How Dx Powers the Post-Pandemic Institution

Published:: Monday, September 20, 2021

Many colleges and universities embarked on transformative journeys during the pandemic, whether they were ready or not, as a means of survival. Along with moving everything online, institutions reexamined their business models and considered new ways to provide value. Now is the time to take advantage of that momentum and build on it. Now is the time to work together across the institution to move forward on the Dx journey.

Navigating the pandemic has required institutions to become more flexible and agile than ever before. That experience has helped many colleges and universities overcome what can be a major obstacle to digital transformation: a reluctance to change and adapt. Leaders can take advantage of this moment to move forward with Dx initiatives, using the institution’s newfound versatility to power meaningful change.

Culture Shift: Building Institutional Readiness for Digital Transformation

Dx Strategy Design Framework

A Dx-ready culture is a focused one, zeroed in on institutional goals. It is adept at change management and is agile enough to rapidly adjust to changing needs. A Dx culture emphasizes coordination, collaboration, and shared goals, as well as an openness to new strategic directions and priorities.

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Is your institution engaging in digital transformation today? Yes: 2019 13%, 2021 44%. We are in the process of developing a digital transformation strategy: 2019 32%, 2021 27%. Not yet, but we are exploring digital transformation: 2019 38%, 2021 19%. No: 2019 17%, 2021 10%. EDUCAUSE QuickPoll/Institutional Engagement in Digital Transformation, 2021.

Workforce Shift: The Changing Role of the IT Organization and the CIO

Community Conversation

The impact of digital transformation goes beyond our existing work. Digital transformation also creates completely new jobs and requires a new set of competencies across the institutional community, including data-related expertise, enterprise architecture knowledge, business liaison roles, and skills such as communication, critical thinking, and teamwork. Fueling the Dx journey also requires an institutional commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion to provide an optimal work environment and to attract staff with varied capabilities, talent, and perspectives.

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'Transformation comes with a mindset of understanding who we're trying to serve with higher education, putting students more at the center of everything we do, and then being very accountable or our resources and what is expected of us.' Astrid S. Tuminez, President, Utah Valley University. "Community Conversations," EDUCAUSE Review, 2021.

Technology Shift: Preparing the Technology Ecosystem for Digital Transformation

Dx Self-Assessment

New technologies do not by themselves bring about digital transformation. And yet leaders must understand not just the new technologies that are available to them but also how to apply those technologies strategically in service of the institutional mission. Technology leaders must create digital environments that provide unprecedented flexibility while managing a complex technology ecosystem in a way that enables the institution to rapidly and efficiently achieve its strategic aims.

See the Dx Self-Assessment