Technology 2.0:Selling Change in Higher

Ed

2011 STEMtech ConferenceOctober 4, 2011

Paige Francis, Associate VP of ITNorthWest Arkansas Community College

Background• Paige Francis, AVP of IT• 15 years progressive IT experience• Corporate background• The value of ‘Our Customer’

– Cognizant of, appreciate needs /goals– Role of IT – guide, educate , support

• Goals of IT – Security, stability, service, ‘the edge’

The Climate• Failed upgrade• Failed leadership• Failed project management• Fresh example of what NOT to do

• Leadership change , stabilized environment, then…

WE Changed

• Leader IS inspiration, ‘sets tone’• Communication is key• The project begins

Change to IMPROVE• Investigate• Meditate• Participation• Rally• Ownership• Visualize, Venture• Elicit

I. Investigate• First step – examination, exploration• Ad hoc, event-driven, solution-based,

etc.• Institutional Research presents grant

opportunity to I.T. – $1.3M• Agreed to a conference call (April 9)• Take a deep breath – how to proceed?• The project begins…

II. Meditate• Current situation• Overall goal• Pros/cons• ROI• Anticipate every question/conflict• BE the professional, Remain impartial• Not 100% on your Higher Ed environment, but…

When I say CHANGE, you say…

III. Participation• Easy to find solution and run with it• More challenging/beneficial to vet• Sales teams• Devise the ‘best of the best’ list – the

power-users, those most affected by any change – include students!

IR, Learner Services, Network, DBA, Programmer (Banner, Web), HR, Marketing, Distance Learning, Student Representation, PR, Library, BCIS, Corporate Learning, Faculty, Deans, Cashiers, Foundation

• Summer Team!

III. Participation• Set clear expectations:

Sorry for the late notice - now’s the time to review this option – GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2010.Explanation of grant will be 3-3:30 – phone call/web conference with CampusEAI will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m.

• Communicate with College Cabinet “Today, a committee of various cross campus stakeholders met to

review a 1.3 million dollar grant opportunity focusing on portal administration  (currently the college uses Luminis). It was decided to pursue the grant application and further research alternatives to Luminis that would bring our portal technology into the 21st century, decrease costs, and offer more advanced services than are currently available to our students and employees.”

-STATUS CHECK-

IV. Rally• Present to ‘Community’

– Portal kickoff parties – serve food!– Follow THEIR schedule– Different affect? Different time slots

• Be clear on improvements & loss• Send communication on CHANGES –

request feedback (…keep feedback)• Hands-on Sessions

IV. Rally (cont)• Get the word out. Negative impact? The

sooner the better.

IV. Ownership Own the project, pre-implementation Educate: ‘technology breaks’, success is

recovery Map the project Communicate the project No such thing as ‘no fail’ technology

V. Visualize & Venture• “Plan the work and work the plan”• No second-guessing• Implementation time!• In every meeting – layman’s terms

VI. Elicit – and Extricate?• Feedback• Final Tweaks• Sayonara!

Timeline• March 30 – IR Meeting• April 9 – Conference call with EAI• April 13 – Meet with ‘cherry-picked’• April 14 – Started compiling grant application• April 19 – Cherry-picked grant application• April 20 – Grant application• April 27 – Application submitted and accepted• April 28 – CampusEAI demo to cherry-picked + Cabinet + more cherry-

picked• May 5 – Skype with ASU – Portal• May 12 – Awarded grant• June 1 – Review grant award package• June 24 – Portal Grant Kickoff Meeting

Project Plan• Investigate• Meditate• Participation• Rally• Ownership• Visualize, Venture• Elicit

When I say CHANGE, you still say…

The Difference is…• YOU’RE PREPARED for it• Technology IS change

Thank You!

Questions?