A Focus on IT Leaders By Thomas Hoffman
Techno-MBA degrees for CIOs are nothing new. As the CIO role has evolved, such programs have entered the curricula of several U.S. universities and even become "a path to the CEO" post, says Andres Fortino, associate provost at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
Now, NYU is working with a number of organizations, including the state of New York and the United Nations, to craft a similar degree program for chief information security officers, Fortino says. This spring, Polytechnic will launch a two-year, part-time master's degree program for CISOs. The school is working on developing an accreditation process for the 30-to-36-credit program with the New York State Office of Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination.
As for the techno-MBA for CIOs, Polytechnic added course offerings this fall, says Fortino. One addition focuses on optimizing and building "world-class, green data centers," he says. These and other courses will also be offered to aspiring IT leaders who attend IT management conferences organized by AIT Global Inc., a Kings Park, N.Y.-based consultancy.
The first of the weeklong master's degree courses will be introduced at an AIT-sponsored conference in New York on Nov. 11, said AIT Global President Mike Lackey. Subjects covered will include service-oriented architectures and developing environmentally sustainable data centers. Another topic of discussion will be the changing role of the CIO, including a look at setting strategy for the enterprise and leading innovation efforts.
Fortino said he hopes to attract roughly 30 up-and-coming IT leaders to the joint Polytechnic/AIT Global courses this month. To learn more about the programs and course offerings, contact Fortino at .
We're All in This Together
More than 300 business executives were asked, "What is your staff's reaction to recent economic changes?"
Exceptional 27%
Better than expected 26%
Not too bad 37%
Less than positive 8%
Other 2%
Source: The Omnia Group Inc. survey, September 2008
You Can't Spell 'Disgruntled' Without 'IT'
When it comes to employee engagement, IT professionals are at the bottom of the pack. According to a survey conducted by consulting firm BlessingWhite Inc. in Princeton, N.J., less than a quarter of IT workers said they are fully engaged in their work. What's more, nearly 20% said they are actually disengaged. BlessingWhite looked at eight staff areas and found that IT was the least engaged worldwide. What does it take to grab the attention of IT professionals? By a significant margin, respondents said training and development opportunities are what interests them most.
What would do the most to lead you to contribute more on the job?
Development opportunities and training 27%
Greater clarity about what the organization needs me to do, and why 20%
Regular, specific feedback about how I'm doing 20%
More resources 12%
A coach or mentor other than my manager 9%
Better communication 6%
A better relationship with my co-workers 5%
Source: BlessingWhite survey of 7,508 workers, 45% of whom reside in North America, 33% in India, and the rest in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, August 2008. Percentages don't add up to 100 because of rounding.
Bright Spots
Cities that saw the largest increase in tech job postings in the first 8 months of 2008 over the same period in 2007.
1. Hartford 30%
2. Cincinnati 28%
3. Miami 23%
4. Pittsburgh 22%
5. Charlotte 21%
6. Cleveland 14%
7. Detroit 12%
8. Minneapolis 12%
9. Denver 9%
10. Seattle 9%
Source: Dice.com job postings
Page compiled by Jamie Eckle.