The Data Pathway

The Data Pathway supports higher education professionals whose role it is to use data, information, and analytics in ways that are effective and that support data-informed decision-making with the goal of supporting institutional success. This path will help you identify and navigate a data career by increasing your understanding of the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to begin, transition, and advance your career.

The pathway at a glance
Timeline graphic previewing the transition from early to institutional executive level throughout the lifespan of your career

Explore the Data Pathway

Olivia Kew-Fickus, Chief Data Officer at Vanderbilt University and Ben Wiles, Chief Student Success & Empowerment Officer at Clemson University discuss their skills, professional journeys, and roles as data leaders in their organizations.

The EDUCAUSE Data Pathway Toolkits provide individuals and mentors an opportunity to identify strengths and gaps, then select activities to leverage those strengths and develop in select areas. The toolkits support the development of an action to improve immediate performance and foster readiness for long-term professional goals. Select the appropriate toolkit for your needs below to get started.

Early Level

0-7 years
0-7 years
0-7 years
0-7 years

Early-level data professional positions include visualization specialist, data wrangler, data engineer, and a focus on analysis. Roles often have "analyst" at the end of the title (e.g., data analyst, research data analyst, data governance analyst, institutional research analyst, etc.) In these roles, duties and responsibilities may include building data models and assessing, preparing, and analyzing institutional data to provide timely reports, analyses, and visualizations to stakeholders and answering ad-hoc questions.

Recommended Education

Bachelor’s or Master's degree or equivalent experience.

Other options From Here

You May Be Responsible For

  • Helping faculty, staff, and students locate data and interpret data products.
  • Assisting in the development and/or administration of surveys.
  • Serving as the point person for reports and analyses created.
  • Developing and leveraging data visualization skills to enhance understanding among various constituencies.
  • Advancing analytic and modeling skill sets.

Entry-level positions in cybersecurity include job titles like information security specialist, information security analyst, network technical specialist, and computer forensics analyst. In these roles, your duties and responsibilities may include helping to prevent data breaches, network attacks, and other threats. You work to protect your institution's digital resources and information technology systems and to prevent hackers from disrupting normal business activities. Additionally, you help faculty, staff, and students learn and engage in good information security practices on the job and at home.

Recommended Education

Degree in Computer Science or related area and/or equivalent of education and experiences; select network and security certifications; and experience working with select compliance standards.

Other options From Here

You May Be Responsible For

  • Performing operational security duties in support of security rules and procedures based on university policies, state and federal requirements, and contractual obligations.
  • Assisting in the triage of incoming security events.
  • Acting as an escalation point for information technology security incidents.
  • Providing direction and guidance on available security services and tools.
  • Monitoring current trends, making recommendations and evaluating solutions to close gaps in security processes.

Entry-level positions for teaching and learning may support faculty to apply learning technology to courses, coordinate and maintain digital resources for the institution, or assist in curriculum or instructional design. People who perform these tasks may have job titles like instructional technologist, instructional designer, computer learning lab coordinator, learning management system administrator, instructional technologist, multimedia designer, and faculty development specialist.

Recommended Education

Associate's degree, bachelor’s degree, certifications in user and instructional design, or equivalent experience

Other options From Here

Interested in an innovation-focused work? Take a look at the Innovation Pathway's early level for options.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Contributing to the effective implementation and function of digital learning tools.
  • Collecting and analyzing relevant learning data to recommend data-informed decisions for the unit.
  • Offering guidance and advice to teaching faculty on learning design with digital platforms.
  • Collecting learning outcome and evaluation data to inform future digital learning decisions and designs.
  • Maintaining current and relevant knowledge of higher education learning science.

Entry-level positions in innovation include job titles such as instructional innovation specialist, business transformation project manager, and systems integration and innovation coordinator. These positions work in some capacity helping to support innovation to advance institutional strategies.

Recommended Education

Associates degree, bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Consulting and advising an instructional team on appropriate technological tools best suited to meet learning objectives.
  • Providing technical solutions for highly interactive learning environments.
  • Working with faculty on the design, development, and production of learning materials using digital media.
  • Following change management policies and procedures for configuration and application changes, including obtaining approval for release into production.
  • Leading systems, services, and infrastructure projects.
  • Providing administrative and/or project management support for innovation projects or initiatives.

Early level positions in information technology include job titles such as user support specialist, data analyst, desktop support technician, and network operations analyst. These positions work in some capacity helping to support institutional technology or data operations, or to maintain the institution's digital environment.

Recommended Education

Associate degree, bachelor’s degree, ITIL or IT service management training (see take action for more information), or equivalent experience. Certifications such as CompTIA A+, ITIL Foundation; vendor specific certifications such as Microsoft, AWS, for service and support roles. Certifications around data analytics and vendor specific certifications, such as Oracle or Microsoft for those working with data and databases.

Other options From Here

Interested in exploring an alternative career? Take a look at the Information Security Pathway's early level for ideas.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Assisting in the collection and analysis of data to inform decisions for information technology and the institution.
  • Administering technology training and facilitating help for students, faculty, and other institutional stakeholders.
  • Supporting and maintaining institution technology solutions such as labs, mobile technology, classrooms, and more.
  • Supporting and maintaining software applications across campus.
  • Contributing to decisions regarding institution technology adoption and implementation.

Data Analyst

Salary Range:
$54,000–$87,000

A Data Analyst collects, evaluates, and prepares research and/or other complex statistical data for a specific unit of the institution. Prepares statistical and narrative reports and recommendations, and participates in the analysis and interpretation of data as appropriate. Develops, maintains, and ensures quality control of databases and may assist in development and implementation of measurement systems. Engages with technical and non-technical leaders across campus to identify data needs, triage data, perform data analysis, and develop data visualizations.

See Active Job Descriptions

Data Governance Analyst

Salary Range:
$52,000–$90,000

A Data Governance Analyst designs strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks. They set standards for database operations, programming, query processes, and security. They model, design, and construct large relational databases or data warehouses. They create and optimize data models for warehouse infrastructure and workflow, integrate new systems with existing warehouse structures, and refine system performance and functionality.

See Active Job Descriptions

Data Scientist/Statistician

Salary Range:
$60,000–$90,000

Data Scientists or Statisticians are responsible for managing and leading a wide array of highly specialized and intricate data analytics tasks and possess skills and abilities in the development and use of analytic tools. They may create databases, software applications, analysis pipelines, and user interfaces for the analysis and dissemination of diverse data types. The role may require fundamental programming skills in various languages. The Data Scientist or Statistician may direct computational analysis of derived data; provide direct technical support by offering guidance; implement improvements to data analysis tools, databases, and interfaces; and work closely with their team to troubleshoot issues.

See Active Job Descriptions

Data Engineer

Salary Range:
$66,000–$97,000

The Data Engineer role is critical in the process of implementing business intelligence solutions for the organization. This includes designing and developing data pipelines, warehouses, and integrations using best practices. The role will ensure the availability and accuracy of consumption and analysis by the organization. The Data Engineer will need to be familiar with key business applications and processes to assist in executing the organization’s data strategy in a scalable and reliable manner.

See Active Job Descriptions

Data Project Manager

Salary Range:
$75,000–$85,000

The Data Project Manager will apply comprehensive knowledge of project goals and consultation with decision-makers to manage project planning and implementation. They will set and monitor project milestones, assign individual responsibilities, and develop a detailed work plan to ensure completion of the project, schedule meetings, create meeting agendas, summaries, and reports, and communicate the project status. They'll also monitor the project budget and assist with resource allocation, and manage relationships with partners in industry, government, academia and other units.

See Active Job Descriptions

Kenneth Gyan, Director of Information Technology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Insuh Pak, Analytics Engineer at University of California, Santa Cruz

Melissa Meehan, Web Services Director, SUNY Buffalo State.

Rebecca Graetz, Senior Instructional Designer, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Lifelong Learning
  • Demonstrate a commitment to your professional growth and willingness to develop your skills in areas of key importance to your organization.
  • Further your data and analytics skills with New Horizons training.
  • Acquire and maintain technical training that aligns with your career path, such as CDMP, Tableau Users Group, Data+, MS Azure Data Fundamentals, or others.
  • Participate in relevant conferences, EDUCAUSE community groups, and on-campus groups to expand your knowledge and your network.
Communication
  • Use active listening to communicate effectively with others.
  • Prepare for a presentation using industry best practices.
  • Read about and practice communication skills regularly (e.g., in meetings, hallway encounters, and in difficult workplace situations).
  • Develop the ability to speak about technical information to all audiences and consider what audiences need to hear/learn about.
Finance
  • Examine planning approaches to budgeting and understand key components of cost estimating.
  • Familiarize yourself with your department's budget and your institution's strategic plan.
  • Identify critical sources of data related to institutional budget management.
  • Develop the foundational knowledge needed to facilitate effective data-informed decision-making, while getting hands-on practice with each step from data creation to leading change through data storytelling and data governance.
  • Consider completing the "Higher Education Budgeting: How to Plan for Sustainability and Change" Learning Lab.
Project Management & Strategy
  • Analyze the benefits of different project management approaches and best practices for ensuring the success of projects.
  • Assess the importance of team dynamics on project success and identify strategies for maximizing productivity and efficiency.
  • Seek out opportunities to be a part of or to lead strategy planning.
Leadership & People Management
  • Evaluate hiring and recruitment practices that leverage a talented and diverse workforce while maximizing workplace motivation and engagement.
  • Observe how leaders retain valuable team members in a higher education setting.
  • List the characteristics and traits of those you consider effective leaders and practice essential leadership principles and consider putting some of these into practice.
Change Management
  • Identify and learn about skills that support the successful navigation of organizational change.
  • Determine (via reading and practice) what approaches work best when convincing others of the benefits of doing something new.
  • Earn your microcredential in the EDUCAUSE Change Management Learning Lab, led by Prosci experts.
Assess

Assess your data literacy skills and abilities by taking the Data Literacy competency self-assessment. Understand your strengths and weaknesses in the areas of data management, data analysis, and more.

Make Connections

Explore and join any of the Community Groups to share strategies about data governance, compliance, data strategy, enterprise, business, technical architects (aka ITANA), and privacy programs.

Make Connections

* Join the Young Professionals Community group to connect with others in the early stages of their careers.

Make Connections

Become an EDUCAUSE Ambassador to help your organization get the most out of its membership by connecting colleagues with beneficial resources.

Engage in Mentoring

Find a mentor who can provide guidance, support, and growth on your career journey. Search for a mentor who has a data-focused role you may be interested in, can speak to the data professional advancement journey, and has expertise that can help you understand the latest data trends and issues.

Give Back

Support an EDUCAUSE conference or meeting by reading proposals for events or pursuing a volunteer opportunity.

Think & Speak

Read the latest on everything data and data governance in the EDUCAUSE Review. Have a topic you'd like to see covered or an idea to contribute? Become a contributor.

Show Up

Go to the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference designed for, and attended by, the global community of higher education professionals, including those that work with and lead data initiatives.

Learn

Read the EDUCAUSE 2022 Horizon Report on Data & Analytics and the 2023 Horizon Report Action Plan on Data Governance.

Learn

Earn your microcredential at the Data Literacy Institute, which empowers higher education professionals to use data confidently and to understand the data life cycle.

3-11 years
3-15 years
3-11 years
3-11 years

Mid Level

Mid-level positions in data include highly proficient individual contributors and people managers. Often, job titles that include “Lead” are individual contributor positions that may include project management responsibilities: Lead Data Engineer, Lead Analytics Engineer, Lead Data Analyst, or Principal Analyst. As lead individual contributors, duties and responsibilities may also include participating in teams of other data professionals and working with key stakeholders to deliver data product solutions. Professionals at this level may support central services with enterprise/institutional data or specialize within functional domain data. Similar versions of these job titles with “Manager” or “Associate Director” include people management duties such as performance management and professional development: Associate Director of Institutional Research, Data Services Manager, or Data Governance Manager. As a manager, duties and responsibilities may include leading teams of other data professionals and managing stakeholders to deliver data product solutions. Mid-level professionals may support the development of technical skill sets of early-level professionals within an area of expertise, manage central services with enterprise/institutional data, and/or specialize within functional domain data.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, PhD, or equivalent experience.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Managing data assets and access to those data assets.
  • Project management for delivering new or enhanced data products.
  • Resolving data quality issues.
  • Partnering with technical and functional teams across the institution to develop data products that address business needs.
  • Partnering with technical and functional teams across the institution to develop data governance and related policies that align with strategic directions.
  • Maintaining documentation such as data catalogs, style guides, and standard operating procedures.
  • Developing the technical skill sets of early data professionals, providing constructive performance management feedback and balancing workload across team members.
  • Developing code, data models, and/or business intelligence products.

Mid-level positions in cybersecurity include job titles like information security analyst, information security penetration tester, information security engineer, information security consultant, information security advisor, information security manager, information senior security engineer, manager of information security and systems operations, and senior manager of research computing. In this role, your duties and responsibilities may include designing security systems, conducting reviews and audits, assessing systems for gaps, and recommending solutions.

Recommended Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, communications, or related fields, or similar certified coursework in applicable fields of study. Foundation knowledge and skills may include working knowledge of common software application packages, equipment platforms, reference database systems and sources, and training methods and a basic understanding of networks, data communication, and multimedia systems.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Managing identity and access management infrastructure.
  • Partnering with teams across the university, information security office, server operations, and integrations and application teams to create solutions that meet security and business requirements.
  • Working closely with clients and other ITS staff in support of the university’s mission and strategic direction.

Mid-Level teaching and learning roles include job titles like project manager, instructional designer, and faculty development manager, and typically require expertise in educational technology and learning design. People in these positions are beginning to have leadership responsibilities and may coordinate teams or training. At this level, people continue to develop the competencies and relationships they will need to assume senior and executive roles in the field.

Recommended Education

Bachelor's or master’s depending on career goals and institutional expectations. Consider obtaining relevant certifications to user and instructional design, curriculum development, and project management.

Other options From Here

Interested in career focused on innovation? Take a look at the Innovation Pathway Mid-Level track for options.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Designing and facilitating academic training and development for institutional teaching faculty.
  • Providing expertise in educational technology and offering input into institutional adoption.
  • Coordinating a team of learning professionals, including positions in library services, teaching and learning centers, and educational technology units.
  • Advocating for student-centered learning and design across the institution.
  • Providing project management leadership and support to course design or educational technology projects.

Mid-level positions in innovation include job titles such as digital innovation librarian, associate director of research and innovation, and program manager for innovation and digitization.  Professionals in these positions are often in management-oriented roles with responsibilities for supporting or maintaining a specific area related to innovation. They may also supervise entry-level staff.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, or doctoral degree based on personal goals and institution’s expectations.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Implementing digital learning initiatives.
  • Serving as project manager for innovation projects.
  • Supervising instructional design staff.
  • Managing an analytics team.

Mid-level positions in information technology include job titles such as operations support manager, manager of client services, or manager of reporting and analytics. Professionals in these positions are often in management-oriented roles with responsibilities for supporting or maintaining a specific area within information technology. They may supervise entry-level staff.

Recommended Education

Bachelor's, master's degree (or equivalent experience), ITIL or IT service management training, depending on career goals and institutional requirements (see take action for more information).

Other options From Here

Interested in pursuing an alternative career? Take a look at the Innovation Pathway's mid-level for ideas.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Collaborating with stakeholders across the institution to set strategic direction for information technology initiatives.
  • Leading a team of specialists to support information technology programs through the technology lifecycle.
  • Managing information technology projects including hardware and software infrastructure implementation and support.
  • Providing oversight for systems including enterprise applications, data management, and learning technology.
  • Providing oversight for systems and processes including enterprise applications, data governance, data management, and learning technology.
  • Cross-unit collaboration and/or cross-level or departmental collaboration.
  • Executing on strategic initiatives set forth by senior leadership team and managing expectations.
  • Providing subject matter expertise on mid-to-large scale technology implementation projects.
  • Supervising staff with multiple skill levels and expertise areas and aligning those skillsets to achieve goals and complete projects.

Data Governance Manager

Salary Range:
$86,000–$115,000

The Data Governance Manager is the primary lead in the implementation of the data governance framework and associated principles, policies, data quality, and integrity standards that support consistency and protection of enterprise data assets. They also assist with creating procedures, documentation, and training materials to ensure standard practices are being applied consistently across the organization. The position may involve collaborating with and training campus data stewards, partners, and functional units to ensure that policy and processes support the effective sharing, protection, and using of data as an asset in institutional planning, decision-making, and strategy.

See Active Job Descriptions

Data Manager/Analyst

Salary Range:
$75,000–$85,000

The Data Manager/Analyst will support program evaluation, continuous quality improvement, ongoing maintenance of data required for accreditation, and tracking of strategic plan outcomes by providing oversight of all activities relating to collection of outcome data from multiple sources; organization and maintenance of databases; analysis of complex data to monitor program performance and trends; generation and distribution of reports and dashboards; and documenting and tracking the flow of data and actions taken.

See Active Job Descriptions

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Administrator

Salary Range:
$70,000–$90,000

This role leads the technical aspects of the continuing effort to integrate disparate data sources into a centralized, analytical data lake, applying industry standards and best practices. They work closely with the information technology services development staff and database administrator to engineer and administer the data lake and its associated architecture and processes, and interface with analysts and data consumers to develop logical views, data models, and reports from the data lake. The role also promotes the uses, benefits, and adoption of the data lake across the campus community.

See Active Job Descriptions

Data Warehouse Analyst and Modeler

Salary Range:
$70,000–$120,000

The Data Warehouse Analyst and Modeler is a data analyst who will work to deliver high-quality data analysis, build new data warehouses, and deliver analytical projects. This is typically an individual contributor role with responsibilities to produce data models using various tools; assess the source system process and data to set up data interfaces; work with SMEs to understand data and requirements; provide input to data design; articulate findings and present models; and have an understanding of data modeling for transaction systems and data warehouses.

See Active Job Descriptions

Jay James, Senior Cybersecurity Operations Lead, Auburn University.

Todd Barber, Executive Director of Enterprise Applications and Data Services at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Melissa Barnett, Data Governance Manager, Georgia State University.

Steve Burrell, Vice President & CIO, Northern Arizona University

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Lifelong Learning
  • Intentionally architect your career, consider the experiences you need to advance to the next level, and be deliberate in pursuing those.
  • Seek out opportunities to develop and demonstrate people management skills.
  • Actively participate in professional communities relevant to your area of interest: AIR, HEDW, and/or user group communities for the specific data tools leveraged at your institution.
  • Complete certifications and/or bootcamps for specific data tool(s) leveraged at your institution.
  • Seek out opportunities to continuously hone technical skills and expand exposure to different data domains/business needs.
Communication
  • Demonstrate effective data storytelling with the ability to collect, analyze, visualize, and present data in a clear and compelling way.
  • Understand communication styles used in different workplace situations and identify practices that strengthen trust with internal and external partners.
  • Develop strategies for negotiating and persuading others.*Practice ways to manage interpersonal conflict in the workplace.
  • Practice giving and receiving feedback.
  • Engage with online collaboration tools for effective team communication, especially when that team is distributed and/or hybrid.
Finance
  • Articulate, monitor, and project any activity-driven costs and/or licensing for data tools for which you are financially responsible.
  • Develop strategies to overcome budget challenges and identify opportunities to support the budgeting strategy of the institution.
  • Cultivate strategic cross-institutional partnerships to help secure necessary funds for critical initiatives.
  • Use leadership skills to support budgeting efforts.
Project Management & Strategy
  • Develop a plan for engaging key project stakeholders across campus.
  • Learn strategies to maximize both synchronous and asynchronous work across teams and stakeholders.
  • Employ techniques for prioritizing competing demands with limited resources.
  • Learn facilitation and multi-stakeholder collaboration techniques.
  • Demonstrate project progress, resource management, and benefits realization to maintain leadership support for critical initiatives.
Leadership & People Management
  • Evaluate opportunities for delegation and team or individual development.
  • Develop a comprehensive approach to support employee performance and to maximize individual and team development.
  • Understand different individual working styles and how to cultivate a productive team environment.
  • Employ techniques for increasing team rapport, in both in-person and in online spaces.
  • Learn human resources policies, standards, compliance requirements, and processes at your institution.
  • Find ways to directly manage others, especially if you're interested in advanced or executive-level positions.
  • The Managers Institute is designed to help improve the management skills of those who direct people, processes, and functions within campus units and also provide a broader context for managing and leading in higher education.
The EDUCAUSE Managers Institute is tailored to higher education managers with 3–5 years of experience and provides a deeper foundation for enhancing management skills, including organizational communication.
Find Out More
Change Management
  • Use strategic thinking to help others navigate organizational changes and dynamic situations.
  • Embrace a mindset of continuous improvement using critical thinking and problem-solving skills to creatively address challenges.
  • Stay current with technological advancements and seek opportunities to adapt tools and processes within your area that align with the strategic direction of the institution.
  • Learn how to navigate resistance, obstacles, or unexpected challenges to achieve successful outcomes through an EDUCAUSE (discounted) Prosci Change Management Program.
Assess

* Take our competency self-assessment for mid-level professionals to evaluate your skills and abilities and to help you identify your growth opportunities in the areas of communication, team development and optimization, financial management, project management, and more.

Assess

Assess your strengths and weaknesses in the areas of data security and privacy, data management, data analysis, and more by taking the Data Literacy competency self-assessment.

Make Connections

Lead and facilitate Community Groups that dovetail with your interests and expertise, like one that is focused on DEI or data leadership.

Make Connections

Consider becoming an EDUCAUSE Ambassador to help your organization get the most out of membership by connecting colleagues with resources beneficial to their roles.

Engage in Mentoring

Identify and engage with a mentor who is a data or analytics professional to develop skills in areas like change and innovation, communication, money management, or project management.

Engage in Mentoring

Share your expertise and knowlege with an early-career data professional by serving as a mentor.

Give Back

Join or explore an EDUCAUSE working group and collaborate closely with your peers from a variety of institutions to define solutions for challenges and create useful resources for the community.

Give Back

Have an idea that you think would benefit from focused attention? Have you started a project you would like to share with the broader higher education community? Propose a topic for a Working Group.

Think & Speak

Engage with the Analytics channel of EDUCAUSE Review. Consider becoming a contributor by sharing your own ideas or experiences.

Think & Speak

Submit a proposal for a session and/or poster for a data or analytics-related track at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference.

Show Up

Attend the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference and learn from a community of higher education professionals that leverage data across their organizations.

Show Up

Join an EDUCAUSE Community Group in a specific data domain area, like Student Success Analytics Practitioners, to learn and specialize.

Learn

Learn how to leverage your data skills to make educated business decisions.

Learn

Take a course and earn a credential that supports your technical data and analytics professional knowledge and skills.

Learn

Take a deep dive into EDUCAUSE library topics on data administration, governance, and leadership.

Learn

Earn an EDUCAUSE microcredential when you complete a Learning Lab or Institute to sharpen your technical and managerial skills.

Learn

Explore the Institutional Effectiveness Program offered by UCSD for a focus on data, student equity, and success.

Advanced Level

7-19 years
9-21 years
7-19 years
7-19 years

Advanced-level positions in data and analytics include job titles like Director of Institutional Research, Director of Data Analytics, Director of Data Governance, Director of Data Architecture, and Deputy Chief Data Officer. These roles may be responsible for monitoring the operational functions of the team but are also engaged and embedded into the business units around campus to help other unit leaders make data-driven decisions. These roles may also lead a team of individuals, sometimes multiple teams.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, PhD, or equivalent experience.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Leading and directing the activities of team leads, analysts, coordinators, and other data and analytics professionals.
  • Advising information technology and business executives on the status of data and analytics issues, especially those under your purview.
  • Contributing to enterprise-level policies and standards, leading incident response activities, and remediating data issues.
  • Implementing, designing, managing, and allocating all the data management measures within an organization.
  • Leading or co-leading institutional data governance processes and/or data management initiatives.

Advanced-level information security positions include information security manager, information security associate director, information security officer, information security architect, information security engineer, assistant director of information security, information security senior director, and others. People in those roles monitor the organization's information technology security system, are in charge of the institution's security risk management program, and act as advisors to executives.

Recommended Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Information Systems, or Computer Science or relevant experience. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or other equivalent certifications typically preferred. Information security, networking, server administration, and project management experience typically preferred.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Leading and directing the activities of integrated risk management team leads, analysts, coordinators, and other information security professionals.
  • Advising information technology and other executives on the status of technology risk and compliance issues.
  • Contributing to enterprise-level policies and standards, leading incident response activities, and remediating security issues.
  • Implementing, designing, managing and allocating all the technology security measures within an organization.
  • Monitoring the organization's information technology system to look for threats to security, and establishing protocols for identifying and neutralizing threats.

Advanced teaching and learning positions include job titles like senior instructional designer, director of academic technology, teaching and learning center director, and director of online learning. Professionals in these roles provide strategic oversight at the departmental level and usually lead teams. While not at the executive level yet, people in these roles are often the most senior representative subject matter expert in educational technology or learning design.

Recommended Education

Master’s, EdD, or PhD depending on career goals and institutional expectations.

Other options From Here

Interested in a career focused on organization-wide innovation? Take a look at the Innovation Pathway's advanced level.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Leading a team of learning professionals through the processes of course design, digital learning platform implementation, curriculum development, and staff training.
  • Maintaining current and relevant knowledge of higher education learning science.
  • Communicating with institutional leaders regarding the importance of student-centered teaching and learning practices.
  • Assisting with, or assigning team members to assist with, classroom technology, learning space design, faculty development, learning approaches, and evaluation needs.
  • Contributing to the institutional mission and vision regarding student success and teaching excellence.

Advanced-level positions in innovation include job titles such as director of innovation and instructional technology, director of lean transformation, and director of digital innovation and ecosystems. Professionals in these positions are responsible for directing and leading the operations of large innovation-related projects, often with managers and other staff reporting to them.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, or doctoral degree based on personal goals and institution’s expectations

Other options From Here

Interested in a career path that focuses more specifically on teaching and learning? Take a look at the Teaching and Learning Pathway in the advanced level for options.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Directing an innovation center or an office for teaching effectiveness.
  • Directing work and/or initiatives supporting transformation across the organization.
  • Establishing a strategy for and operationalizing the scholarship of innovation on your campus.
  • Leading library innovation initiatives.

Advanced level positions in information technology include job titles such as director of analytics, director of client services, and director of network work services. Professionals in these positions are responsible for directing and leading the strategy and operations of large areas of information technology, often with managers and other staff reporting to them.

Recommended Education

Bachelor's, master's degree (or equivalent experience), certification in project management or change management, ITIL or IT service management training, depending on career goals and institutional requirements (see take action for more information).

Other options From Here

Interested in pursuing an alternative career? Take a look at the Teaching and Learning Pathway's advanced level for ideas.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Leading a team charged with the supervision of institutional information technology systems, including data, client experience, and web services.
  • Leading and developing central information technology teams of staff and student employees to oversee client relationships, service and help desk support, classroom technology, and information technology project management.
  • Collaborating with institutional stakeholders to make decisions for technology procurement and implementation.
  • Providing insight and leadership for institution web applications.
  • Provide strategy for technology roadmap to improve business operations, managing large scale IT projects or initiatives (i.e. data governance or data analytics).
  • Influencing and educating peers and others on needed alignments between operational and strategic goals.
  • Tracking and reporting of operational and strategic metrics.
  • Develop, manage and approve budgets and purchasing agreements.

Director, Center for Data Science

Salary Range:
$90,000–$150,000

Directors of the Center for Data Science work across an institution to lead interdisciplinary Data Science organizations. This includes touchpoints on research, data visualization, community engagement, and solving data science challenges across an institution. Directors of Centers for Data Science also lead the vision and teams of the center.

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Director of Data Management and Architecture

Salary Range:
$90,000–$120,000

The Director of Data Management and Architecture often directs the day-to-day operations and the strategic oversight for data management operations within the division of Information Technology. They may be responsible for the coordination of all technology associated with data warehousing, data management, business intelligence, and analytics platforms. They often partner with a diverse population of stakeholders in evaluating and translating business needs into data analytics and ensure the needs have been successfully met.

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Director of Data Governance and Solutions

Salary Range:
$81,000–$140,000

Professionals in this role will work alongside various stakeholders internal and external to an institution to ensure quality data governance best practices and established principles. This role may also lead teams of professionals toward data governance goals and outcomes. The Director of Data Governance and Solutions is a key leadership position, responsible for establishing and maintaining effective data governance frameworks, policies, and solutions. They play a key role in ensuring data quality, integrity, security, and compliance while driving the strategic use of data to support decision-making, innovation, and organizational goals.

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Deputy Chief Data Officer

Salary Range:
$90,000–$150,000

The Deputy CDO is responsible for partnering with the CDO in maintaining a full data program and maintaining oversight of the institution's data strategy and data analysis functions. They partner in the communication of data-related information to the campus community and often lead teams within the data program.

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Data Architect

Salary Range:
$53,000–$180,000

Data Architects are responsible for the strategic design and development of data architecture that governs how data is collected, stored, processed, integrated, and used. At the advanced level Data Architect titles reflect growth as an individual contributor from previous levels. They may work with key business units to help build a data catalog, design data models to empower product and analytics, evaluate various internal and external sources, and ensure data quality.

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What inspires you? Inspiration, motivation, and admiration are all qualities that either help us get to the next step in our career or our personal lives or simply help us get the morning started.

Listen to the Podcast

Ravneet Chadha, Associate Vice President and Chief Data Officer, at University of Arizona

Andre Jenkins, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, University of Pennsylvania.

Victoria Getis, Senior Director, Teaching & Learning Technologies, Northwestern University.

The gap will continue to widen between institutions that are starting to engage in digital transformation and those that have not. We asked five institutional leaders to share their unique projects that reflect a shift to Dx.

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Lifelong Learning
  • Identify ways you and your team can support and address high-level campus-wide issues and priorities. Look for ways to connect the value of your division to organizational goals.
  • Acquire and maintain technical training that aligns with your career path.
    Join industry-related groups and connect with organizations on various social media platforms to keep aware of training opportunities.
Communication
  • Practice customizing your communication approaches to support your audience.
  • Identify ways to expand your professional network and influence in the organization.
  • Develop skills to communicate with and persuade senior leaders.
  • Identify techniques to successfully communicate in times of crisis.
The Senior Directors Institute develops skills and techniques to effectively communicate, motivate and engage employees, to spearhead strategies for institutional change, to exercise strategic decision-making, and to lead the way in overcoming enterprise-level challenges.
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Finance
  • Examine how initiatives can create enterprise-level opportunities.
  • Assess higher education tools and resources for collecting data and streamlining processes.
  • Identify strategies for overcoming budget and resource constraints.
  • Use strategic planning to ensure the long-term success of the organization.
Project Management & Strategy
  • Incorporate both tactical and strategic thinking into your leadership approach.
  • Use enterprise architecture and other systems thinking techniques to inform strategic leadership decisions and to improve the decision-making of others.
  • Achieve better project results with the right tools, resources, and best practices to support your work with Prosci's Improve Project Health program.
  • Monitor your portfolio and inform decision-making by tracking and analyzing KPIs and other portfolio data.
Leadership & People Management
  • Seek and identify opportunities for your team members to manage and lead others.
  • Integrate diversity and inclusion practices as you lead projects and initiatives.
  • Think broadly about future technology trends to anticipate institutional needs.
  • Implement strategies for maximizing performance with individuals and teams.
  • Identify characteristics and models for effective governance.
Change Management
  • Help people managers proactively lead teams through change through Prosci's role-based support and practical frameworks to become an effective change leader.
  • Practice active listening skills when discussing changes to ensure they add value to the organization.
  • Use strategic planning and thinking to prioritize changes and minimize change fatigue.
  • Leverage data to quantify the success or progress of change initiatives.
Assess

Take our competency self-assessment for advanced-level professionals to evaluate your skills and abilities and to identify your strengths and growth opportunities in the areas of communication, team development and optimization, financial management, project management, and more.

Make Connections

Attend a Member QuickTalk to connect with others on timely, data-focused topics.

Make Connections

Join a data-related EDUCAUSE Community Group and get involved in the dialogue.

Engage in Mentoring

Become a mentor or a mentee through our Mentoring program. You can help provide guidance to other data professionals who are earlier in their careers by sharing your own data career journey. Get guidance yourself from an executive-level data professional or a data peer as your career grows.

Give Back

Volunteer to lead one of the Data and Analytics Community Groups intended to identify problems and share strategies about various specialized topics around data and analytics.

Give Back

Join an advisory or member committee and help shape EDUCAUSE program content. You can provide guidance and support to a particular area, lend your expertise to the development of our flagship events, or volunteer to review presentation proposals.

Give Back

Consider participating in the annual Core Data Services survey to analyze your institution’s demographics and central IT organization, staffing, financing, and services to access benchmark resources, view and download data, and create custom reports.

Think & Speak

Contribute articles to the Analytics channel or other related channels of the EDUCAUSE Review.

Think & Speak

Facilitate a webinar, QuickTalk, or session at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference.

Think & Speak

Present at other conferences on data and analytics such as NACUBO, NASPA, and other higher education areas.

Think & Speak

Give guest lectures at your institution or others to engage with, raise awareness, and better understand data and analytics needs of students, faculty, and other professionals.

Think & Speak

Facilitate EDUCAUSE webinars, Learning Labs, and Institutes to stay connected and share knowledge. Find out more about being a faculty member at EDUCAUSE and how to apply.

Show Up

Go to the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference designed for and attended by the global community of higher education professionals.

Show Up

Attend trainings and conferences outside higher education such as the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit and the Chief Data Officer & Information Quality Symposium.

Learn

Explore EDUCAUSE Analytics resources.

Learn

Hone your leadership skills in the EDUCAUSE Senior Directors Institute or continue to develop technical expertise with other courses.

Learn

If you are aspiring to Chief Data Officer roles, participate in CDO certificate programs such as the Carnegie Mellon Heinz CDO Certificate and the CDO-1 Certificate.

Learn

Explore the Institutional Effectiveness Program offered by UCSD for a focus on data, student equity, and success.

Unit Executive Level

Unit Executive Level

Unit Executive Level

Executive Level

Executive Level

11-27 years
11-50 years
11-27 years
11-27 years

Data professionals at the executive level typically report to a member of the President's Cabinet and are responsible for institutional data strategy and operations involving data governance, management, and analytics. These positions provide leadership and oversight for centralized and distributed teams involving all aspects of the effective and ethical use of data. Depending on institutional needs and maturity, these positions may be highly focused on specific aspects of data strategy and operations where only working knowledge of other component disciplines may be needed.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, PhD, or equivalent experience.

Other options From Here

Interested in pursuing an alternative leadership career? Take a look at the information technology pathway's executive level for options.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Keeping abreast of latest technologies and managing vendor relationships associated with data governance, management, and analytics.
  • Ensuring that university procedures comply with internal and external regulations.
  • Compliance reporting to state and federal educational agencies, including accreditation and assessment activities.
  • Understanding, directing, and communicating methodologies for analyzing data and driving data literacy.
  • Coordinating with senior leaders across functional areas such as HR, Finance, Student Success, Enrollment Management, and others.

Unit executive level positions are typically members of the senior leadership team and work with constituents across the institution—faculty, staff, and students—to develop and deliver a comprehensive security and privacy program, including liaising with the campus general counsel on risk management and compliance activities. These positions may exist in Colleges of Medicine, Colleges of Law, or perhaps at a campus within a multi-campus district. Unit executives will need to have some familiarity with each level of information security work, from the strategic to the technical.

Recommended Education

Advanced degree in computer science, information technology, or related field. CIPP/US, CISSP, CISM, GIAC, or equivalent certifications, depending on career goals and institutional expectations.

Other options From Here

Interested in pursuing an alternative leadership career? Take a look at the information technology pathway's executive level for options.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Directing the development and delivery of an awareness and training program for students, faculty, staff, vendors, and other parties interacting with the institution’s data and services.
  • Planning and overseeing information security audits and risk assessments, such as penetration testing, tabletop exercises, and threat modeling, to drive information security prioritization and contribute to the institution’s risk management program.
  • Advising the institution’s counsel and leadership team on information security matters.
  • Defining and maintaining policies, standards, and practices for information and data security throughout the institution, encompassing on-premises and cloud technology, third-party engagements, and academic systems.
  • Serving as an active contributor and subject matter expert on projects that have security/privacy implications.
  • Reporting regularly on the posture of information security at the institution to the senior staff and the board of trustees.

Unit executive level roles in teaching and learning include job titles such as associate vice president online education, and associate provost for academic technology and innovation. These roles are often referred to as the Chief Academic Technology Officer, which can be a formal job title or a more informal institutional designation. Leaders in these roles guide institutional strategy in academic technology, online learning, and learning innovation.

Recommended Education

PhD or EdD depending on career goals and institutional expectations.

Other options From Here

Interested in an exploring an alternative career? Take a look at the Information Technology Pathway's executive level.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Providing strategic leadership for teaching and learning and academic technology across the institution, often overseeing multiple functional units.
  • Overseeing professional development programming for institutional teaching faculty.
  • Advocating for digital learning practices and informing academic colleagues of implementation processes.
  • Supervising academic planning, budget cycles, and digital learning plans for the institution and advising the president's office on teaching and learning needs.
  • Contributing leadership for accreditation requirements and strategic partnerships.

Executive-level positions in innovation include job titles such as assistant vice chancellor for instructional innovation and support, chief digital transformation officer, and chief innovation architect. Professionals in these positions are responsible for providing leadership for large areas and sometimes multiple departments within the institution, usually involving strategic planning, budget oversight, and institutional leadership for innovation initiatives.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, MFA, JD, or doctoral degree based on personal goals and institution’s expectations

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Establishing and providing strategic direction for innovation initiatives on campus.
  • Reporting out results of innovation initiatives to stakeholders through presentation and benchmark data.
  • Overseeing all of the digital learning units on campus.
  • Guiding innovation priorities at the system level.
  • Applying change management principles across the institution to drive innovation.

This pathway represents a role that is increasingly complex and diverse and requires individuals who can embrace technological and human aspects of innovative practice and transformational changes.  It requires individuals to build and maintain relationships inside and outside of institutions.  This often includes effective relationships with board members or Regents, and community leaders such as City Officials.  The Institutional executive must also be prepared to make complex decisions in a politicized atmosphere.  While it is unreasonable to expect executives to know everything, that have to be skilled at forming questions and questioning.  The ability to communicate very complex concepts in generally understandable terms is critical.  The role is expanding beyond cost and performance responsibilities to drive transformation through IT as a core driver of of value through shaping of culture, workforce, and technological shifts that enable new educational and operational models.  The institutional executive also acts as a mentor and coach, to elicit growth and performance of those within the IT organization and to drive digital literacy across the enterprise.  Finally, they must be able to speak truth to power, to uncover weaknesses and be vulnerable and humble in the pursuit of excellence.  They are hired for strategy and fired for operations and thus must balance their efforts to drive innovation and change, while maintaining operational integrity, security, and reliability of IT services.  They must realize that they are primarily in the people business. They are able to recognize chaos driven by factors outside of institutional and leadership control, and plan for various scenarios and possible realities in advance.

Recommended Education

Master's or advanced/doctoral degree (or equivalent experience), in business or management, higher education administration or law. ITIL or IT service management training, depending on career goals and institutional requirements (see take action for more information).

Other options From Here

Interested in pursuing an alternative career? Take a look at the Information Security Pathway's executive level for ideas.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Developing teams to include the ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate, delegate effectively, cultivate diversity within the team, manage performance, and be a strong developer of others.
  • Creating and articulating an inspiring vision for the organization, not only for the areas the CIO is directly responsible for but also for empowering and supporting the institution and the strategic plan.
  • Defining a shared, business-driven, institution-wide data strategy to improve access to data and standardize reporting.
  • Establish standards and processes to support more effective and efficient procurement of IT.
  • Support distributed student success at the institution and determine data governance required for universal tracking and reporting metrics.
  • Redesigning technology funding models to improve services and reduce duplication.
  • Developing a business-driven, institution-wide student retention management (CRM) strategy for most common use cases.
  • Enabling the enhancement of high-performance computing capabilities to advance institutional research and innovation.
  • Collaboratively implementing an enterprise identity and access management approach across the institution.
  • Developing an enterprise approach to security operations and maintain a risk-based security strategy that proactively stays ahead of evolving security threats.
  • Seeking and analyzing data from various sources to support decisions and align others with the organization's overall strategy.
  • Effectively balancing the desire and need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization can handle, what steps can be taken to expand the organization’s capacity to adopt change, and how to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.
  • Enhancing institution-wide technology governance to improve collaboration, efficiency, and progress towards achieving a shared technology vision, and alignment with a system-wide strategic plan.

Chief Data Officer

Salary Range:
$110,000–$200,000

The Chief Data Officer is the executive-level leader of the institution's data program, strategy, and infrastructure. They are typically responsible for developing and maintaining data assets that support both operational and strategic efforts, as well as data planning and policymaking processes within the institution.

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Vice President of Data Strategy

Salary Range:
$140,000–$250,000

The Vice President of Data Strategy is responsible for providing executive-level direction, management oversight, and strategic leadership of an institution's comprehensive data strategy. In some instances, they have direct leadership oversight for institutional research functions and oversight of the decentralized data and analysis functions.

See Active Job Descriptions

Vice President for Data Analytics

Salary Range:
$168,000–$325,000

The Vice President of Data Analytics is often working alongside or has a shared role in Data Strategy. They lead high-level vision, strategy and execution of effective data management and governance in alignment with an institutional mission. They often align data and analytics responsibilities with functional operations.

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John O'Brien, EDUCAUSE CEO and President, talks with Mike Corn, CISO for the University of California San Diego, and Cheryl Washington, CISO, for the University of California Davis, about the increasing relevance of the Chief Information Security Officer role.

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Rana Glasgal, Vice Provost for Data & Analytics at Northeastern University

Kate Hash, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Customer Experience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Many colleges and universities want to innovate. But are they ready to innovate? Watch this video on keeping pace with innovation.

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Lifelong Learning
  • Invest time in leading your profession through service on advisory boards, consortiums, and professional associations such EDUCAUSE, AIR, and HEDW.
  • Advocate for yourself and your team for accurate and comprehensive position descriptions and titles.
Communication
  • Develop and practice board-level communication skills.
  • Develop domain knowledge to communicate effectively with senior leaders in HR, Finance, IT, Academic Affairs, Research, and others.
  • Refine your ability to speak publicly to the media, the local community, and other public external communication channels.
Finance
  • Understand institutional costs related to data management strategies and initiatives.
  • Understand cost savings associated with implementation of strategic or operational efforts.
Project Management & Strategy
  • Practice institutional-level strategic planning and execution skills.
  • Act as a thought leader for your organization, profession, and industry.
  • Represent your organization at the national and/or international level.
Leadership & People Management
  • Lead and be an advocate on critical issues in higher education such as new sources of competition, use of technology in teaching and learning, online learning, changing modes of scholarly communications, and the student experience.
  • The EDUCAUSE Executive Leaders Academy brings together higher education technology professions who are in, or aspiring to be in, executive leadership roles to explore a comprehensive curriculum that includes change leadership, business acumen and action, organizational design, data-empowered decisions, influence/negotiation, and more.
  • Develop partnership-building skills with external organizations, including governmental agencies and nonprofit scientific and educational organizations.
Change Management
Consider signing up your key institutional stakeholders for Prosci's Executive Sponsor Briefing designed to support senior leaders in deploying and sustaining successful change initiatives.
Find Out More
Assess

Complete this analytics capabilities institutional self-assessment to understand your capabilities in the areas of workforce, data governance, data management, leadership, and data-informed culture.

Make Connections

Seek an executive coach to support critical transitions. EDUCAUSE offers one-on-one career advice meetings at its annual conferences.

Make Connections

Look for opportunities to build relationships with data leaders outside of higher education by participating in leadership and networking programs.

Engage in Mentoring

Become a mentor through our Mentoring program and help provide guidance to data professionals looking for career support to get to the executive level.

Engage in Mentoring

You can still benefit as a mentee through selecting another executive-level professional as your mentor. Share strategic decision-making best practices, employee retention/recruitment techniques, and other lessons learned.

Give Back

Be a part of advancing higher education through the use of information technology by becoming a governing member of the EDUCAUSE Board of Directors or a Special Advisory Body.

Give Back

Serve on consortiums and nonprofit committees and boards. EDUCAUSE elects two members to its board every year. Learn more about the nominations process and how to apply.

Think & Speak

Serve as a guest expert on panels and presentations to engage with, raise awareness, and better understand data needs of students, faculty, and other stakeholders.

Think & Speak

Facilitate EDUCAUSE Institutes to stay connected and share knowledge. Find out more about being a faculty member at EDUCAUSE and how to apply.

Show Up

Attend the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference to network with other professionals and share your learnings with others.

Show Up

Attend trainings and conferences outside higher education such as the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit and the Chief Data Officer & Information Quality Symposium.

Show Up

Seek higher education system events with organizations including the American Council on Education and the American Association of Colleges & Universities.

Learn

Read broadly about higher education and data in publications such as EDUCAUSE Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and others.

Institutional Executive Level

19-50 years
3-11 years
19-50 years
19-50 years

Under the general direction of the vice chancellor, president, and/or CIO, institutional executive-level positions are typically responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive, university-wide or district-wide information security and privacy program. These positions help inform and provide strategic guidance around information security to the CIO, the members of the institutional senior management team, the Board of Trustees, and the broader institutional community.

Recommended Education

Advanced degree in computer science, information technology, or related field. CIPP/US, CISSP, CISM, CCSP, CEH, GIAC, or equivalent certifications, depending on career goals and institutional expectations.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Staying current on the latest security and privacy legislation, regulations, advisories, alerts, and vulnerabilities pertaining to the institution and its mission.
  • Coordinating the development of institutional information security policies, standards, and procedures. Working with key information technology offices, data custodians, and governance groups in the development of such policies. Ensuring that university policies support compliance with external requirements.
  • Serving as the university compliance officer with respect to institutional, state, and federal information security policies and regulations, and submitting required reports to external agencies.
  • Leading and overseeing incident reporting and response systems to address security incidents, responding to alleged policy violations, or complaints from external parties, and serving as the official contact point for information security, privacy, and copyright infringement incidents, including maintaining relationships with law enforcement entities.
  • Coordinated with third party vendors and vendor contract procurement. Supports security screenings such as the HECVAT and VPAT.

Institutional Executive Teaching and Learning include job titles such as Chief Online Learning Officer; Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs; and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. These roles are typically positioned at the institutional or district level of the organization and are responsible for providing institution-wide leadership, supervision, guidance, and direction for all educational programs, faculty and staff, and instructional policies and procedures. They may also provide leadership and supervision for academic support services, including tutoring, testing and assessment, and library services.

Recommended Education

PhD or EdD depending on career goals and institutional expectations.

Other options From Here

Interested in other senior leadership options? Consider the Innovation Pathway's institutional executive level.

You May Be Responsible For

  • Overseeing university curricula.
  • Providing leadership for evaluating and ensuring quality in all aspects of instructional and educational programs.
  • Directing budget preparation for the academic and academic-related programs.
  • Recommending, developing and implementing instructional policies, procedures, and practices that foster and promote student learning throughout the organization.
  • Building an innovative culture and guiding innovation process throughout the organization.

Institutional executive-level positions in innovation include job titles such as chief learning and innovation officer, vice president for research and innovation, and vice president for strategy and innovation. Professionals in these positions work with other executives and provide leadership for institution-wide initiatives and strategy.

Recommended Education

Master’s, MBA, or doctoral degree based on personal goals and institution’s expectations.

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

  • Representing the institution externally.
  • Directing institutional strategic planning and goal-setting.
  • Guiding partnerships with other institutions or industry.
  • Overseeing the transformation of every business process.

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Recommended Education

Recommended education for Info Sec early level

Other options From Here

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You May Be Responsible For

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Emily Harris, Director of Cybersecurity, Marist College

Looking at info techas a career path can be intimidating, but many working in this field didn't start out with intentions to work in cybersecurity. In this podcast, we ask several higher education cybersecurity professionals how they would encourage others to consider cybersecurity as a career option.

Listen to the Podcast

Shawn Miller, Associate Provost for Digital Learning and Strategy at Rice University.

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Ways to Keep Growing

Throughout and beyond your career, consider ways to keep contributing and providing thought leadership to the profession. As the data profession in higher education continues to mature and evolve, leaders have the opportunity to mentor others, to give back through sharing knowledge and experience, and to more broadly contribute to the advancement of higher education.

Make Connections

Look for opportunities to advocate for higher education with data leaders outside of the profession by participating in data-focused learning events.

Make Connections

Engage in mentoring within and beyond your own institution.

Make Connections

Join the Data Governance, Student Success, Higher Education Chief Data Officers (HE-CDO), or the Developing and Executing Data Strategy Community Groups that bring together data professionals and others from across the higher education community.

Make Connections

Engage in consulting and coaching to advance the higher education data profession broadly and across institutions.

Show Up

Attend trainings and conferences such as ACE, NACUBO, EAB, Gartner, and others.

Show Up

Embrace education around data by engaging with departmental faculty and students to create capstone projects, internships, and other learning opportunities.

Show Up

Get involved with grant applications and additional funding avenues with faculty, students, and others to advance the institution.

Show Up

Position yourself and your leadership to advance the broad mission of higher education within and beyond your institution.

Learn

Serve as faculty for the EDUCAUSE Institutes and other programs to stay connected and share knowledge. Find out more about being a faculty member for EDUCAUSE and how to apply.

Learn

Interested in tackling the most critical issues in higher education? The EDUCAUSE Executive Leaders Academy a hybrid, cohort-based, immersive, and applied learning experience for higher education executive leaders or those actively seeking executive positions.

Learn

Attend the Leadership Series, events for higher education emerging, senior, and executive leaders on significant topics.

Learn

Consider learning another discipline within the higher education sector to broaden your skills and perspective within and beyond your current data understanding.

Learn

Engage in learning how data is impacting and being used in other industries to bring innovative and best practices to higher education.

Educause Professional Pathways