The 37th AJCU-CITM conference was held at Creighton University in Omaha, NE on May 15-18, 2023.
Creighton University previously hosted the 12th CITM conference in 1997 with 26 attendees from 17 US schools plus two schools in Mexico. It was also the first US held conference that took an official photo of all attendees. (The very first official attendee photo was taken in 1995 at the Universidad Iberoamericana meeting in Mexico City.) This year’s conference had 89 attendees from 20 US schools plus two schools in Latin America.
New to the conference this year was the addition of a CIO-only day of meetings on Monday. This brings back an important feature of the “computer center directors conference” as the group was originally known, when attendees were almost exclusively the top IT administrators at each of the schools. As we added tracks over the years, the CIOs had less and less time to discuss the topics most important to them. Adding more time for CIO interaction was particularly important this year because of the unusually large number of CIO positions which turned over among AJCU schools in just the last three years.
Russ Pearlman and his Creighton team prepared a wonderful program which balanced scheduled presentations with free time for individual and small group conversations. Wednesday’s keynote by Dr. Leah Georges, titled The Art of Taking Away, was distinctive both for its primarily psychological point of view and her encouragement for us to learn to do less rather than more. Generative AI was an important theme throughout the conference with some sessions speaking about it along with small group conversations discussing its importance for instruction.
Scott Taylor was everywhere, all the time, as emcee, problem solver, and cheerleader. Debby Halstrom’s logistics crew made sure everyone got to the right room, and that we were well fed and on time.
Social activities have been an important part of fostering personal relationships among CITM members and over the years there has been great diversity in the extracurricular events. Unique this year was the addition of axe throwing…and no one got hurt! Other noteworthy events included the Wednesday evening’s social event at the Omaha Zoo and Aquarium, which unbeknownst to most of us, is the second most highly rated Zoo in the US (next to the San Diego Zoo). This year’s conference afforded many opportunities for attendees to meet and interact with each other. Creighton provided an excellent forum for discussions and presentations in a welcoming environment. Additional highlights are included below.
Agenda
- 34+ sessions
- Russ Pearlman, VP & CIO at Creighton provided Welcoming Remarks
- Breakfast and lunch were held at the Ahmanson Ballroom
Keynote Speakers
- Tuesday, 5/16, Eric Sheninger: Disruptive Thinking: Preparing Learners for Their Future
- Wednesday, 5/17, Dr. Leah Georges: The Art of Taking Away
- Thursday, 5/18, Gartner Analysts, Ben Sawyer and Michael Miller
Highlights
- Tuesday evening in the Omaha Old Market – Sponsored by Suyati
- Wednesday evening at the Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Presentation Themes
- Hivebrite, the AJCU CITM’s new online portal for managing communication and collaboration
- AI and ChatGPT
- Supporting Innovation and New Ideas
- Digital Transformation
- Transformational Leadership and Improved Project Success
Links to materials from the 2023 conference