Effectively Communicating the Value of IT in Higher Education

One of the most common challenges and arguably most crucial responsibilities of educational institution IT leaders is effectively communicating the value they bring to the campus communities. Effective communication of IT’s value is essential for garnering support, securing resources, and fostering a technology enabled campus culture. By tailoring messaging to stakeholder groups and consistently demonstrating tangible impacts of the work being done can ensure IT departments as a recognized strategic asset to higher education.  

Communicating with University Leadership 

Objective: Align IT Initiatives with Institutional Goals 

Strategy: Clearly demonstrate in a concise way how IT projects support the institution’s strategic goals.  

Action: Create a matrix that maps IT initiatives to specific measurable goals. For example, show how implementing an AI chatbot directly impacts student experience and improves efficiency.  

Objective: Provide Data-Driven Insights 

Strategy: Use data analytics to inform decision-making and highlight IT’s impact.  

Action: Develop interactive dashboards that highlight key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to the leadership audience, such as cost savings from process automation or improvements in student retention rates due to predictive analytics.  

Objective: Emphasize Return on Investment (ROI) 

Strategy: Quantify the financial impact of IT initiatives. 

Action: Present cost-benefit analyses for major IT projects including both tangible (e.g., cost savings) and intangible (e.g., improves user satisfaction) benefits. 

Communicating with Faculty 

Objective: Focus on Teaching and Research Support 

Strategy: Highlight how IT enhances pedagogical practices and research capabilities. 

Action: Highlight champions of IT within the faculty community and showcase how IT has successfully integrated technology into teaching or research, demonstrating improved outcomes.  

Objective: Provide Accessible Training and Resources 

Strategy: Offered tailored professional development opportunities. 

Action: Develop comprehensive training that may include workshops, online resources, or open office hour consultations on relevant technologies.  

Objective: Foster Collaboration and Input 

Strategy: Involve faculty in IT decision-making processes. 

Action: Establish a faculty advisory committee that can recommend, test, advise and support IT initiatives and regularly solicit feedback. 

Communicating with Students 

Objective: Enhance the Digital Campus Experience 

Strategy: Emphasize how IT contributes to a seamless and modern campus life. 

Action: Create infographics or short videos highlighting IT services that directly impact students, such as campus wide wi-fi, mobile apps for campus services, and 24/7 tech support.  

Objective: Leverage Student Feedback 

Strategy: Actively seek and respond to student input on IT services 

Action: Conduct regular surveys and focus groups with incentives to gather student feedback, and publicly share how this input shapes IT initiatives. 

Objective: Promote Digital Literacy and Skills Development  

Strategy: Position IT as a partner in students’ career readiness 

Action: Offer workshops, resources and demonstrations on emerging technologies and digital skills relevant to various career paths.  

Effective communication is key to demonstrating the strategic value and contributions of IT to their campus communities. IT departments should establish a consistent cadence of communication to their stakeholders with newsletters, emails, social media, town hall calls, open forums, dashboards, and a dedicated webpage. By implementing communication strategies IT leaders can ensure their efforts remain relevant, effective, and aligned with the dynamic nature of both higher education and technology and keep an ongoing dialogue about the role and value of shaping the future of the institution.  

Do you have a strategic communication plan?  Campus Consortium Foundation can help.Let’s talk.