Enlightened IT

The fate of businesses is tied more closely than ever to how wisely leaders deploy information technology. Choose the right software or hardware and integrate it effectively with existing applications and networks, and it can boost worker productivity, enhance customer service, or reduce costs in ways that create a powerful advantage in the market. Invest in the wrong technologies, and it can put an organization behind the eight ball for years to come.

The growing importance of technology in all walks of organizational life has led area colleges and universities to rethink how they prepare students for careers in information technology (IT). While the focus continues to be on helping them master the technical aspects of programming or database management, curricula are increasingly being leavened with content that stresses the importance of understanding customer needs, aligning IT decisions with strategic goals, and communicating effectively with non-technical co-workers. Many of these changes reflect a growing call from the business community for IT employees who can think more strategically about using techno-logy for competitive advantage.

The idea is to teach students to assess all factors before recommending a solution. "Unless IT considers what is best for the business as a whole, it's likely to come up with solutions that will meet its own needs but don't satisfy other needs in the organization."

Incubator for Change

At the forefront of this shift is The Center for Strategic Information Technology and Security on the Minneapolis campus of Metropolitan State University. The center was created in 2005 in response to a governor’s-office initiative pushing state colleges and universities to develop more expertise in areas deemed critical to making Minnesota businesses more competitive globally. The center is a joint venture of St. Paul–based Metropolitan State University, Inver Hills Community College, and Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC), and is operating with start-up funding from the state of $1.4 million per year for four years.

“Members of the business community who helped write the center’s proposal stressed that technical competence was no longer enough in IT education, and that curricula needed to put more emphasis on technology’s larger role in serving an organization’s strategic goals,” says Bruce Lindberg, executive director at the center.