Dig.ni.fy Winter Issue - January 2024 | Page 129

most operations within higher education. And it is why IT departments should be seen as operating within – if not driving – what has become a rapidly developing tech ecosystem

(see graphic next page). Additionally, it is why IT departments will also become more and more

aligned with institutional research teams. With the knowledge that comes with such integration and cooperation, higher education can be expected to follow in what has become a trend within the private sector, where Chief Information Officers (CIO) are being promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer CEO) as “they have emerged as pivotal drivers of digital

digital transformation, wielding their expertise in information technology to propel organizational growth.”31

Eliminate Tenure

As focus has come to be on efficient and data-informed decision making, the need for granting tenure in higher education has increasing been called into question. This is particularly true given that tenure has, over the decades, proven to provide both advantages and disadvantages.

For example, advantages of academic tenure include:

•Job security: Professors with academic tenure have job security until they retire or make a grievous error. This protection from being fired without just cause provides professors with long-term financial stability and allows them to plan for their future.

•Freedom and flexibility: Academic tenure also allows professors to pursue, teach, and voice opinions on controversial or unpopular research topics without fear of influence or

retribution. This kind of academic freedom is important to explore new research areas,

develop new teaching methods, and advance knowledge in the field.

•Higher salaries: Being awarded an academic tenure reflects a professor’s academic accomplishments and expertise. This recognition means tenured professors typically receive higher salaries than non-tenured professors.

Given their experience and depth of knowledge, tenured professors often get to assist with institutional decisions such as faculty

recruitment, retention, and mentorship. They can influence important decisions, help shape the future of their department, and drive long-term changes in their institute’s governance.

By contrast, disadvantages of academic tenure include:

•Complacency: There are those who believe that academic tenure leads to a certain sense of complacency that negatively affects output. Having achieved what many consider to be the ultimate goal in academia, tenured researchers sometimes find themselves lacking the drive to deliver and begin to lose interest in their students and their subject, which impacts productivity.

•Difficulty in dismissal: Professors with

academic tenure are protected from arbitrary dismissal, which means that it can be difficult to remove underperforming or problematic

Colleges and universities need to make the investments in technology infrastructure that will support more modern platforms and systems and equipment, so quality data may be produced and effectively communicated in a manner that is scheduled and accessible.

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