Ellen Waite-Franzen, vice president for Computing and Information Services, will leave her University post at the end of this month to accept a similar position at Dartmouth College, a school she described recently as more technologically advanced than Brown.
Assistant Vice President for Administrative Information Systems Terri-Lynn Thayer '81 will fill the position in the interim.
In a July 27 interview with the Dartmouth, the school's student newspaper, Waite-Franzen said she "found that Dartmouth has greater engagement by senior administration in thinking about how technology should affect the life of faculty and students" than Brown.
Waite-Franzen continued: "Dartmouth is in a different place with how they think about technology and how it should be used on campus. At Brown, IT takes more of a backseat, while at Dartmouth, the College continues to assume a leadership role at the forefront of the industry."
In an e-mail to The Herald, Waite-Franzen wrote that she first considered heading to Dartmouth after administrators at the school recruited her. Ultimately, she decided the new position "was a good professional fit for me and hopefully a good fit for Dartmouth," though she acknowledged leaving the University "was not an easy decision."
Waite-Franzen went on to describe the differences in the technology infrastructure and programs between the two schools.
"Dartmouth has had a technology leadership position for decades and is well known for their technology environment," she wrote. Waite-Franzen added that Dartmouth is "farther along in having their classrooms and facilities ready for the use of computers" and installed Banner, a records database, several years ago.
"I do not know why Brown did not invest in the core administrative systems a decade or more ago. The problem that Brown now faces is that it has aging transactional systems that are built on old technologies, and which are not meeting the needs of this self-service age," Waite-Franzen wrote.
In response to Waite-Franzen's comments to the Dartmouth, Thayer said, "I don't think IT takes a backseat at Brown. I think the commitment to the Banner project alone is evidence of that."
In her e-mail to The Herald, Waite-Franzen wrote she believes "Brown's administration has made the appropriate technology choices," adding, "I don't dislike anything about what we have done, and as a member of the administration, I think I have been well supported."
Many at CIS will be sad to see Waite-Franzen go, Thayer said.
Connie Sadler, director of IT security, praised Waite-Franzen for building a strong professional staff at CIS and increasing its on-campus visibility. Waite-Franzen has "been very interested in getting students and faculty more involved," Sadler said, citing the Computing Advisory Board Waite-Franzen initiated.
Sadler added that "Dartmouth may be more of a better place for (Waite-Franzen) at the moment" because of the school's emphasis on technology.
However, Sadler said "Brown is headed in that direction," in part because of Waite-Franzen's influence.
"It's always sad when someone leaves," said Thayer, who noted that Waite-Franzen had been at the University for almost five years. Thayer referred to this as a long tenure for someone in Waite-Franzen's position.
Thayer said Waite-Franzen accomplished a lot during her time at the University, including bringing WebCT to campus, overhauling the e-mail system and making progress on Banner. Thayer added that Waite-Franzen also professionalized the CIS Help Desk, adding more full-time staff positions and shifting "the University's focus onto IT."
For her part, Thayer said she is excited about taking over as interim vice president for CIS.
"I'm a Brown graduate, worked here for 17 years, it's an opportunity I look forward to," she said.
After Waite-Franzen departs, CIS will continue to work on expanding wireless services and implementing Banner, Thayer said. She also plans to work on developing and delivering academic and instructional technologies in conjunction with libraries, the Language Resource Center and the Sheridan Center for Teacher and Learning.
