2015 Community Leadership Award Recipient

Beth Schaefer

Director of Client Services
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

For mentorship, engagement, and encouragement of others in the profession; for exemplary practices and innovation in technology-enabled client services; for advancing professional development and technical training opportunities within the higher education community; for leadership and outreach in highlighting and promoting the role of women in the IT profession

Beth Schaefer, director of client services for the University Information Technology Services division at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, is awarded the 2015 EDUCAUSE Community Leadership Award for her exemplary work in developing innovative models to provide client-centered services and professional development opportunities in fulfillment of the institutional mission and advancement of higher education information technology.

During her career at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Beth’s impact in academic IT has grown steadily. In her first position as director of Student Technology Services, she managed an innovative student-run IT organization that gained national recognition. She rose in the ranks of UW-Milwaukee’s client services operation, becoming director in 2012, where she manages a wide-ranging portfolio of services encompassing training initiatives and service models, help desk support, teaching and learning technology, sales, and repair. She has been involved in the development, design, operation, and support of significant academic technologies and improvement efforts for UW-Milwaukee and for the IT community within the greater University of Wisconsin System and other statewide and national networks.

Beth is also known nationally for her dedication to the advancement of women in the IT profession. Since 2009, she has been co-leader and champion of the EDUCAUSE Women in IT Constituent Group. She established and leads a similar women in IT group at UW-Milwaukee which is centered on mentoring, recruitment, and retention. Beth has also been acknowledged for her many contributions to the National Center for Women & Information Technology Affinity Group Alliance and its mission. During the recent national Sit With Me initiative to promote women’s contributions to the future of technology, Beth and her colleagues organized a corresponding event at the 2014 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, where 200 attendees shared their personal success stories, which were then promoted via social media.

In addition to her notable institutional contributions, Beth has been a frequent speaker and participant at EDUCAUSE conferences and events. She helped establish the first EDUCAUSE regional mentoring program several years ago. Her support included not just the framework but also the sessions that prepare participants to fully engage and benefit from the program, which continues to evolve. These valuable opportunities often lead to ongoing mentoring relationships between well-seasoned and less-experienced members of our community. She has furthered her interest in teaching and learning technology and distance learning by participating in several ELI events and seminars, and she has lent her time and expertise as an EDUCAUSE Program Committee member and proposal reviewer for various conferences. Beth is a 2008 Frye Institute Fellow and has participated in the EDUCAUSE Management Institute. In 2001, the model she managed for a student-run IT organization as director of student technology services at UW-Milwaukee won the EDUCAUSE Exemplary Practices Award.

Colleagues often comment on Beth’s creativity and enthusiasm. Her expansive and imaginative thinking and tireless efforts to engage and sustain others in the realization of goals makes her a role model both at her institution and in the greater IT community. Beth generously shares her knowledge and expertise through professional presentations and publications, and she consistently builds community in the service of advancing higher education IT.

The EDUCAUSE Community Leadership Award recipient receives a $3,000 contribution to the fund of their choice. A contribution in Beth’s name will be made to the Geography Department Fund at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

This EDUCAUSE Award is sponsored by Moran Technology Consulting, Gold Partner.