- Overview
- Speakers
Doing Less With Less Revisited: Navigating Outcomes and Institutional Resilience (a Leadership Ecosystem Webinar)
Where: Webinar/Virtual
When: Thursday, October 16, 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: Mark Davis, Associate Chief Information Technology Officer at Swarthmore College
Registration Fee:
NERCOMP Member: Free
Non-Member: Free
Event Overview:
In today’s evolving landscape of Higher Education, the necessity to excel despite limited resources has become a pressing reality. Building on the earlier "Less with Less — Leading Through Institutional Change" framework. This session revisits how institutions have responded to persistent constraints and what lessons can be drawn from their experiences. Join us in a comprehensive session as we explore the outcomes of navigating academia's core resource challenges. We will engage in candid discussions about how various institutions have adapted by recalibrating priorities, refining strategic responses, and seizing opportunities for simplification and renewal.
While some institutions were directly impacted by endowment tax implications, many were not, leading us to question whether sustained adjustments are necessary to ensure future resilience and adaptability.
This session will also delve into the impact on admissions and international student mobility. We will discuss current trends: are international students able to arrive on campuses smoothly, and what are the implications if they leave after the first semester? Furthermore, we'll investigate how these dynamics shift enrollment strategies, redefine research imperatives, and influence institutional viability.
Join peers in this critical dialogue on navigating constraints, learning from experiences, and collaboratively shaping the path forward. Engage in open discussions, share insights, and toolkit extensions to bolster your institution’s ability to lead effectively through continued change and uncertainty.
Session Outcomes
- Evaluate Outcomes: Examine where institutions currently stand in terms of resource management, drawing lessons from those less directly impacted by policies such as the endowment tax.
- Explore Admissions and Mobility Trends: Analyze the trends affecting international student enrollment and their economic, cultural, and academic impacts on institutions.
- Ensure Future-Proofing Strategies: Explore whether ongoing adjustments are necessary for long-term resilience and how strategic foresight can mitigate future challenges.
- Institutional Resilience: Learn from cross-institutional insights that highlight successful adaptation strategies, fostering resilience in both organizational structure and morale.
Moderator: Mark Davis, Associate Chief Information Technology Officer, Swarthmore College
Panelists:
David Blezard, Senior Director, Enterprise IT Systems, University System of New Hampshire
Patty Patria, Chief Information Officer, Babson College.
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.
David Blezard
David Blezard has had a 28-year career in higher education IT. David is currently the Senior Director of Enterprise IT Systems for the University System of New Hampshire, overseeing business applications teams and infrastructure services supporting the USNH schools across New Hampshire. His teams install, develop, and manage a wide range of applications ranging from HR, Finance, and Student ERP tools to department-specific software. He also continues to maintain connections back to his academic technology roots with involvement in the planning and operation of the learning management system, web conferencing, and media technologies used for teaching and learning across USNH.
David’s involvement with NERCOMP began with his first role, running the campus computer labs. He contributed his first presentation at the 2001 conference. He has now presented at more than a dozen annual conferences, at many more workshops, and has been part of the professional development organizing since 2013. In 2021, David was asked to fill in a vacant seat on the NERCOMP board where he has worked on the vendor licensing, professional development, and community relations committees. He has contributed to the broader IT community by presenting at many conferences including SIGUCCS, EDUCAUSE, All Day DevOps, and DevOps Enterprise Summit. David also has experience as a faculty member, having taught network and system administration courses as an adjunct instructor for the UNH Computer Science department for 17 years.
David has experience in a range of volunteer roles and community involvement. He has served as a member of the Internet2 NET+ advisory board for Zoom for two years and has been a board member with the Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon since 2003 serving in various roles including president and treasurer. He also acts as a volunteer naturalist of for the Seacoast Science Center of Rye, NH in their annual BioBlitz! event.
Mark CJ Davis Jr (Moderator)
Mark Davis is the Associate Chief Information Technology Officer at Swarthmore College. A seasoned IT leader, mentor, presenter, and author, Mark brings deep expertise in change management, IT service management, information security, project management, client relations, organizational leadership, and strategic planning. He has led numerous technology and organizational transformations, excelling at guiding cross-functional teams through complex change by applying best practice methodologies, data-driven insights, and strong communication strategies.
At Swarthmore, Mark has overseen the strategic operations of IT services, including the management of institutional information systems and continuity planning. He works closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students to implement sustainable changes in technology and service delivery, while building lasting partnerships within the community. As Chair of the College’s Information Security Committee, he has driven organizational change by reimagining its mission and strengthening compliance with privacy, GDPR, and GLBA requirements.
In addition to his institutional leadership, Mark serves the broader higher education IT community through NERCOMP. As a Board Member, he actively contributes to initiatives that foster innovation and professional growth, including the Conference Program Committee, Professional Development Committee, Governance and as a workshop facilitator. He also co-chairs the Mentoring Task Force, where he has helped design and launch NERCOMP’s mentorship programs, supporting members in navigating change and developing their leadership potential.
Patty Patria
Patty Patria is the Chief Information Officer at Babson College. She is an innovative, strategic thinker with 20+ years of experience in higher education, collaborating with faculty, students, and staff to envision and implement transformative solutions. She is responsible for providing strategic leadership in long-term and short-term planning, managing administrative and academic technology, and proving oversight for the management of security, networks, service desk, enterprise applications, web applications, institutional research, analytics, AI and the library.
Patty holds a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Prosci Certified Change Management Professional.