DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
first university-sector CDO . This makes Deakin the only regional higher education institution to embrace technology at board level , and to recognise that digital strategies will drive its future growth and indeed competitiveness . “ The traditional model of IT and the CIO function has become a fragile one ,” he says . “ Digital disruption is a reality and if CIOs don ’ t address this at a strategic level they risk being relegated to the back office , whatever type of organisation they are in . Of course we still need to take responsibility for all of the platforms we traditionally manage , for security and service provision . But if we stop there we are going to be seeing only half of the picture .”
Deakin ’ s long tradition in distance learning prepares it well for the new reality all universities face now - they must be prepared to deliver education through digital channels . The cloud campus is made up of students who balance family , jobs , and a host of different life circumstances that demand flexibility – or live in remote locations , while more of the on-campus students may be
148 June 2016