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CIC to Establish Information
Technology Advisory Service

Verizon Foundation Provides Start-Up Financing

WASHINGTON, DC – The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) will establish an Information Technology Advisory Service to assist presidents and other institutional leaders in their decisions about purchasing and using information technology to improve student learning and institutional management.

A $100,000 grant from The Verizon Foundation will enable the Council to begin planning Phase One of the Information Technology Advisory Service, which will provide institutional leaders with consultants and information about choices among specific technology systems, particular uses of systems, and processes that enable strategic decision-making.

“Small and medium-sized independent colleges and universities confront a particularly acute version of the problems all of us face from the rapid pace of technological change: they must purchase or lease expensive hardware and software with tight budgets and frequently without the help of a knowledgeable expert on information technology,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “I hope this service will be a tremendous resource for presidents as they grapple with these issues.”

The first steps of planning for the Information Technology Advisory Service have involved consultation with recognized experts in the technology field, including William H. Graves, founder and president of EDUPRISE; Richard N. Katz, vice president of EDUCAUSE; and Harvey Blustain, president of Act IV Consulting, Inc. (MA).

Among other activities, the service will include the establishment of: 

• a board of consultants and colleagues, drawn from CIC member schools and other institutions, who are able to advise institutional leaders in major purchasing decisions; 
• a small library and bibliography of materials such as “instructional modules” and charts comparing various technology products; and
• workshops and meetings for campus leaders that would provide wide-ranging information (e.g., comparative functional analyses of competing vendors, financial advice and management, etc.).

“Verizon is proud to sponsor this CIC initiative that will enable colleges to make sound business decisions regarding their technology investments.  This will further the transformation of technology into our classrooms, campuses and the Internet to improve higher education in America,” said Suzanne DuBose, President of the Verizon Foundation.

The Verizon Foundation is committed to supporting programs and projects that create innovative e-solutions, help bridge the digital divide, foster basic and computer literacy and help enrich our communities, educate our citizens and create a skilled workforce. The Verizon Foundation looks to forge and maintain partnerships around technology initiatives with local, regional, national and international organizations serving the needs of racial and ethnic communities, people with disabilities, and the economically and socially disadvantaged. For more information on the Verizon Foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation on the Internet.

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