Episode 14: Understanding the Tech Perspective feat. David Hinson, CIO, Drury University
The rapid move toward virtual learning in higher education transformed the way we think about technology in the classroom. Students and faculty have had to adjust to new methods of delivery, socially distanced lifestyles, and the virtual disappearance of the “campus experience.” Optimizing technology for the learning experience has never been a hotter topic.
However, it is only the tip of the iceberg. David Hinson, CIO of Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to shed some light on the vast landscape of higher ed tech beyond the classroom. Human resources, accounting, networking, and more—all work together to help institutions achieve their strategic goals.
Explore the highlights of the conversation in this brief Q&A, then listen to the full episode for more details.
Q. How did you transition from a career in IT consulting to higher education? How has that background influenced your thoughts on tech in higher ed?
I’m a recovering entrepreneur. I had my own business for 16 years, so I was used to operating more on “internet” time than “academic” time. I was running a software consultancy—contract programming, mobile app development, etc. About ten years ago, I was approached by Dr. Tim Cloyd, President of Hendrix College in Arkansas at the time, about the possibility of developing a campus-wide app for them. I was contacted six months later (academic time!) and asked to come to Hendrix to become their first-ever CIO.
There are two big challenges in higher education today. The first is overall access—financial access, food security, access to mental health, technology, and more. These are definitely barriers to entry, especially for first-generation students or families with estimated contributions of zero. Just learning the “handshakes” can be a challenge.
The second challenge is the technology divide. After overcoming barriers to entry, do students have the tools available to be successful in doing the work? We put a lot of emphasis on attracting students. But the effort we put into attracting students must also work to keep them and support their success. If we are not marching students across the stage at the end of the day, we are failing them.
Q. How are you building bridges in technology at Drury University?
I try to build through consensus and lead through influence. One of the lessons learned from going from private business into education is that leadership is not top-down. You do not come in as a CIO and dictate. It is servant leadership. It begins and ends with trust, which comes through engagement and relationships. It is about identifying and enabling technologies that advance the institutional mission rather than trying to dictate a course of technology as the only way to do something.
Tech is not simply in the classroom or instructional delivery. It is also working in support of the institution: student management systems of record, human capital management systems, general ledgers, ERP systems, or any other systems of accountability. Many places tend to use a strategic technology plan that fits in with the larger institutional plan.
Q. Drury University is one of about 2% of colleges meeting predominantly in person. How were you able to achieve this during the pandemic?
All our classrooms are physically and socially distanced. Masks are mandatory in all academic buildings; instructors maintain distance and wear face shields. We also began a 20% community surveillance testing regimen last fall. We also test our athletes before competition. Dorms are single-occupancy, and students who test positive quarantine in place.
Even though the CDC does not recommend surveillance testing, I do not feel we would have operated safely or responsibly without that amount of testing. It was a significant lift in terms of organization and cost. Our focus this spring has changed to a protocol of rapid antigen testing across more individuals on campus, followed by confirming possible positive test results with a PCR test.
Our symptomatic testing results are running below surrounding city and county rates. Last fall, our asymptomatic rate hovered between 1.5% and 2%. It is currently below 1%. There are a lot of unknowns moving into the future, but so far we feel that we have been successful in handling the crisis.
Listen to the full podcast for more details.
Learn more about David Hinson on LinkedIn or Twitter @DavidJHinson.
Visit Drury.edu for more about Drury University.
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This episode is brought to you by N2N’s Illuminate App, The iPaaS for Higher Education.
About N2N Services
Founded in 2010, N2N is committed to serving educational institutions and helping them figure out how to serve their students, faculty, and staff using the most innovative technologies and solutions available in the marketplace. Over the last decade, N2N has served over 300 academic institutions and enabled their student success journeys.
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