The CIO Job Profile and Performance Model

---

In a new book, Dr. Steven Burrell argues that the CIO's role has never been more critical to the campus. As demographic decline, budget shocks, cyber threats, and AI converge into a single polycrisis, colleges are asking their technology leaders not only to keep the lights on but also to ensure the institution's survival. The CIO Job Profile and Performance Model gives presidents, provosts, CFOs, search committees, and CIOs themselves a clear framework for the role — four levels of leadership, sixteen competencies, and ready-to-use tools for hiring, developing, and assessing the CIOs higher education institutions actually need. Burrell traces the CIO's developmental journey through four maturity levels: the Informaticist, the Strategist, the Transformationalist, and the Integrative Ecosystem Architect. The model integrates essential competency areas, including cyber law, financial stewardship, pedagogy, and AI governance. This framework helps institutions evaluate, develop, and align their IT leadership with their core mission. Ultimately, it provides a blueprint for creating "Blended Executives" who do more than manage systems; they orchestrate resilient, human-centered digital environments crucial to a university's long-term survival and success.