Or… how to avoid being downsized in the 21st century

Blaize Horner Reich, SFU, Canada

Strategic Role for IS Departments in Business

Schools

What’s the Problem? • Declining enrolments leading to

– Loss of status for IS unit – Loss of control over courses and curriculum– Need to teach other disciplinary courses – Tenure denials, shrinking units, merged units,

elimination of IS unit.

• Externally – Students not ready for a tech-heavy world – Business innovation and competitiveness

declines

Solutions SFU has tried • Innovating in curriculum

• Early courses in emerging topics – BPR, Internet, computer based decision making

• Innovating with technology– E.g. deep IS website from 1997 – first in Faculty

• Using Web 2.0 tools to advertise– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UhR0tGbsPo– Speaking to students with their own media

Solutions partially implemented

• Partnering with other disciplines– Creating multi-disciplinary pgms to become integral – e.g. web marketing, IS audit, social networking with

HR

• Partnering with external agencies– To give students external credentials

» e.g. PMI, IIBA, SAP, CIOsetc

• Supporting U-level IT initiatives – Steering committees for IT implementation and

strategy

What’s Wrong? • Acting like “techies”

• Didn’t mentor, promote… just did

• Not stepping up to the tough jobs• CIO in the Faculty, leadership at the U level

• Lacking leadership in the community• “think tanks” on IT, innovation

We aren’t prepared or willing to act politically

What’s Possible? • CTO role in the faculty

– Helping make IT strategic for the faculty, University

• Chief Innovator role – The “go to” people to develop new courses,

programs

• Wide view of IT – As project, process leaders as well as IS – Deep connection with CIO, PMO, BPO units