Campus Leadership: Susan Korzinek – “EdTech Leaders Must Be Open to Ideas”

Sue K. Korzinek
Sue K. Korzinek

“Campus Leadership:
Susan Korzinek – ‘EdTech Leaders Must Be Open to Ideas'” by Jennifer Roland first appeared on Edcetera.
Wonder what IT pros are doing at colleges and universities around the United States? With Edcetera’s Campus Leadership profiles, learn about what makes CIOs, IT directors, and other executive level IT professionals tick.
Meet Susan K. Korzinek of Michigan’s Grand Valley State University. GVSU is a public university chartered in 1960 to bring a four-year educational institution to the Grands Rapids area.
What’s your background in the education industry? How did you get to where you are today?
I started working in academia in 1993 as a COBOL programmer. I moved on to helpdesk support, helpdesk management, academic computer support, academic systems support, academic systems manager and then Director of Information Technology.
I enjoy using technology to solve problems, create efficiencies, improve services and create new opportunities for teaching and learning.
What excites you about working in the field of education?
Continual change. The demand and challenges of the student and the methods they learn by keep us very busy!
As the IT Director at Grand Valley State, what are some of the biggest issues you’re seeing in higher education?

  • The continual demand for 24/7/365 services, both face to face and web/mobile.
  • The opportunities the web and mobile devices bring to course delivery, and the ongoing battle of what the education of the future will look like.
  • Social media and the impact on learning.
  • Security and data protection … always.

Cost is a huge factor in college graduation rates. Have you seen any new technologies that have the potential to help lower the cost of education?
Certainly the discussion around MOOCs and other online degree programs raises the potential to lower costs. Of course, the accreditation and value of the course/degree then become the issue.
How can we make more school administrators, bookstore managers, and educators better edtech leaders?
Provide access and education about technology and the capabilities it has in teaching and learning.
What skills does a good edtech leader have?
First of all, an edtech leader needs to know the basics of their responsibilities in security, network infrastructure, disaster/recovery and data protection. Second, an edtech leader must have skills in communication, listening, observing student learning behaviors, mobile computing and social media. Most important, the edtech leader must be open to ideas.

Guest Author

Getting Smart loves its varied and ranging staff of guest contributors. From edleaders, educators and students to business leaders, tech experts and researchers we are committed to finding diverse voices that highlight the cutting edge of learning.

Discover the latest in learning innovations

Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

0 Comments

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.