2020 Top 10 IT Issues Recommended Resources

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The items below have been selected to provide further information on the 2020 Top 10 IT Issues. These resources may include articles, blogs, community groups, conference presentation materials, feeds, and webinar archives that you can access by browsing and searching particular issues and topics in the EDUCAUSE Library.

  1. Information Security Strategy: Developing a risk-based security strategy that effectively detects, responds to, and prevents security threats and challenges
  2. Privacy: Safeguarding institutional constituents' privacy rights and maintaining accountability for protecting all types of restricted data
  3. Sustainable Funding: Developing funding models that can maintain quality and accommodate both new needs and the growing use of IT services in an era of increasing budget constraints
  4. Digital Integrations: Ensuring system interoperability, scalability, and extensibility, as well as data integrity, security, standards, and governance, across multiple applications and platforms
  5. Student-Centric Higher Education: Creating a student-services ecosystem to support the entire student life cycle, from prospecting to enrollment, learning, job placement, alumni engagement, and continuing education
  6. Student Retention and Completion: Developing the capabilities and systems to incorporate artificial intelligence into student services to provide personalized, timely support
  7. Improved Enrollment: Using technology, data, and analytics to develop an inclusive and financially sustainable enrollment strategy to serve more and new learners by personalizing recruitment, enrollment, and learning experiences
  8. Higher Education Affordability: Aligning IT organizations‚ priorities, and resources with institutional priorities and resources to achieve a sustainable future
  9. Administrative Simplification: Applying user-centered design, process improvement, and system reengineering to reduce redundant or unnecessary efforts and improve end-user experiences
  10. The Integrative CIO: Repositioning or reinforcing the role of IT leadership as an integral strategic partner of institutional leadership in supporting institutional missions

1. Information Security Strategy: Developing a risk-based security strategy that effectively detects, responds to, and prevents security threats and challenges

  • The EDUCAUSE Information Security Almanac 2019. This two-page, easy-to-scan almanac shares the most important EDUCAUSE data regarding the state of information security, privacy, and identity management in higher education. Data for this almanac are derived from the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service 2018 survey.
  • Higher Education Cloud Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT). Updated November 2019. This tool was created to evaluate the security of third-party vendor and cloud solutions. It helps higher education institutions ensure that cloud services are appropriately assessed for security and privacy needs, including some that are unique to higher education.
  • Information Security Program Assessment Tool. Updated July 2018. This self-assessment tool was created to evaluate the maturity of higher education information security programs using as a framework the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27002:2013, "Information Technology Security Techniques. Code of Practice for Information Security Management."
  • IT Risk Register. This register was created to help institutional IT departments get their strategic IT risk management programs off the ground.
  • Toolkit for New CISOs, a resource developed by members of the Higher Education Information Security Council.
  • Security Community Group. This group provides a forum to identify problems and share strategies or solutions as colleges and universities continue to improve information security governance, compliance, data protection, and privacy programs.
  • Security Matters. This EDUCAUSE Review column covers everything related to information security, privacy, and risk in higher education.
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2. Privacy: Safeguarding institutional constituents' privacy rights and maintaining accountability for protecting all types of restricted data

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3. Sustainable Funding: Developing funding models that can maintain quality and accommodate both new needs and the growing use of IT services in an era of increasing budget constraints

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4. Digital Integrations: Ensuring system interoperability, scalability, and extensibility, as well as data integrity, security, standards, and governance, across multiple applications and platforms

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5. Student-Centric Higher Education: Creating a student-services ecosystem to support the entire student life cycle, from prospecting to enrollment, learning, job placement, alumni engagement, and continuing education

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    6. Student Retention and Completion: Developing the capabilities and systems to incorporate artificial intelligence into student services to provide personalized, timely support

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    7. Improved Enrollment: Using technology, data, and analytics to develop an inclusive and financially sustainable enrollment strategy to serve more and new learners by personalizing recruitment, enrollment, and learning experiences

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    8. Higher Education Affordability: Aligning IT organizations‚ priorities, and resources with institutional priorities and resources to achieve a sustainable future

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    9. Administrative Simplification: Applying user-centered design, process improvement, and system reengineering to reduce redundant or unnecessary efforts and improve end-user experiences

    • Architecting the IT Organization. EDUCAUSE, 2019. IT organizations are pursuing growth in three fundamental practice areas—enterprise architecture (EA), IT governance, and IT service management (ITSM)—to direct the development and delivery of IT services that maximize value to the institution and ensure alignment with its goals.
    • Dx and Evolving Organizational Models. EDUCAUSE Review, 2019.Smart leaders know that the organizational changes brought about by digital transformation are as much about people, staffing, and training as they are about technology. Foregrounding that knowledge as part of organizational transformation may also provide a positive way to address long-standing problems.
    • From Transformation to Simplification. EDUCAUSE Review, 2019. With a goal of simplification, digital transformation may be the best investment an institution can make to free up time and talent for what matters most.
    • Getting Ready for Digital Transformation: Change Your Culture, Workforce, and Technology. EDUCAUSE Review, 2019. The digital transformation of higher education is at hand. Leaders must prepare their institutions now to take strategic advantage of the coming shifts in culture, workforce, and technology.
    • How Improving the Everyday Stuff Can Help Transform an Institution. EDUCAUSE Review, 2019. Ensuring better IT service delivery can help to support the organizational changes that are necessary to implement Dx initiatives.
    • Maintaining Business Process Redesign Efforts through Change Management. EDUCAUSE Review, 2018. IT teams face many challenges in planning and implementing business process redesign, as well as in establishing a culture of continuous improvement in the higher education context. These case studies describe how teams at three institutions managed these challenges, found effective solutions, and learned lessons along the way.
    • IT Change Management: A Practical Approach for Higher Education. EDUCAUSE, 2018. This paper outlines steps to take to implement effective IT service change management. It provides guidance on defining your change, setting up your change management process (including roles and responsibilities, change management activities, RFC components, and risk and impact questions), and improving your process.
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    10. The Integrative CIO: Repositioning or reinforcing the role of IT leadership as an integral strategic partner of institutional leadership in supporting institutional missions

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