Bakersfield College

Moving Beyond Tools to Meaningful Technology Change

For me, meaningful technology change starts with a very simple question: What problems are we trying to solve for our students? I have seen higher education become excited about a new platform, application or system because it is innovative, but innovation alone does not necessarily create value.

Technology should remove barriers, simplify processes, improve communication and help us better understand and support our students. If we introduce a new system and students now have three additional steps to accomplish something that previously required one, I am not convinced we have innovated. We may have simply digitized an inefficient process.

As dean of students, I try to view technology across the entire student journey, particularly from the perspective of students who are working, raising families, commuting or navigating college for the first time.

I also strongly believe in asking students what is working rather than assuming we know what they need. Data can tell us what students are doing, but conversations can often tell us why. The same principle applies to employees because technology must also make sense to the individuals responsible for implementing it.

Meaningful change happens when technology supports people rather than forcing people to work around technology. Ultimately, I measure the success of a technology by whether it helps a student move one step closer to completing their educational goal, and the ease with which the employee who needs to review the information on the backend can do so.

Building Confidence and Purpose in Technology Adoption

One lesson I have learned throughout my career is that people rarely resist change simply because they dislike change. Leadership, therefore, begins with explaining the why before introducing the what. If we can demonstrate how technology will improve services, reduce repetitive work, strengthen communication or help us reach students who are currently disconnected, individuals are much more willing to participate.

I also believe leaders need to create an environment where people can learn without embarrassment when they do not immediately understand a new technology. Training cannot be a single presentation followed by an expectation that everyone suddenly becomes an expert. We need demonstrations, practice opportunities, peer mentors, written resources and opportunities to ask questions after implementation.

Most importantly, I want employees and students involved in evaluating whether the technology works. People support what they help create and drive. When leaders listen, communicate transparently and permit people to experiment, technology adoption becomes less about compliance and more about collective improvement.

Keeping Student Success at the Center of Leadership

My leadership philosophy has always focused on listening first, leading with empathy and remembering why we are here. In higher education, our technology decisions ultimately need to enhance student experiences. Efficiency, budgets and institutional effectiveness matter, but none of them should cause us to lose sight of the person trying to navigate our systems. I frequently ask my teams, “How does this help the student?” That question can completely change a conversation.

Student voice is particularly important because administrators sometimes design processes based on how an institution operates rather than how students experience it. I want students involved through surveys, focus groups, student government, conversations and assessment data. I also consider accessibility, affordability, privacy and whether a technology unintentionally creates another barrier for students.

At the same time, being student-centered does not mean eliminating every challenge; part of education is helping students develop independence, responsibility and problem-solving skills. Technology should empower that development rather than create dependency.

I also believe leaders must be willing to acknowledge when implementation did not work as intended and adjust. Leadership is remaining accountable enough to change course when the evidence tells us our students would be better served in another way.

Balancing AI Innovation with Human Connection

Artificial intelligence will clearly be one of the most consequential developments in higher education, but I think its impact may extend beyond simply generating content. AI has tremendous potential to help institutions identify patterns, personalize communication, streamline administrative processes and connect students with resources more quickly.

Think about a time when predictive analytics can help us recognize when students are beginning to disengage before they withdraw from their courses. Imagine a nexus of early alerts like being able to recognize that a student has stopped attending, has not registered for the next semester, or is encountering a financial barrier and then providing an intentional personalized intervention delivered by a mentor at exactly the right moment. That is where technology becomes powerful.

“Meaningful change happens when technology supports people rather than forcing people to work around technology.”

At the same time, I am concerned about allowing efficiency to replace relationships. Colleges should not become a faceless system by talking to them through automated responses. We also have serious questions ahead regarding academic integrity, privacy, digital literacy, misinformation and students' ability to think critically, especially as technology can produce answers almost instantaneously.

I believe our responsibility is to teach students how to use AI and emerging technologies ethically, creatively, and thoughtfully. The institutions that navigate this well will combine technological intelligence with human intelligence. Our challenge is using technology to create more opportunities for meaningful human connection.

Advice for Aspiring Educational Leaders

My first piece of advice is not to chase technology simply because everyone else is. Start with your students, your institutional mission and the problem you are trying to solve. Ask whether technology adds value, removes barriers, improves learning or allows your employees to spend more meaningful time with students. If you cannot clearly answer that question, you may not need the technology yet.

Second, listen to the people who will use it because the individuals closest to the work often recognize problems and possibilities that executives cannot see from a conference room.

I would also encourage emerging leaders to become comfortable experimenting be creative and think outside the box. Not every pilot will succeed, and that should not automatically be considered failure. Sometimes, discovering what does not work is exactly what allows us to develop something better the next time.

Leaders should also understand the financial side of innovation because purchasing technology is only the beginning. Implementation, training, maintenance, accessibility, cybersecurity and sustainability all carry costs. Never underestimate professional development, either, because even extraordinary technology becomes ineffective when people do not understand how or why to use it.

Finally, remain curious and humble because students will often understand emerging technologies differently, and sometimes better, than we do. Listen to them. Technology will continue to advance, but the purpose of higher education should remain remarkably consistent: helping people learn, grow, think critically, discover their potential and contribute meaningfully to the world.