Texas Southern University Seeks CIO to Lead Tech Modernization

Texas Southern University (TSU) is recruiting a vice president and chief information officer to oversee its technology operations and guide the modernization of administrative and academic systems.

The university is seeking a permanent technology leader while Benjamin Green serves as interim chief information and digital officer.

The new CIO will serve as the university’s senior technology officer and hold cabinet-level responsibility for aligning technology investments, capabilities and governance with Texas Southern’s Ascend 2030 strategic plan. The executive will advise the president, provost, chief administrative officer, chief financial officer and Board of Regents on technology strategy, investments and risk.

Among the CIO’s central responsibilities will be developing a multi-year technology road map and leading decisions on the future of the university’s enterprise resource planning environment. Texas Southern uses Ellucian Banner and is considering managed cloud, software-as-a-service and hybrid options as part of its platform strategy.

The CIO will manage the university’s relationship with Ellucian, including contracts, product planning and escalation procedures. The executive will also oversee the broader technology vendor portfolio, major contract negotiations and efforts to consolidate procurement and evaluate total ownership costs.

The position will chair an enterprise IT governance forum with representatives from finance, admissions, financial aid, human resources, academic affairs and research. The group will help prioritize technology investments, assess risks and make decisions about major platforms.

Cybersecurity, disaster recovery and regulatory compliance will also fall under the CIO’s authority. The position will oversee programs addressing identity and access management, vulnerability management, security monitoring, incident response and employee awareness. The CIO will also be responsible for ensuring that recovery procedures for Banner and other critical systems are documented and tested.

Texas Southern expects the new technology leader to establish an artificial intelligence governance framework addressing academic integrity, research ethics, equity, data privacy and operational uses. The CIO will work with faculty and academic leaders to evaluate technologies that could support student outcomes, research and university operations.

This position's salary is commensurate with experience, and the posting is open until filled.

Editor's note: Part of this story was drafted by generative AI and edited by humans for accuracy, bias and clarity. Have feedback? Send it to Ben Miller.