Doing Less With Less:  Leading Through Instituional Change (a Leadership Ecosystem Webinar)

Where: Webinar/Virtual

When: Thursday, June 26, 2025
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm ET

Note: Zoom login instructions will be sent the day prior. If you have not received login instructions by 4:00 pm the day before the webinar, please check your spam folder; if you still have not received the login details, please email nercomp@nercomp.org.

Workshop Organizer:  Michael Cato, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Bowdoin College

Registration Fee:
NERCOMP Member: Free
Non-Member: Free

Event Overview:
In Higher Education institutions, many are used to doing more with less—but the reality more now face may require a more radical shift: doing less with less.

As institutions navigate economic uncertainty, declining research overheads, and budget recalibrations, leaders must make hard decisions—not just about what to do, but what to stop doing. This is not a session about optimization, it is about honesty. Extreme times call for political courage, strategic clarity, and the willingness to align our services with the resources we actually have, hopefully building on an organizational culture to support this work.

Join peers in a NERCOMP Leadership Ecosystem dialogue to explore what it takes to lead in a time when “no” might be the most honest, responsible, and hopeful answer. The session will begin with a practical conversation among seasoned higher ed IT leaders to see what experiences and approaches they are drawing on as they navigate today’s rapidly shifting realities. The session will include optional small group time to commiserate, explore, and workshop ideas.

As our institutions confront shrinking budgets, evolving demands, and mounting pressures, this panel will explore how to face the hard truths of our current circumstances without losing sight of what matters most. We’ll dive into strategies for clarifying priorities, recognizing where investment is still essential, and making tough choices with courage and clarity. Most importantly, we’ll talk about how to sustain hope, resilience, and a sense of purpose, even when resources are thin. Come ready to reflect, rethink, and recharge alongside peers who understand the weight — and the opportunity — of leading through constraint.

Let’s stop pretending we can do it all—and start leading with what’s possible.

Session Outcomes
 - Identify key institutional realities shaping resource constraints and name where your organization is feeling them most.
 - Practice communicating difficult tradeoffs and decisions with clarity, confidence, and empathy.
 - Explore how “doing less” may also be an opportunity for focus and renewal, not just reduction.
 - Strengthen personal and team resilience strategies for staying motivated and hopeful amid uncertainty.
  -Share lessons learned and cross-institutional insights with peers to broaden your perspective and toolkit.

Moderator: Michal Cato, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Bowdoin College

Panelists:
David Blezard, Senior Director, Enterprise IT Systems, University System of New Hampshire
Daren Hubbard, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Princeton University
Pennie Turgeon, Vice President for IT, CIO & CISO, New York Institute of Technology

This session will not be recorded.

This session is for individuals employed by higher education institutions only. No vendors, please.

 

Accessibility
NERCOMP strives to make its online offerings and in-person workshops accessible to all registrants.  Please contact us should you have an accessibility need. We've worked to provide resources that are accessible to as many people as possible, and if you encounter any issues while attending our events, please contact us at accessibility@nercomp.org or at 860-345-2081 to request assistance.