Case study: The evolution of the IT discipline in a research university

Abstract

This paper describes the journey of an IT program in a midwest large research university (44,000+ students). For the past seventeen years, the program grew from nonexistence to the largest computing program on campus and the seventh largest overall. The undergraduate program evolved into an academic unit that later added a Master's program and most recently a PhD program in Information Technology. The paper documents the evolution as a case study on IT program implementation, accreditation, ranking, keeping up with the evolving IT landscape, developing graduate programs in IT, articulating the role of the IT discipline to stakeholders, defining the IT research space, managing change, and securing internal and external funding. In addition, the paper will describe key initiatives that are now positioning the program for regional, state, and possibly national leadership. Finally, the paper provides lessons learned, strategies, and recommendations.