retirement plan contributions of $11,216. The Almanac from The Chronicle of Higher Education reported an annual salary of $125,847 for chief information officers ("Almanac Issue 2013-2014," 2013).
Summary CIO continued to be the dominant title for the senior IT executive. The CIOs followed traditional IT department career paths to get to their role. In addition, the vast majority of them had a higher education background, specifically in IT. The internal candidate for the CIO position was competitive but fewer of them served on the IMT or reported to the CEO than their external counterparts. The CIOs position in the organizational hierarchy did not change dramatically in 2014. The percentage who reported to the CEO, who reported within one level of the CEO, and who served on the IMT remained consistent through the life of this research. However, the CIO with an advanced degree was more likely to serve on the IMT and report to the CEO. The impending retirement wave of higher education CIOs has not changed over the course of this research. A significant percentage of CIOs were predicting retirement in the next ten years. Perhaps exacerbating the gender imbalance for CIOs in the future, more women were Page | 56
predicting retirement and they were going to retire at a younger age than their male counterparts.
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CIO Position Requirements In the infancy of the CIO position, the requirements for the position were murky and changed frequently. The questions which were common in the early 2000s revolved around the needed CIO degree, major, skills and background. The CHECS research has helped answer some of these questions. This section provides the 2014 results and trends over the life of the research.
Required CIO Degree The CHECS CIO research has conclusively shown that an advanced degree is needed for the higher education CIO. The vast majority of TLs, CIOs, and IMTs have consistently chosen shown this preference in CHECS surveys. Indeed, in 2014, 87 percent of the CIOs indicated an advanced degree was required (Chart 22). Moreover, 81 percent of the higher education CIOs reported possessing an advanced degree. Chart 22. CIOs: Degree Required For the CIO
0% 1% 10%
12%
High school or equivalent Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree
77%
Master's Degree Doctorate
It is interesting to note that CIOs were inclined to select the degree they possess as the degree they believed a CIO should hold (Table 7). For example, 78 percent of the CIOs with a doctorate indicated a CIO should have a doctorate while 74 percent of the CIOs with a Master's degree indicated a Master's degree was needed.
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Table 7. CIO Degree and the Degree CIOs Should Possess
CIO DEGREE LEVEL DEGREE NEEDED BY A CIO
High school or equivalent Associate's Degree
HIGH SCHOOL OR EQUIVALENT
ASSOCIATE'S BACHELOR'S MASTER'S DOCTORATE
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
75%
0%
25%
0%
Bachelor's Degree
9%
6%
64%
18%
3%
Master's Degree Doctorate
0%
0%
11%
74%
15%
0%
0%
4%
19%
78%
In the past, the IMTs indicated the CIO should possess an advanced degree. This information is important to the CIO and TL because the IMTs are often either the technology leader’s peer or supervisor, or may be involved in a CIO-hiring committee. This IMT preference and the education path the TL follows should be aligned. Graph 19 illustrates this attitude during a three-year span. Graph 19. IMT: Advanced Degree Required For The CIO (2010 to 2013) 100% 95% 90%
95% 92% 89%
89%
85% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% 50% 2010
2011
2012
2013
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The percentage of TLs who indicated an advanced degree was required for the CIO position was 86 percent (Chart 23). This result when coupled with the increase of TLs with advanced degrees indicated that they may understand the education level requirement. Chart 23. TL: Degree Required For The CIO
0%
1% 12%
Master's Degree
14%
Doctorate Bachelor's Degree
72%
High school or equivalent Associate's Degree
Chart 24 depicts a comparison between the two groups, TL and CIO and the degree levels they indicated a higher education CIO should possess. Chart 24. Required CIO Degree Comparison
77%
80% 72% 60%
TL 40% 0%
20% 1% 0%
1%
CIO
12% 10% 14%
12%
0%
CIO High School
Associate's
Bachelors
TL Master's
Doctorate
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CIO Degree Major Opinions The three groups (TL, CIO and IMT) were also asked which degree major they thought the CIO should possess. Fifty-one percent of TLs indicated that the major was not important; this result is was similar to how CIOs felt about degree majors.(Chart 25). This belief is in sharp contrast to IMT opinions. The IMT most frequently selected technology major as needed. Conversely, 17 percent of TLs believed a CIO should have a technology degree. The technology, business, leadership, or administration major accounted for another 44 percent of the TL responses. Chart 25. TL: Degree Major Needed By CIO The major is not important
4%
5%
17%
4% 1%
Business (Business, MBA etc)
51%
Technology (IT, IS, Computer Science etc) Other
18% Leadership or Management Administration (Higher education, public etc) Education
The CIOs and TLs most frequent response regarding which degree major CIOs needed were in alignment. Among CIOs, the most frequently selected response by 36 percent was the major was not important (Chart 26). As with the TL, the CIOs second most frequently selected response, 26 percent, was technology. Another 32 percent of the CIOs selected business, leadership, or administration.
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Chart 26. CIOs: Degree Major Needed by CIO The major is not important Technology (IT, IS, Computer Science, etc)
1% 4% 4% 1%
0%
Business (Business, MBA, etc)
6%
36%
Administration (Higher education, public, etc)
22%
Other 26%
Leadership or Management Engineering Education Library and Information Science
Chart 27 depicts a comparison of the two most frequent responses from the TLs and CIOs. Sixty nine percent of TLs selected the major was not important or technology while 62 percent of CIOs made the same two choices. Chart 27. Required CIO Degree Major Comparison
60%
51%
50% 40%
TL
36% 26%
30%
CIO
18% 20% 10% 0% Major Not Important
Technology
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In past versions of this research, IMTs had a different opinion about what degree major a CIO needed. The majority of IMTs indicated the CIO should have a technology major (Graph 20). The next most frequent response was the major was not important. Graph 20. IMTs: Degree Major Needed by CIO (2010-2013)
60%
50%
52%
51%
51%
48%
40% 37% 30%
35% 30%
32%
Technology Major Not Important
20%
10%
0% 2010
2011
2012
2013
CIO Skills The list of skills needed by a higher education CIO could go on for pages. It is a complicated and dynamic position. In an attempt to narrow the list, the survey respondents were asked to select five skills needed by a CIO from a list or to provide their own responses. The CIOs and TLs selected the same top six skills. In a result that has become consistent, the CIOs chose communication as the most important skill and leadership as second. The TLs chose the same top two skills as the CIO, but in reverse order. The top six list was rounded out by interpersonal skills, technical knowledge, relationship building and higher education knowledge. Another pattern over the years this question has been asked is that a large majority of respondents selected the same first and second skill, but there was a sharp decline (30-40 percent) in consensus between the second and third most frequently selected skill. As an example, the percentage of CIOs who selected leadership was 79 percent. The next most frequently selected skill, interpersonal skills, was selected by 44 percent of the respondents, a Page | 63
difference of 35 percent. The decline in agreement within a group was consistent across the groups and may be an indication of the wide variety of skills needed to lead a technology department. Further illustration of this pattern is presented in Chart 28 and the tables that follow it.
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Chart 28. Required CIO Skills Comparison
90%
85%
84%
79% 81%
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
44% 38% 38%
38%
42%
43%
38% 47% TL CIO CIO TL
The CIOs’ opinions on skills needed for the CIO role are listed in Table 8. While there was not a large difference between the most frequently selected skill (communication) and the second (leadership), there was a 35 percent difference between leadership and the third most frequently selected skill: interpersonal skills. Table 8. CIOs: Skills Needed by CIO
CIOs Believe a CIO Needs These Skills Communication skills (writing, listening, speaking) Leadership Interpersonal skills (effective social interaction) Technical knowledge Higher education knowledge Relationship building Change management Business knowledge Management Budgeting Planning Governance Business process re-engineering Academic computing experience Administrative computing experience IT legal and policy expertise Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation Finance Supervision Vendor Management Other
84% 79% 44% 42% 38% 38% 24% 23% 21% 21% 20% 14% 9% 8% 8% 8% 6% 5% 3% 3% 2%
The TL responses reflected the same pattern as the CIOs with a significant difference between the second and third most frequently selected skills (Table 9). There was a 34 percent difference between communication skills (the second most frequently selected skill) and relationship building (the third most frequently selected skill).
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Table 9. TLs: Skills Needed by CIO
TLs Believes a CIO Needs These Skills Leadership Communication skills (writing, listening, speaking) Relationship building Higher education knowledge Technical knowledge Interpersonal skills (effective social interaction) Planning Budgeting Business knowledge Change management Governance Management IT legal and policy expertise Business process re-engineering Vendor management Academic computing experience Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation Other Supervision Finance Administrative computing experience
85% 81% 47% 43% 38% 38% 28% 26% 24% 18% 18% 18% 9% 8% 5% 5% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1%
Summary An advanced degree is a requirement for the higher education CIO position. While CIOs and TLs didn’t think the CIO’s degree major was important, the majority of IMTs have indicated it should be a technology major. Leadership and communication were chosen as CIO skills by the vast majority of respondents. The remaining most frequently selected of the six skills were: interpersonal skills, technical knowledge, higher education knowledge and relationship building. There was a significant decline in the percentage of respondents who chose those four skills versus the two most frequently selected skills.
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CIO Effectiveness and Alignment The CHECS longitudinal CIO research is unique in a number of ways. First and foremost, it is the longest-running study about the higher education CIO. Second, it is the only research that gathers and compares information from three different groups: CIOs, IMTs and TLs. Third, the most distinguishing aspect to this research is the examination of the importance of seven CIO roles and the perceived effectiveness of higher education CIOs as they operate in those roles.
CIO Roles In this longitudinal research, the CIO is viewed as operating in seven different roles. The roles are listed in Table 10. These roles covered a wide variety of tasks for which the CIO may be responsible, ranging from the Classic IT Support Provider role responsible for foundational IT support such as ensuring adequate technology was available to employees to the Business Partner, who engages in strategic planning with the organization. Table 10. CIO Roles
CIO ROLE
RESPONSIBILITY
Business Partner Organizational strategic planning and revising business processes Classic IT Support Foundations of IT support and responsive department Provider Contract Oversight
Relationships with IT vendors, contract negotiation, and contract supervision
Informaticist and IT Ensure security and accuracy of institutional data and alignment of IT Strategist department with the institution Integrator Integration of all internal and external systems Evangelist for computer use and understanding; IT Educator Educator of employees on how IT innovations bring value to the organization Supports professional organizations Profession Advocate Actively involved in professional organizations Participates in national higher education IT initiatives
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Figure 6 provides one view of the CIO roles in a hierarchy. The roles in the bottom layer of the pyramid (Contract Oversight, Professional Advocate, etc.) are foundational roles CIOs are expected to operate in. These roles may be unnoticed as long as the CIO is effective. They can also be the roles which might lead to a CIO's involuntary shortened tenure in a position if they are not effective. The roles in the pyramid’s center are between foundational and strategic for the institution, while those roles at the top of the pyramid are strategic and the roles CIOs aspire to fill. Figure 6. CIO Role Hierarchy
Business Partner IT Educator
Informaticist Integrator
Contract Oversight Classic IT Support Provider Profession Advocate
In order to determine a rating for CIO role importance and effectiveness, the CIOs were asked a series of questions. The responses were aggregated into an average importance and effectiveness rating for each of the seven CIO roles. The importance and effectiveness ratings are depicted in Table 11.
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Table 11. CIO Role Importance and Effectiveness
IMPORTANCE
EFFECTIVENESS
1 = no importance 2 = least important 3 = important 4 = very important 5 = critically important
1 = expectations not met 2 = could be better 3 = satisfactory 4 = excellent 5 = outstanding
The role importance averages according to the CIOs are depicted in Table 12. As might be expected based on previous results of this research, the Classic IT Support Provider was the most important role. The placement of this foundational role as one of the most important roles has been consistent throughout the course of this study. The least important role according to the CIOs was the Profession Advocate with IT Educator and Business Partner rounding out the three least important roles, another consistent result for this research. Table 12. CIO: CIO Role Importance Ratings
ROLE
IMPORTANCE AVERAGE
Classic IT Support Provider Informaticist Contract Oversight Integrator Business Partner IT Educator Profession Advocate
4.04 3.97 3.83 3.75 3.68 3.24 3.02
The CIOs’ view of their effectiveness in the seven roles was not exactly aligned with the CIO role importance averages but there were similarities (Table 13). The CIOs viewed themselves as least effective in the two roles they rated as least important, Profession Advocate and IT Educator. This CIO role importance and effectiveness alignment continued to be a trend in this longitudinal research.
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Table 13. CIO: CIO Role Effectiveness Ratings
ROLE
EFFECTIVENESS AVERAGE
Contract Oversight Classic IT Support Provider Integrator Business Partner Informaticist Profession Advocate IT Educator
3.81 3.69 3.57 3.41 3.36 3.28 3.22
In the past, there were questions about the CIO being in alignment with the institution and focusing on the initiatives important to the institution. This portion of the CHECS CIO research revealed IMT and CIO have chiefly been aligned. They have selected similar roles as the most important and those same roles were the roles the CIO was perceived as most effective. For instance, in 2013, the IMTs and CIOs rated five of the seven CIO roles in the same importance order.
Where they spend their time There have been predictions about the CIO position being eliminated for as long as it has existed. One of the arguments for the imminent demise of the profession has been the CIO has spent more and more time on the less and less important tasks. The CIOs were asked how their focus has changed during the last three years. Were CIOs spending more time on day-to-day tasks, IT department and institution strategy or was there no change in the CIO's attention? A majority of the CIOs (68 percent) indicated during the last three years they had spent more time on the IT department and institution strategy (Chart 29). An additional 15 percent indicated there had been no change in how they spent their time. Only 17 percent of the respondents indicated they had spent more time on day-to-day tasks. The IMTs have corroborated this result in previous versions of the CIO research,.
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Chart 29. CIO Focus 14%
More Time on IT and Institution Strategy 18% More Time on Day-to-Day Tasks No Change 68%
The CIO's focus has been studied by CHECS since 2011. The percentage of CIOs focused on IT department and institution strategy has been between 60 and 68 percent, casting doubt on the assertion the CIO position is headed towards obsolescence (Graph 21). Graph 21. CIO Focus: Increased Focus on Strategy by Year (2011 to 2014) 80%
70%
60%
68%
68%
68%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% 2011
2012
2013
2014
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CIO Attributes The debate about which skills and attributes a CIO should have has evolved over time. In this research, the four attributes which have consistently had an impact on CIO-perceived effectiveness are: Communication Skills, IT Knowledge, Political Savvy and Strategic Business Knowledge. The attributes are defined in Table 14. Table 14. CIO Attributes
ATTRIBUTE
EXAMPLES
Fluent in business language Communication Fluent in higher education language Skills Able to communicate and present information without technical terms Understands how IT is applied in the organization Able to use current IT resources to fill institutional requirements IT Knowledge Uses new technology for the institution Familiar with the acquisition of IT Political Savvy
Able to assess situations that might be confrontational and act tactfully Able to work well with a majority of people
Knowledge of institutional offerings Strategic Business Understanding of market and business processes Knowledge Familiar with the competition
In previous versions of this research, the IMTs have been asked a series of questions to evaluate these CIO attributes on a scale of one to five with one representing was not informed or not effective and five representing well informed or extremely effective. The responses were aggregated to create an average for each one of the attributes. Those averages were analyzed to determine if there was any correlation between the attributes and the IMTs’ perceived effectiveness of the CIOs. In all previous iterations of this research, there was a correlation between the CIO attributes and perceived effectiveness according to the IMT (Table 15).
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Table 15. CIO Attributes and Perceived Effectiveness Results (2003 to 2013)
2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
CIO Effectiveness In the past, there have been questions and assertions about the CIO’s effectiveness and which variables have an impact on that effectiveness. For instance, it is a widely held belief that in order for CIOs to be effective they must report to the CEO. Questions about CIO effectiveness might include whether or not gender has an impact on effectiveness or the type of institution one serves in. This section of the report examines some of the variables and whether or not they had an impact on perceived effectiveness. The CIOs were asked to evaluate their effectiveness in a number of tasks that comprise CIO roles. When looking at the difference in perceived CIO effectiveness based on gender the difference was minor. The female CIO perceived effectiveness average was 3.59 versus the male CIOs at 3.48 (Table 16). The difference between the genders was not statistically significant. Table 16. CIO Effectiveness Average by Gender
GENDER
EFFECTIVENESS AVERAGE
Female Male
3.59 3.48
Serving on the IMT is thought to have an impact on the effectiveness of the various executives who make up the group. This is a belief among executives in the technology department and other departments in the institution. Many CIOs concur with this belief. Over the course of this longitudinal research, the results of whether or not the CIO was more effective when they served on the IMT has been varied and inconclusive. According to CIO responses in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2013 serving on the IMT had an impact on CIO perceived effectiveness, but in other years, there was no impact.
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The 2014 results of the CIO perception of effectiveness are depicted in Table 17. The CIOs who served on the IMT viewed themselves as more effective than their non-IMT member CIO colleagues and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant. Table 17. CIO Perspective on CIO IMT Membership Effectiveness
SERVING ON THE IMT Yes No
EFFECTIVENESS AVERAGE 3.60 3.38
Over the course of this research, CIO membership on the IMT has had a positive impact on the IMT-perceived CIO effectiveness in three of the nine years that the question has been addressed (Table 18). In 2005 only CIOs in two-year colleges were surveyed. Table 18. IMT Membership Impact on CIO Perceived Effectiveness (2003 to 2014)
2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
The question about who the CIO should report to is still a hotly debated issue in the CIO press. The percentage of higher education CIOs who reported to the CEO has remained relatively stable in the low to mid-30 percent range. The most common rationale for CIO reporting to the CEO is that the CIO could be more effective if he or she reported to the CEO. The CIO selfperception of effectiveness based on reporting to the CEO is depicted in Table 19. The CIOs who reported to the CEO viewed themselves as more effective than those who did not report to the CEO and in 2014, the result was statistically significant. Table 19. CIO Perspective on CIO Reporting to the CEO
REPORTING TO THE CEO
EFFECTIVENESS AVERAGE
Yes No
3.61 3.44
The IMT perception of difference in effectiveness for the CIO who reported to the CEO versus the CIO who did not report to the CEO has not changed over the course of this research. The Page | 75
CIO reporting to the CEO has never been perceived as more effective by the IMT (Table 20). While reporting to the CEO may be important for a variety of other reasons, IMT perceived effectiveness has not been one of them. Table 20. CIO Reporting to CEO Impact on Perceived CIO Effectiveness (2003 to 2014)
2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Summary The CIOs in this research continued to view the foundational CIO roles as the most important. Indeed, the CIOs viewed themselves as more effective operating in these foundational roles than the more strategic roles. Despite anecdotes about the CIO becoming more tactical, the CIO spent more time focused on the department and institution strategy than day-to-day tasks. The CIOs who served on the IMT perceived themselves as more effective than the CIOs who did not. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. In addition, the CIOs who reported directly to the CEOs viewed themselves as more effective than the CIO who did not report to the CEO. Again, the difference was statistically significant. It should be noted that in the past, the IMT has never viewed the CEO reporting relationship as more effective for the CIO and the IMT membership question has shown an inconsistent result for IMT perceived CIO effectiveness.
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Conclusion The higher education CIO and TL continued to evolve. In many areas, the 2014 research results were promising for the future of the CIO. The decline in the percentage of female CIOs who were women stopped with an increase of one percent. In a potentially positive sign for the future gender balance of higher education CIOs, the percentage of female TLs who were women reached a new high of 31 percent. This encouraging development was overshadowed by the percentage of female CIOs who were predicting retirement in the next ten years rising to 55 percent versus 45 percent of the male CIOs. Compounding the challenge, female CIOs were predicting retirement at a younger age than their male counterparts. The percentage of minority CIOs who were minorities reached a new high of nine percent. There is still a great deal of work to be done to make the profession racially diverse. The requirement for an advanced degree for the CIO has been established. The 2014 results continued to reinforce this degree requirement with 81 percent of the CIOs holding an advanced degree. Eighty-one percent of CIO degrees (the majority) came from business, technology, education, administration, leadership or management. Most CIOs and TLs did not believe the CIO’s degree major was important. In the past, however, the majority of IMTs indicated a technology major was necessary. The higher education CIOs followed a traditional IT department career path to get to their position. The majority had a higher education background, specifically in IT. The internal candidate for the CIO position was competitive. However, fewer of them served on the IMT or reported to the CEO than their external counterparts. “Chief information officer” continued to be the dominant title for the senior IT executive. The CIOs position in the organizational hierarchy did not change dramatically in 2014 nor has it over the course of this research. The percentage who reported to the CEO, who reported within one level of the CEO and who served on the IMT remained consistent. The CIO with an advanced degree was more likely to serve on the IMT and report to the CEO. Leadership and communication were chosen as CIO skills by the majority of respondents. The remaining four skills were interpersonal skills, technical knowledge, higher education knowledge and relationship building. However, there was a significant decline in the percentage of respondents who chose these four skills versus the two most frequently selected skills. The CIOs in this research continued to view the foundational CIO roles as the most important, and the CIOs viewed themselves as more effective operating in those foundational roles than those more strategic. Page | 77
The CIOs who served on the IMT perceived themselves as more effective than the CIO who did not serve on the IMT. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. In addition, the CIOs who reported directly to the CEOs viewed themselves as more effective than the CIO who did not report to the CEO. Again, the difference was statistically significant. Despite this self-evaluation, it should be noted that in the past the IMT never viewed the CEO reporting relationship as more effective for the CIO. The IMT membership question has shown an inconsistent result for CIO effectiveness according to the IMT respondents. Table 21 provides a year-by-year comparison of some of the questions asked during the life of this study.
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Table 21. Higher Education CIO Study Results (2003 to 2014) 2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Attributes have an impact on effectiveness?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NM
CEO reporting has an impact on effectiveness (IMT)?
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
NM
Percentage reporting to CEO
34
41
39
39
34
35
33
35
32
IMT Interaction/membership has an impact on effectiveness (IMT)?
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
NM
Percentage who were members of the IMT
59
66
53
58
56
55
54
57
55
56
CIO Title
32
12
39
38
42
42
47
47
50
Percentage of respondents reporting within one level of CEO
96
97
93
97
97
98
96
97
97
97
5 years 3 mo.
6 years 5 mo.
7 years 5 mo.
6 years 7 mo.
6 years 10 mo.
6 years 8 mo.
7 years 4 mo.
7 years 5 mo.
7 years 6 mo.
6 years 6 mo.
Average time in higher-education IT
NM
NM
15.70 years
13.45 years
14.75 years
13.83 years
13.66 years
13.86 years
15.06 years
14.39 years
Advanced degree
82
68
75
76
77
79
76
76
79
Retiring in next 10 years
NM
NM
NM
47
45
47
48
50
49
Gender
NM
NM
NM
26% female 74% male
24% female 76% male
23% female 77% male
23% female 77% male
22% female 78% male
21% female 79% male
22% female 78% male
NM
NM
NM
NM
NM
7% minority
6% minority
7% minority
7% minority
9% minority
Time in position
Race
34
51
81 47
NM - Not measured
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Index African American, 21 Alaskan Native, 21 Albin-Hill, Jill, 8 Almanac, 56 American Indian, 21 Areas of Responsibility, 45 Arroway, Pam, 8 Asian, 21 BerryDunn, 8 Black, 21 Blackboard, 8 Blanton, Sharon, 8 Brill Neumann Executive Search Consulting, 8 Carver, Curtis (Curt), 8 Cepull, Jeffrey, 8 CIO Attributes, 73 CIO Effectiveness, 74 CIO Reporting, 48 CIO Role Hierarchy, 69 CIO Roles, 68 CIO Skills, 63 CIO Work Experience, 36 Communication Skills, 73 Danielson, Ron, 12 deFilipo, Stephen, 8 Degree, 24 Degree Major, 28 Dominick, Jay, 8 Dr. Detlev H. Smaltz Scholarship, 9 Dr. Polley Ann McClure Scholarship, 9 Dr. Trudy Abramson Scholarship, 9 Ellucian, 2, 7 Excelsior College, 2, 7 Florida State University, 9 Fung, Maggie, 8 Garrett, PB, 8
Gender, 19 Hartman, Joel, 8 Hierarchy, 69 Hispanic, 23, 24 Hobsons, 8 Institution Type and Size, 30, 31 IT Knowledge, 73 Kovalchick, Ann, 8 Maas, Bruce, 9 Malisch, Susan, 9 Management Team Membership, 47 McIntosh, Keith, 8 Moran Technology Consulting, 2 Moran, Charlie, 9 Moreau, Joe, 9 Native Hawaiian, 21 Nova Southeastern University, 9, 83 Pacific Islander, 21 Political Savvy, 73 Qualtrics, 2, 7 Race, 21 Ravishanker, Ganesan, 9 Retirement, 53, 55, 56 Santa Clara University, 12 Sipher, Justin, 9 Smaltz, Dr. Detlev H., 15, 83 Spells, Rhonda, 9 Strategic Business Knowledge, 73 Suess, John (Jack), 9 Tenure, 46 The Chronicle of Higher Education, 56 Title, 34 University of Texas at Austin, 9 White, 21 Woo, Melissa, 9
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References Almanac Issue. (2011). Washington, D.C.: Chronicle of Higher Education. Almanac Issue 2012-2013. (2012). Washington, D.C.: Chronicle of Higher Education. Almanac Issue 2013-2014. (2013). In R. Hammond (Ed.). Washington, D.C.: Chronicle of Higher Education. Brown, W. (2009). 2009 Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness Albany, NY: Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies, Inc. Brown, W. (2010). 2010 Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness. Albany, NY: Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies Inc. Brown, W. (2011). 2011 Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness. Albany, NY: Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies Inc. Brown, W. (2012). 2012 Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness. Albany, NY: Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies Inc. Brown, W. (2013). 2013 Higher Education Chief Information Officer Roles and Effectiveness. Albany, NY: Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies Inc. Brown, W. (2014). 2014 Higher Education Technology Leadership Study: The Chief Information Officers of the Future. Albany, NY: Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies, Inc. Lipka, S. (2013, August 23). As Hispanics Make Gains, Campuses Broaden Diversity Efforts. Chronicle of Higher Education.
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Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies, Inc. www.CHECS.org P.O. Box 38083 Albany, NY 12203
[email protected] © 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or distributed without expressed permission.
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About CHECS CHECS was founded in 2009 by Dr. Wayne A. Brown to enable continued studies focusing on higher education CIOs’ attributes, education, experience and effectiveness. The research is unique from other CIO studies in that it is a two-part study involving the CIO as well as other members of the institution management team. The annual study invites participation from the CIO (or lead technology person) at every two- and four-year higher education institution in the United States and CIOs internationally. Survey responses are analyzed in aggregate and statistical data is extracted and synthesized into two annual reports: CIOs and technology leaders. The CIO study has been conducted since 2003. In 2009, CHECS launched a second study focusing on technology leaders, those in the next organizational layer down from the CIO. CHECS is a nonprofit (501c3) organization dedicated to the education and development of the higher education chief information officer. It is an entirely volunteer organization and all studies are funded through report sales and sponsor donations. In 2010, CHECS began funding a scholarship endowment to benefit higher education technology management doctoral students at Nova Southeastern University. CHECS funds a second scholarship endowment at University of Texas, Austin, to benefit undergraduate students seeking a higher education technology management degree. In 2014, CHECS began funding a third scholarship at Florida State University to benefit students in the Management Information Systems programs. CHECS’ reports published in prior years may be ordered online. Credit cards are securely processed through PayPal. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use its payment processing system. Once an order is placed, a password-protected PDF will be e-mailed to the e-mail address you provide. Site licenses are also available. The license authorizes you to share the PDF with your institution. In addition, your institution will be recognized as a CHECS sponsor. For more information, visit CHECS online (www.CHECS.org). CHECS gratefully acknowledges Dr. Detlev H. Smaltz. CHECS’ CIO survey was based on one created by Dr. Smaltz; the survey was modified and used with his permission.
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