Ohio Higher Education IT Leadership Summit 2025
Overview
2025 Ohio Higher Education IT Leadership Summit: Planning for the Future of Technology in Higher Education
Colleges and universities in Ohio, 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.
Developing leadership skills among the next generation of IT staff is essential in ensuring the continued success and growth of our universities and colleges. Technology continues to rapidly evolve and become more integral to strategic projects and day-to-day operations; our IT professionals must possess not only technical expertise but also strong leadership qualities. The Ohio Higher Education IT Leadership Summit brings the opportunity to invest in our team and develop those communications, and collaboration skills. It also gives them the opportunity to network with peers in Ohio higher education and with experts in the technology industry. This event is what our team needs to help inspire them and their teams to achieve ambitious goals.
-Standish D. Stewart, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services, Cuyahoga Community College, Jerry Sue Thornton Center
Speakers
Agenda
Monday, September 29 |
|
8:30 am Eastern |
Registration and Continental Breakfast |
9:00 am Eastern |
Opening RemarksBrian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education |
9:15 am Eastern |
Bridging the Divide: Leading Tech Shifts Without Losing Your PeopleDigital transformation isn’t just about systems—it’s about people. From the shift to SaaS to changing staff roles, today's CIOs must lead through uncertainty, resistance, and real fear of job loss. In this opening session, campus leaders share their strategies for creating alignment, protecting culture, and helping staff see change not as a threat—but as an opportunity to grow. It's a candid conversation about what it takes to lead with empathy, integrity, and grit in the face of disruption. Key Session Take-Aways: Moderator: Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education |
10:15 am Eastern |
Networking Break |
10:30 am Eastern |
The CFO-CIO Partnership: Aligning Vision, Partnership, Budget, and ActionBehind every bold innovation lies a spreadsheet—and a strong partnership. In an era of shifting federal funding, enrollment pressures, and increased demands for tech modernization, CIOs and CFOs must work in lockstep. This session opens with campus leaders sharing how they’ve bridged the gap between technology vision and financial strategy. Then, through tabletop exercises, participants will role-play real-world budget dilemmas and walk away with new strategies for turning shared priorities into shared investments. Key Session Take-Aways: |
11:30 am Eastern |
Moving from Pilot to Practice — Navigating AI, Governance, and the Future of Agentic AIAs AI and Agentic AI continue to evolve at lightning speed, institutions are wrestling with how to move from one-off pilot projects to scalable, sustainable, and responsible adoption. This panel tackles the governance questions keeping CIOs up at night: What guardrails are enough? How do we align stakeholders? And how do we avoid AI sprawl while staying innovative? Learn from leaders who are building viable oversight models and laying the foundation for AI that advances, not endangers, the institution’s mission. Key Session Take-Aways: |
12:30 pm Eastern |
Lunch and Networking |
1:30 pm Eastern |
Collaborative AI Action Planning—From Ideas to ImpactThis small group, interactive session will guide participants through the stages of developing an AI action plan tailored to their campus. In facilitated work groups, attendees will explore specific use cases, identify institutional enablers and challenges, and leave with initial frameworks for action. The session emphasizes peer collaboration and shared strategy-building, balancing creativity with practical next steps. Key Session Take-Aways: Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education Ron Bergmann, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education |
2:30 pm Eastern |
The Leadership Hub, Wrap Up & Closing Remarks What’s keeping you up at night? This wrap-up opens the floor—no script, no slides, just honest sharing of what’s hot, what’s hard, and what’s happening. You’ll walk away with insights, allies, and maybe a few laughs. |
3:00 pm Eastern |
End of ConferenceConference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change. |
Tinkham Veale University Center at Case Western Reserve University
11038 Bellflower Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 368-5681
Tinkham Veale University Center at Case Western Reserve University
Advisory Board
Education Representatives
Jim Burke
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Services
John Carroll University
Micah Cooper
Associate Vice President for Technology & Chief Information Officer
Information Technology
Cedarville University
Miroslav Humer
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
[U]Tech
Case Western Reserve University
John Rathje
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Kent State University
Pankaj Shaw
Executive Director
Ohio Academic Resources Network
Standish D. Stewart
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Services
Cuyahoga Community College – Jerry Sue Thornton Center
Registration Information / Contact Us
Event Date: September 29, 2025
Open to higher education institutions only.
Registration - Free
If you represent a Private Sector organization and are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Heather Earney.
This event is open to all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.
Contact Information
Need help registering, or have general event questions? Contact:
Jasmin Tetzlaff
Center for Digital Education
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1308
E-mail: jtetzlaff@erepublic.com
Already a sponsor, but need a hand? Reach out to:
Mireya Gaton
Government Technology
A Division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 296-2617
E-mail: mgaton@erepublic.com
Want to sponsor and stand out? Reach out to explore opportunities!
Heather Earney
Government Technology
A Division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com