Rethinking Academic Technology Leadership in an Era of Change

Writing in EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Michael J. Albright and John Nworie, share this excellent article, which also includes good background and terminology definitions: "The senior academic technology officer provides leadership across instructional technology initiatives, yet few campuses have a SATO position in place":

At the campus level, the infrastructure for supporting learning technologies has undergone a significant transformation over the past couple of decades, particularly since the introduction of Internet-based instructional technologies. . . . We propose that each campus should have a senior academic technology officer (SATO) to provide strategic leadership and direction for academic technology applications, initiatives, and support services across the broad spectrum of instructional technology functions; provide leadership in planning and policy related to curriculum development, e-learning, and other instructional technology initiatives that facilitate achievement of the institution's strategic goals; and build partnerships among campus academic support units to work collaboratively toward achievement of institutional goals that can be addressed through instructional technology.