Massachusetts Higher Education IT Leadership Summit 2025
Overview
2025 Massachusetts Higher Education IT Leadership Summit: Planning for the Future of Technology in Higher Education
Colleges and universities in Massachusetts, like those across the country, are at a transformative moment. As they adapt to shifting demographics, evolving student needs, and changing funding models, the role of technology has never been more essential—or full of opportunity. IT leaders are uniquely positioned to help their colleges and universities thrive by enabling innovation, advancing data-informed decision-making, and improving institutional and student outcomes.
The 2025 Higher Education IT Leadership Summit brings together senior technology and institutional leaders for a day of strategic exchange, peer learning, and collaborative exploration. The Summit agenda reflects the priorities identified by the Advisory Board, offering a balance of strategic insight and practical relevance. While the full agenda will span a range of leadership and operational topics, the Summit is grounded in the issues top of mind for today’s higher education CIOs. These include building digital trust; data and technology governance; modernizing systems; IT organizational models and decision-making structures; aligning AI and data strategies with institutional priorities and mission; navigating the evolving cybersecurity and risk landscape; and strengthening the IT staff talent pipeline. A key focus of this year’s summit is the opportunity—and necessity—to take a fresh look at legacy infrastructure, systems, and policies that have evolved over time. Aligning these foundational elements with today’s institutional strategies is critical to ensuring that IT remains affordable, agile, and sustainable for the future.
These priorities—whether addressed in sessions, panels, or conversations throughout the day—will shape the dialogue and can lead to meaningful relationships afterwards. This Summit is a platform for fresh thinking and actionable solutions. Attendees will leave informed, inspired and equipped to elevate IT as a driver of institutional agility, academic excellence, and long-term success in a dynamic digital landscape.
Participants are encouraged to come ready to share their real-world challenges, engage actively in sessions, and contribute to a collaborative, solution-focused environment.
Who Should Attend
Senior and emerging IT leaders in higher education including, CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, Deputy CIOs/CTOs, IT Directors, System Managers, and those leading digital transformation, infrastructure, and learning technology initiatives.
Summit Objectives
• Foster Collaboration: Connect locally with higher ed IT leaders to exchange strategies, insights, and best practices in a face-to-face, peer-driven environment.
• Showcase Innovation: Explore real-world examples of how technology is transforming teaching, learning, and campus operations.
• Develop Leadership: Gain practical guidance and peer insights to grow leadership skills and advance both career and institutional goals.
• Tackle Top Challenges: Dive into critical topics like AI, system modernization, cybersecurity, privacy, cloud scalability, and managing limited budgets.
• Explore What’s Next: Discover future trends in higher ed tech and how they’ll shape IT strategy, workforce needs, and institutional success.
Why Attend
• Designed for You: Free for higher education professionals. Sized for meaningful engagement—limited to 60 invited attendees.
• Local & Convenient: Held in-state to eliminate costly travel and time away.
• Expert Insights: Hear directly from thought leaders, colleagues, and practitioners on pressing IT challenges and innovations.
• High-Value Networking: Build lasting connections with peers, partners, and potential collaborators in a focused, in-person setting.
Speakers
Agenda
Tuesday, September 9 |
|
8:00 am Eastern |
Registration and Continental Breakfast |
8:30 am Eastern |
Opening RemarksBrian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education |
8:45 am Eastern |
Building an Institutional AI Strategy: From Vision to Implementation in Higher EducationColleges and universities across the country are grappling with how to responsibly and effectively harness AI—balancing innovation with risk, and vision with practicality. This session focuses on how Massachusetts institutions are moving beyond experimentation to define campus-wide AI strategies that integrate policy, governance, and implementation. Panel speakers will share how their university and college are building cross-functional working groups, identifying use cases, developing ethical and academic guidelines, and selecting tools and partners. The discussion will cover what were their building blocks of an AI roadmap—who needed to be involved, what early steps were taken, what hurdles and bumps in the road to avoid, and how to best align pilots and platforms with executive leaders, academic and administrative priorities. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to begin or advance a coordinated institutional approach to AI. Moderator: Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education |
9:45 am Eastern |
Networking Break |
10:15 am Eastern |
Best Practices in Project and Program Portfolio Management – Getting to the Finish LineHigher education institutions juggle complex portfolios of IT projects, often with limited resources and competing priorities. Success depends on more than good intentions: it requires clear strategy, effective structures, strong partnerships, and the ability to communicate value. This session explores proven approaches to program and portfolio management that align with institutional or initiative/project goals. Our presenters will share insights on how to build project management structures, launch a PMO, engage stakeholders, use data to report progress, and develop a project culture that balances agility with accountability. Whether you are just getting started or looking to refine your approach, this session offers actionable guidance. Moderator: Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education Raymond Lefebvre, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO, University of Massachusetts Boston Steven Zuromski, Vice President of Information Technology and CIO, Information Technology, Bridgewater State University |
11:15 am Eastern |
Cybersecurity Now: Threats, Tools, and the Road AheadWith cyber threats growing in scale and sophistication, higher education institutions remain prime targets. This session brings together key voices on the cyber front lines: experts from the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), industry security leaders, and higher education CIOs on the front line daily to provide a multi-layered view of today’s challenges. Discussion will cover the current threat landscape, trends in threat actors and tactics, and the evolving use of AI in both defense and offense. The panel will also explore the role of the Massachusetts Cyber Range, collaboration strategies, and practical tools for improving readiness, response, and resilience. Moderator: Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education |
12:15 pm Eastern |
Lunch and Networking |
1:15 pm Eastern |
Governance 2.0: Reimagining IT Governance for Today’s Higher EdTraditional IT governance structures in higher education are showing their age—often fragmented, reactive, and misaligned with institutional strategy. It’s time for Governance 2.0: a reimagined, integrated framework that reflects today’s digital realities. This candid fireside chat will explore how to modernize governance to improve decision-making, increase transparency, and foster collaboration across academic and administrative units. Hear how institutions are redefining ownership, streamlining decision rights, and building inclusive governance practices that support innovation and agility. Learn from leaders who have led governance overhauls and walk away with ideas for initiating change at your own institution. Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education Raymond Lefebvre, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO, University of Massachusetts Boston |
2:15 pm Eastern |
Wrap Up & Closing Remarks |
2:45 pm Eastern |
End of ConferenceConference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change. |
Wylie Center and Tupper Manor
295 Hale Street
Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 867-1800
Wylie Center and Tupper Manor
Advisory Board
Education Representatives
Raymond Lefebvre
Vice Chancellor for Information Technology & CIO
University of Massachusetts Boston
Steve Swartz
Chief Information Officer
Salem State University
Steven Zuromski
Vice President of Information Technology & CIO
Information Technology
Bridgewater State University
Registration Information / Contact Us
Event Date: September 9, 2025
Open to Public Sector only.
Registration - Free
If you represent a Private Sector organization and are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Heather Earney.
Contact Information
For registration and general assistance contact:
Lindsay Anthis
Center for Digital Education
Phone: (916) 932-1495
E-mail: lanthis@erepublic.com
For assistance or questions concerning Sponsor Logos or Logistics please contact:
Mireya Gaton
Center for Digital Education
Phone: (916) 296-2617
E-Mail: mgaton@erepublic.com
Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact:
Heather Earney
Center for Digital Education
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com