Call for Nominations for Membership of the Advisory Committee on the Appointment of a Chief Information Officer (PDAD&C #58)

From: Scott Mabury, Vice-President, University Operations
Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost
Date: May 9, 2016
Re: Call for Nominations for Membership of the Advisory Committee on the Appointment of a Chief Information Officer (PDAD&C #58)

Last month, we announced the impending retirement of Robert Cook, our current CIO. An internal review of the current CIO portfolio and its responsibilities, scope and impact was completed by the Vice-President, University Operations. In order to further enhance the alignment of information technology to the University’s mission, a recommendation has been made that the next CIO will be an academic appointee.

Reporting jointly to the Vice-President University Operations and the Vice-President and Provost, the Chief Information Officer is responsible for providing strategic vision and leadership to the University’s use of information technologies for teaching, learning, research and enabling administrative activities. In collaboration with a staff-appointed Deputy CIO, the CIO is responsible for information technology operations and leads strategic planning for innovative, effective and efficient use of technology across the University, with primary focus on enterprise-level services and systems that provide value to students, faculty and staff in all campuses, divisions and departments.

The CIO partners with academic and administrative leaders to: recommend research-informed policy, to champion opportunities for improving processes, and to develop, contract, and implement new systems and applications to support institutional goals. The CIO will move the University into the vanguard of progressive technology use among U of T’s research-intensive peers. Through the Deputy CIO, and in support of various function-owners, the CIO is responsible for the technical operation of most University-wide information systems and infrastructure.

The CIO will work closely with divisions, faculty, staff and students and, to that end, we propose to strike an Advisory Committee to assist in identifying the individual to fill this important position.

A broadly representative search committee will enhance the success of this role.

The Committee welcomes nominations of faculty, administrative staff, and students to serve as members of the Advisory Committee. These should be submitted in confidence by May 31st to Elizabeth Cragg, Director, Office of the Vice-President, University Operations at elizabeth.cragg@utoronto.ca.