What does it mean to add CIO to your job title?

Higher education institutions’ spending doubled on student information systems last year, marking a “turning point” in the education technology market, according to the Tambellini Group, an industry research firm.

In recent years, the approach to marketing and designing SIS has also changed, Vicki Tambellini, the firm’s founder, said on this week’s episode of Cutting EDge. Instead of showcasing how software makes administration easier, she said vendors are now focusing on students’ journeys and how products can improve an institution’s relationship with the student.

Also joining this podcast this week is the University of North Texas’ Adam Fein, who recently added chief information officer to his title, in addition to the vice president of digital strategy and innovation since 2018. Fein said that as CIO he’s working on facilitating conversations between the IT team and the rest of the university on projects like network and classroom upgrades.

In the news this week:

Cyber.org declared June “National Cybersecurity Education Month,” in hopes of rallying private and public sector organizations around K-12 cybersecurity initiatives.

The University of Arkansas system is consolidating its online education efforts.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded a $121 million contract to update its financial aid eligibility system.

Hear more from the higher education information technology community every two weeks on the Cutting EDge podcast. Listen here.

If you want to hear more of the latest from across the higher education technology community, subscribe to Cutting EDge on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and Stitcher.