Brookdale Community College
Charting the right path with IT governance
Implementing a governance model guides priorities and provides transparency
I think a lot of institutions should implement an IT governance model, and they will realize, as did Brookdale, how it was the one, important element that was missing.
George Sotirion
Chief Information Officer, Brookdale Community College
Challenge
Implement an IT governance policy to help guide decision-making and technology priorities
Results
- Enhanced collaboration across the institution
- Increased transparency into the decision-making process
- Better focus on priorities that support the institution
Summary
As Brookdale Community College was in the midst of outlining an ambitious IT strategic plan, the institution began to examine the options for implementing a technology governance model to effectively guide priorities, decision making, and technology investments. The purpose of the governance model was to, in effect, create a level playing field for the adoption of technology, solutions, and approaches. “We wanted to establish a decision-making process that allowed us to prioritize key projects, ensure that our technology resources were being used to its fullest potential, and support the institution’s goals and objectives,” says George Sotirion, chief information officer at Brookdale.
The institution’s leadership recognized that a strong IT governance policy would not only bolster the college’s mission, but also inform campus constituents into why certain technology solutions may or may not be implemented. “We wanted to clear away the clouds and identify the technology that was most important,” says Brookdale Community College President David Stout. “The plan would help us map expectations to our strategic plan so that we could rank projects accordingly.”
“Sometimes the college community wasn't aware of exactly why certain decisions were being made, and if they were putting forth ideas, why those ideas weren't being adopted, causing a level of friction and disengagement,” says Sotirion. “So really, it all had to do with transparency.”
