A MESSAGE FROM THE CIO
As stewards of the college’s digital infrastructure and information security, we are proud to introduce this five-year strategic plan—a roadmap that reflects our shared commitment to the college’s mission and to building a technology environment that enables its continued success.
In an era defined by rapid technological change and evolving cyber threats, the alignment between our IT strategy and the college’s academic, research, and operational priorities has never been more essential. This plan represents more than a set of initiatives; it is a framework for delivering secure, reliable, and forward-thinking technology solutions that support academic excellence, inclusive access, and institutional sustainability.
Our approach is rooted in partnership. Developed through close collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and leadership, this strategy is grounded in the diverse needs of our community and shaped by a deep respect for the college’s values. It also centers cybersecurity and risk management as foundational principles, recognizing that trust and protection of our digital environment are essential to fulfilling our educational mission.
We believe this plan positions us not only to meet today’s needs but to navigate tomorrow’s challenges with purpose, agility, and confidence. We invite you to explore it, challenge it, and join us in bringing it to life.
With gratitude and commitment,
Valerie Moreno Chief Information & Security Officer
Reed College
REED IT MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES
MISSION
IT supports Reed College’s academic mission by connecting our community with technology in safe, reliable, accessible, and sustainable ways.
VISION
Our goal is to make it easy for everyone at Reed to find joy in their work. We strive to remove barriers and partner with our community to address needs and navigate changing technology.
VALUES
Approachable
Collaborative
Honorable
NARRATIVE AND PLANNING PROCESS
At Reed College, strategic planning for information technology is more than a periodic review. It’s a community-wide endeavor rooted in deep consultation, institutional reflection, and forward-looking vision. First launched in 1989, this planning cycle takes place every five years and is intentionally intensive, so that it remains both grounded in the college’s mission and adaptive to the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
The process begins with a six-month, college-wide inquiry, one that extends well beyond the IT department. Faculty, staff, students, administrative leaders, and senior officers are engaged through face-toface interviews exploring how technology supports teaching, research, and operations at Reed. This approach brings in perspectives from across the community, recognizing that technology touches nearly every facet of academic and administrative life.
Reed also looks outward during this process, gathering insights from peer institutions, national organizations, and private-sector experts. These external voices help frame emerging trends and innovations that may be relevant to Reed’s future.
At the heart of the inquiry are five key questions:
1. How is IT currently used at Reed to support instruction, research, and administration?
2. Where are the gaps—what isn’t working as well as it should?
3. Which emerging trends invite us to imagine different ways of learning and working, and what ideas might guide us forward?
4. What do members of the Reed community hope to do with technology in the future?
5. What new technologies are on the horizon, and how should Reed prepare?
As answers to these questions take shape, a set of potential strategic goals is assembled. These goals are more than a wish list; they represent the collective aspirations and concerns of the Reed community, informed by hundreds of conversations and observations.
Next, these draft goals undergo careful review and refinement through several layers of institutional governance. The president’s senior staff, the computing policy and planning committee (CPPC), and the information technology staff all play a critical role in this vetting process. Together, they evaluate:
• Alignment with Reed’s broader institutional priorities
• Cost-benefit analyses of each proposed initiative
• The relative priority of goals
• Key risks and success factors
Inclusivity is central to the process. All Reed students are invited to participate via an online survey, ensuring their voices are reflected in the direction-setting. Once the refined list of strategic goals is ready, it is shared with the full college community—including the Board of Trustees—for final feedback and input.
Through this rigorous, consultative process, Reed ensures its technology strategy is not only visionary but deeply rooted in the academic and cultural values of the college. The result: an IT roadmap that reflects who Reed is, where it’s headed, and how technology can help get it there. The 2025 five-year strategic plan was developed in partnership with Reed’s strategic communications & marketing office, including updates to the IT strategic planning web pages.
2025 FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLANNING AREAS OF FOCUS
CONTRIBUTE TO STUDENT SUCCESS BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO SERVICES AND DATA
• Contribute to data-informed decision making
• Create and support integrations between our systems of record and auxiliary applications
• Assist administrative teams with creating streamlined processes and audits for keeping their data clean and consistent
• Assist the administration in determining the future of our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
SUPPORT INNOVATION IN CURRICULAR PLANNING AND DESIGN
• Collaborate with faculty and academic staff to design and support a consistent, scaffolded approach to using technology in teaching and learning
• Broaden access to software and hardware needed to support the effective use of technology in teaching and learning
• Assist administrative teams with using their data for curricular planning based on degree requirements, course enrollment, and more
CREATE AN INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT BY REDUCING BARRIERS TO USING OUR SERVICES
• Prioritize, coordinate, and standardize digital accessibility across the college
• Gather input from the community more frequently to understand what hardware, software, and support resources are needed and improve communication about IT’s existing services
• Prioritize consistent and reliable access to campus networks
• Increase the availability of self-service lecture capture and video conference systems in campus spaces
• Improve training and community-building around our core services
ENSURE OPERATIONAL CONTINUITY
• Replace and expand physical access and monitoring systems
• Improve the accessibility and reliability of core services and systems and continually update and replace core services
• Comply with new laws and regulations related to accessibility, data privacy, and security
• Promote business continuity and self-sufficiency for administrative offices
• Streamline computer deployment and management
• Implement security analytics and automated security controls
INVEST IN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
BY BUILDING A ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE
• Create a dedicated research network that supports high-performance computing
• Meet expanding storage needs associated with research computing
• Explore cloud solutions and regional/national High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources as a way to meet some academic research needs
• Collaborate with the dean of the faculty, the grants office, and other stakeholders to determine how to create resources, to improve ongoing support for research computing