New Ohio U CIO Knocks Out Strategic Plan in 75 Days

Bruce Bible, Ohio University's recently appointed chief information officer, has completed an initial 75-day review of OU's information technology needs. The result is a new IT-management strategy to restructure the central office, designate advisory groups, and identify opportunities to collaborate with IT workers across the university's  Athens and regional campuses.

"We've brought multiple IT offices together, culminating with the Office of Information Technology, which is committed to better, more efficient, and more secure information technology," Bible said via a campus press office statement.  What's more, the school said Bible has improved OU's firewall protection, reduced its Social Security number use, and increased monitoring of network activity.

All of which will require more money and staffing, said Bible.

The new CIO has set a goal of $8 million in additional funding over five years, $2 million of which the OU Board of Trustees approved for this first year. The bulk of these investments will go toward hiring 11 new staff members in the first year, and most of the remainder will support improved hardware systems, Bible said in the release.

These investments will help address the top two priorities of the department, according to the release: updating and stabilizing IT infrastructure, and improving service to all campus constituents. In addition to new hires, OIT will restructure the central office to clarify staff responsibilities. "The trick now is to find the right balance between the central office and distributed IT services in order to better serve the university," Bible said.

Read More:

About the Author

Paul McCloskey is contributing editor of Syllabus.

Featured

  • open laptop in a college classroom with holographic AI icons like a brain and data charts rising from the screen

    4 Ways Universities Are Using Google AI Tools for Learning and Administration

    In a recent blog post, Google shared an array of education customer stories, showcasing ways institutions are using AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to transform both learning and administrative tasks.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has introduced a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • three main icons—a cloud, a user profile, and a padlock—connected by circuit lines on a blue abstract background

    Report: Identity Has Become a Critical Security Perimeter for Cloud Services

    A new threat landscape report points to new cloud vulnerabilities. According to the 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report from Fortinet, while misconfigured cloud storage buckets were once a prime vector for cybersecurity exploits, other cloud missteps are gaining focus.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.