Running Head: CSU-PUEBLO CIO INTERVIEW

CSU-Pueblo CIO Interview

Jennifer DeLuna
Benedictine University







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I recently had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at
Colorado State University-Pueblo. Erich Matola has been the CIO at CSU-Pueblo for the past
two years. Prior to his arrival at CSU-P he was at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville, in his
role as CIO he is tasked with not only ensuring that the IT department is servicing the entire
campus but also creating and implementing a strategic IT plan for the campus. Erich Matola
Stated (2014), As CIO I like to take a humanistic approach to my role. Prior to my arrival my
staff saw this role as unapproachable. I helped to change the culture and create a team
environment on campus. I see the CIO as a coach and mentor to my staff and an advisor and
consultant to upper leadership on campus.(Personal interview) I not only had the opportunity to
discuss IT on campus but also his views on the field and the changes that have occurred on
campus.
One discussion point that was brought up during our meeting was a quote that I placed on
a discussion board on class. I stated (2014), What really struck me in the 2013 NMC report was
the significant challenges when NMC stated, Simply capitalizing on new technology is not
enough, the new models must use these tools and services to engage students a deeper level.
Mr. Matola and I discussed this at length and how on campus the technology to engage students
needs to be not only up to date but mobile and that faculty member need to be on board to
engage in this technology with their students. Mr. Matola stated, Our students are all digital
natives for the most part. While many of our faculties are digital immigrants, In IT we have to be
responsive to both needs. We also have to enable are faculty to begin using digital technology in
their classrooms, to bridge the digital divide. This comment alone showcased how important
student engagement with technology in a deeper level can increase the retention and academic
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success of our students. Erich and I also discussed the need for our campus to be more mobile in
order for technology to be used appropriately and be more users friendly.
Before I can ask a question Mr. Matola commented on the changes that have occurred on
campus since his arrival two years ago. Erich stated, We were able to not only improve the
wireless capabilities on campus but also change the wiring system in many buildings which was
needed. I was also able to update not only our softwares and platforms which were 15 years
behind upon my arrival, helping us to catch up to a year behind. Out email service was very
lacking and we are now updating to office 365 and I am hoping to update to the newest office
upon releasewhat I find distressing is the old software platforms such as AIS, I was able to get
updated to newer better softwares. It is a slow process but we are moving towards better
technology that will better serve our campus. Hearing these comments really helped in my
understanding on why our campus was so behind.
We also discussed how he values collaboration and enabling the administration to see the
value in IT departments. Funding is scarce one campus but he works to find money in order to
get systems, platforms, and softwares updated and to also give professional development
opportunities to his staff. This comment from Mr. Matola also reminded me of another comment
I made on our discussion board about the IT at CSU-Pueblo, I am able to see where my current
institution is lacking in regards to IT for example our system upgrade an the most updated
softwares is barely happening and we are still two platforms behind. The conversation also
helped me to understand where the campus is going and the vision the CIO has for campus to not
only go mobile but also ensure that the infrastructure is compatible as a system not just as a
campus.
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Mr. Matola and I also discussed challenges on campus which included the lack of
funding and understanding for the IT department. Also making sure that everyone has buy in for
what the IT department is doing and that they support the changes being made. What I found
refreshing is the approach Mr. Matola is taking with his staff and enabling them to make
decisions so he can focus on funding, platforms, open-source initiatives and web based
platforms. While also creating a vision and strategic plan for the department that is
implementable and achievable. The other piece I found very interesting was that he is enabling
the students who work in their department to get more hands on and working on projects that
will help them gain skills and get better jobs,. Some of these projects include helping with the
network installations, to fixing problems for individuals on campus. Mr. Matola has also given
the help desk a revamped model of efficiency. Instead of having students just triage the calls they
help fix them and also creating a help desk that is responsive and that can truly complete the
tasks that his customers (the whole campus) can rely on.
Having the opportunity to sit down and discuss not only what we are learning in class but
the sources we are using such as Educause and how important that resources is to him and those
in the field; but also discussing the good and bad in his department helped me to put an even
more appreciation on this department. I was also able to discuss how are campus handles
CALEA requests and how we have a specific security manager who handles CALEA, Cease and
Desists, and is basically the bad cop to Mr. Matola s good cop and how they work in
tandem. The Colorado State University-Pueblo campus has a long way to go in regards to IT and
integration between faculty and students but has come a long way in the past two years. I am
excited to see where we go in the future and how I can help with this integration and changes
that are to come.
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