Funding-Model Archetypes for Central Information Technology Functions

Abstract

This CDS Spotlight ECAR research bulletin focuses on EDUCAUSE Core Data Service (CDS) survey results related to funding models for Information Technology (IT) functions. Most IT professionals are all too familiar with the fiscal challenges of maintaining and expanding services even as revenues are decreasing, costs are increasing, and demands for IT services are stable, if not growing. Understanding how IT functions are funded, both in general and by institutions like yours, will help institutions meet IT demands with finite resources. This Spotlight first profiles funding models for various IT functions in the form of “institutional archetypes” to provide benchmarks for how IT functions are commonly funded, and then dives deeper into one funding source—student IT fees—to provide context for how this single source of funding varies by institution type. The results have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. population of higher education institutions.

The ECAR CDS Spotlight Research Bulletin Series highlights findings from the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service (CDS), focusing on a small but meaningful slice of data collected in the CDS. These selected highlights are intended to provide context and meaning for CDS benchmarks that may be of especially broad interest, be especially timely, or draw connections between research from ECAR and CDS. The series is featured along with other CDS publications on the CDS website, http://www.educause.edu/coredata, and is now available to eligible ECAR subscribers as part of the ECAR subscription.

Citation for this Work: Dahlstrom, Eden, and Pam Arroway. “Funding Model Archetypes for Central Information Technology Functions.” (Research Bulletin). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research, January 17, 2012, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.