CUCCIO offers a Leadership Development program to aspiring IT Leaders within its member institutions. This program provides a bespoke program specifically focused on encouraging and mentoring the next cohort of Canadian Higher Ed IT leaders. While a ‘proof of concept’ program was initiated in 2018 with a cohort of 14 individuals, the program officially began in June 2019 with a cohort of 17.

The CUCCIO Leadership Development Program is overseen and managed by the CUCCIO Executive Director, Lindsay Sill, in conjunction with active CUCCIO member CIO, Gayleen Gray from McMaster University, and is primarily facilitated by retired University of Toronto CIO, Robert Cook, in conjunction with ‘guest’ appearances by other active member CIOs. 

Participants are nominated by their IT leaders and, once accepted, they are committed to attending three in-person sessions coinciding with the CUCCIO meetings in the spring, fall and winter semesters. Augmenting the 3 onsite visits, regular online learning modules using face-to-face web conferencing tools are held in between the in-person meetings, ensuring ongoing learning throughout the year.

The in-person interactions at each of the CUCCIO regular meetings help the cohort to come together to build a strong relationship with each other, while also actively interacting with current CIOs to gain insights into current issues, challenges and successes taking place at universities across Canada. They get a unique opportunity to be ‘at the table’ while their CIOs interact, share and collaborate around key issues.

Focus areas for the program material include:

• Leadership in the Academy

  • Upon completion of this module, participants will have a broad understanding of the context in which universities operate, and in particular, of the unique aspects of working in this environment.

• IT Strategy and IT Governance

  • This module will provide participants with the skills required to align business needs and organizational vision in order to develop and deliver a future IT vision (big-picture thinking), along with how to facilitate prioritization and buy-in from stakeholders and senior administration.

• Leading Institutional Change through Higher Ed IT

  • This module provides participants with skills and understanding of how IT can lead institutional Change Management, Relationship Management, Portfolio Management, Risk Management and more.