Pathways chart the way forward.

The EDUCAUSE Professional Pathways are designed to help higher education professionals assess where they are in their careers today and create a plan to move toward accomplishing their goals, whatever they may be. In today’s labor market, pathways are more important than ever, and they support transparency, empowerment, and development at a time when organizations and their teams must prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

How to Use This Site

This site can be used in a variety of ways depending on whether you are using it from your own perspective as a higher education professional or as a leader and mentor of others.

For higher education professionals

Higher education professionals at all levels can use the site to develop a curated, informed plan personalized to their and their organization’s needs. To do so:

  • Explore the five pathways to determine which is best suited to your goals and interests today and to explore other options and paths;
  • As a gap analysis, complete the self-assessment for the pathway level that most closely aligns with your current role and the next one you aspire to;
  • Use the respective Pathway Toolkits to guide an exploration of your goals and competencies and chart a path that prepares you for future roles or an expansion of the current one; and
  • Review the various levels and sections of your pathway to see the education, positions, skills, and actions that can move you forward.

For those who lead or mentor others

Leaders and mentors can use the site as a coaching tool to help their teams and mentees set goals and advance. To do so:

  • Share and review the pathways with members of your team and mentees;
  • Have team members or mentees complete the various competency self-assessments to determine gaps in skills and abilities relative to their current or desired roles;
  • Utilize the pathways for professional development planning to guide and transform the capabilities of your team and those who report to you; and
  • Encourage team members to use one of the pathway toolkits for self-reflection and professional planning and to support your coaching and transformation efforts.

Please note

Select EDUCAUSE events and activities may be eligible for continuing professional education credit for a number of industry certifications. For more information, contact info@educause.edu.

The Five Pathways

The five pathways serve to guide professionals supporting and transforming higher education through the innovative use of technology.

Data

The Data Pathway was created to support the professional growth, skill development, and scholarship of professionals with roles in data, research, institutional effectiveness, assessment, strategic planning, business intelligence, and others. This Pathway empowers professionals to leverage data, analytics, information, and evidence to make decisions that benefit students and institutions.

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Information Security

The Information Security Pathway is for higher education professionals whose primary role is to keep the campus community safe and protect institutional data across systems and for constituents, including students, faculty, staff, and partners.

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Information Technology

The Information Technology Pathway is for leaders and professionals who support information technology systems and their strategy, management, budgets, and policy. The pathway guides those who manage the technology ecosystem comprising the systems and services that institutions use to store and manage data and processes, whether on campus, in the cloud, or through shared services.

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Innovation

The Innovation Pathway is for professionals dedicated to the advancement of their institution’s mission and strategic goals through the innovative and creative application of strategies and solutions. This pathway supports those tasked with leveraging data and technology in support of cross-institutional transformation.

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Teaching & Learning

The Teaching and Learning Pathway guides those working to enhance or transform learning experiences and student success across the institution through the effective application of learning science and relevant data to guide the selection of pedagogies and technologies.

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Positions and years spent at each professional level will vary.

About This Site

This site was created for you—to enable transparency, access to information, and planning tools to help you realize your professional dreams and aspirations. Here at EDUCAUSE, we believe “if you can see it, you can be it.” We want to bring everyone access to learning, experiences, mentors—most of all, a network of friends and colleagues who inspire you and give you a hand up to equip you with everything you need to succeed.

The information contained in this site was curated for the community, by the community through a rigorous, consultative process that involved professionals, from early career to executive level, to ensure relevance for all and to remove barriers that may have historically denied access to information and opportunities necessary to advance.

Sign Up for Personalized Pathway Content

Stay up to date on resources and activities that support your professional pathway journey by ensuring you receive timely and personalized information (note: an EDUCAUSE profile required).

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Become a Pathway Advisor

Professional pathways, like the world of work, are constantly changing. We’ll be updating this site on a quarterly basis with a select group of community members. Learn more about becoming a Pathway Advisor and the application process.  

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