Maryland Higher Education IT Leadership Summit 2025
Overview
2025 Maryland Higher Education IT Leadership Summit: Planning for the Future of Technology in Higher Education
Colleges and universities in Maryland, 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.
Agenda
Thursday, June 5 |
|
8:00 am Eastern |
Registration and Continental Breakfast |
8:30 am Eastern |
Opening Remarks |
8:45 am Eastern |
Navigating the Perfect Storm: Strategic IT Leadership in Higher EducationHigher education is entering a period of deep uncertainty—marked by unpredictable enrollment patterns, unstable funding landscapes and rising costs, accelerating digital demands, and disruptive technologies reshaping every corner of the institution. This session offers an honest dialogue with IT leaders who are not only managing IT organizations but playing a central role in supporting their universities through this storm. This panel explore how they’re confronting ambiguity, leading change, and forging campus-wide partnerships to build resilience. It’s not just about planning for the future—it’s about leading through the unknown, with clarity, adaptability, and purpose. |
9:45 am Eastern |
Networking Break |
10:00 am Eastern |
From Legacy to Leverage: Rethinking Systems for Strategic ImpactAs colleges and universities confront mounting pressures to be more agile, efficient, and student-centered, outdated legacy systems often stand in the way of meaningful progress. This panel brings together campus IT leaders and an industry expert to explore how institutions are rethinking their technology foundations—not just to upgrade systems, but to align with evolving strategic goals. Panelists will share real-world examples of how moving beyond patchwork solutions to create modern, integrated platforms that support enrollment, student success, operational efficiency, and data-informed decision-making is a on everyone’s strategic agenda. |
11:00 am Eastern |
Governance 2.0: Reimagining IT Governance for Today’s Higher Education LandscapeOver the years, colleges and universities have built layers of IT policies, procedures, and decision-making structures—often in response to specific needs, crises, or compliance demands. What’s emerged is frequently a patchwork of informal and formal governance models that may no longer serve the institution’s evolving goals or digital ambitions. This collaborative workshop session will look at higher education IT governance and consider how legacy governance models can be transformed into a more cohesive and strategic “Governance 2.0” framework—one that clearly defines ownership, encourages inclusive input, raises institutional awareness, and places decision-making in the right hands. Summit attendees will collaboratively explore how to modernize governance for agility, transparency, and alignment with institutional strategy. Participants will assess current governance models and identify principles for a modernized strategic and integrated IT governance framework. |
12:00 pm Eastern |
Lunch and Networking |
1:00 pm Eastern |
AI in Academia: Promise, Pressure, and Practical Paths ForwardAI is rapidly reshaping higher education, and institutions are under growing pressure to respond with thoughtful, strategic action. This panel brings together campus leaders and an industry expert to explore how colleges and universities are integrating AI across academic and administrative areas—from teaching and learning to student services and operations. This session will spotlight how peer institutions are embracing, prototyping, and scaling AI efforts, offering attendees a chance to validate current strategies, gather new ideas, and learn from others at the same time. Whether you're moving fast or just getting started, this session delivers practical insights and cross-sector perspectives to help you lead with clarity and purpose. |
2:00 pm Eastern |
The Digital Campus: Meeting Student ExpectationsStudents expect their digital campus experience to be as seamless, personalized, and responsive as the platforms they use every day. Meeting those expectations isn’t just about having the right tools—it’s about designing connected, consistent, and user-driven systems across the entire student journey. This session goes beyond surface-level talk. Hear from IT and student affairs leaders who are deeply engaged in rethinking digital experiences. Panelists will share what’s working, what’s been reworked, and what still needs fixing. This is a session for decision-makers and implementers who are ready to get into the real work of building a digital campus that truly meets student needs. |
3:00 pm Eastern |
Wrap Up & Closing Remarks |
3:30 pm Eastern |
End of ConferenceConference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change. |
College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
3501 University Blvd East
Hyattsville, MD 20783
(301) 985-7300
College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Planning Committee
Representatives
Valarie Burks
Associate Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
College of Southern Maryland
Dionne Curbeam
Interim Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Coppin State University
Michael Eismeier
Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Information Officer
Offices of Administration & Finance/Academic & Student Affairs
University System of Maryland
Michael Kaiser
Chief Information Security Officer
Towson University
Rhonda Spells-Fentry
Vice President
Data Science, Innovation, & Effectiveness
Prince George's Community College
Jack Suess
Vice President/Chief Information Officer
Division of Information Technology
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Jerry Waldron
Interim Executive Director
Maryland Research and Education Network
University of Maryland
Registration Information / Contact Us
Event Date: June 5, 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:
Jasmin Tetzlaff
Center for Digital Education
Phone: (916) 932-1308
E-mail: jtetzlaff@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) 932-1339
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com