EDTECH: IT has evolved from being seen as a back-office, task-oriented service to being a strategic player in higher education strategies and student outcomes. Can you talk about that evolution?
Pitt: I have always viewed technology as strategic. I am quite sure that I would not have entered this field if I had viewed IT as a back-office function. Fortunately, I began my IT career in academic technology at a forward-thinking and innovative university, where, every day, my colleagues and I helped engage students and improve learning. Throughout my career, IT has been about improvement and innovation, and that has never really changed. Sure, we run systems and processes that are seamless, resilient and available. But we also help research, education and institutional decision-making move forward in meaningful ways. In my opinion, CIOs in higher education who view technology as strategic are the most successful ones, and so are the informed higher education leaders who think likewise.
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EDTECH: Has your senior IT leadership position changed since the pandemic began? If so, how?
Pitt: The position has not really changed. Instead, its focus has changed and, in some respects, intensified. At the beginning of the pandemic, our team was focused on continuity. We supported the rapid pivot to remote work and online learning. We built safety systems and invested in personnel to support academic excellence. We sought to restore the rhythms of the university, although in very different ways from our pre-pandemic past.
The IT in higher education community is creative. Many of our team members have contributed to ensuring the success of our university through innovation. Others have responded with unbelievable speed to support institutional decisions, such as changes in class schedules and grading procedures, and to address unexpected challenges like Zoombombing.
The need for communication has increased dramatically. While we were a fairly communicative IT organization before the pandemic, intentional communication is now a requirement for effective IT — whether that communication is between individuals within the IT team and its functional units or with our institutional partners. Planned, thoughtful and compassionate communication has been critical at a time when there are serious health risks, overwhelming levels of work and deep budget impacts.