Podcast Summary: CTRL-ALT-LEAD with David Hinson

Episode: Five Things Independent College and University CIOs MUST Do in 2026

Host: David Hinson
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this actionable and forward-thinking episode, David Hinson (Campus CIO at Boldyn Networks) outlines five essential priorities for technology leaders at independent colleges and universities as they face 2026. Addressing the shifting demands of campus technology and the accelerating pace of change, Hinson challenges his peers to move beyond reactive postures and to take intentional, resilient, and ethical leadership roles. The episode delivers practical guidance and motivational insights, directly aimed at CIOs and IT leaders navigating limited budgets, legacy expectations, and the imperative to demonstrate strategic value.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Design for Resilience, Not Recovery

[01:54]

• Mindset Shift:
  For decades, higher education IT has focused on “recovery”—how fast systems can be restored after disruption (RTO, RPO targets).
• Constant Disruption:
  Modern threats are persistent: cyber incidents, weather events, power instability, outages, supply chain failures.
• Resilience Over Recovery:
  “Recovery assumes a return to normal. Resilience, however, assumes normal is unstable.” (02:30)
• Leadership Obligation:
  Resilience isn’t just technical, it’s a vital leadership responsibility—design systems so disruption doesn’t erode trust with students.

"The question your leadership is really asking isn’t how fast can it fix this? It’s will students still believe in us tomorrow?"
— David Hinson, [03:10]

2. Treat Your Network as the Strategic Asset It Is

[04:10]

• Connectivity as Student Experience:
  Student success, safety, and competitiveness are now inseparable from reliable, ubiquitous network connectivity.
• Network Is Not 'Plumbing':
  Too often, CIOs treat connectivity as a utility, but it’s as crucial as oxygen for campus life.
• Break Legacy Assumptions:
  Outdated beliefs (“students will tolerate dead zones”, “learning is only indoors”, “cellular is someone else’s problem”) are obsolete.
• Strategic Approach:
  Explore partnerships, shared models, private cellular—align network investment with mission.

"Your network is your campus nervous system."
— David Hinson, [05:43]

3. Discuss AI Like Adults

[06:10]

• No Hype, No Fear, No Delay:
  Move past endless task forces and reactive stances. Leadership requires mature, direct engagement with AI’s realities.
• Principled Governance:
  Set clear policies for ethical use, safeguard data, and foster innovation transparently.
• The Deeper Question:
  The CIO must help institutions determine:
  “How do we use this technology in a way that aligns with who we claim to be?” (07:10)
• Stewardship, Not Just Tools:
  AI should support teaching, research, and operations—never undermine trust or academic integrity.

"Pretending we can ban it or blindly unleash it are equally irresponsible."
— David Hinson, [06:55]

4. Invest in Staff Sustainability

[08:02]

• Crisis of Burnout:
  Higher ed is burning out its tech staff, normalizing exhaustion as the default.
• Sustainable IT Organizations:
  Reduce tool sprawl, automate repetitive tasks, avoid ‘heroics’ as a substitute for strategy. Design on-call models that protect staff well-being.
• Resilience Depends on People:
  If staff sustainability is ignored, talent will keep leaving, and risk increases.

"If your strategy depends on heroics, you don’t have a strategy. You have institutional risk disguised as dedication."
— David Hinson, [09:20]

5. Tell a Better Story About IT

[10:00]

• Own the Narrative:
  Don’t let others define IT as a ‘cost center’ or a group who only says no.
• Story of Stewardship and Value:
  IT should be seen as a steward of trust, dignity, and mission.
• Every Decision is Storytelling:
  “Every budget conversation is storytelling. Every security decision is storytelling. Every outage, especially how you communicate it, is storytelling.” (10:45)

"If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And they won’t tell it kindly."
— David Hinson, [11:02]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Recovery assumes a return to normal. Resilience...assumes normal is unstable.” [02:30]
• “Your network is your campus nervous system.” [05:43]
• “Pretending we can ban [AI] or blindly unleash it are equally irresponsible.” [06:55]
• “If your strategy depends on heroics, you don’t have a strategy. You have institutional risk disguised as dedication.” [09:20]
• “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And they won’t tell it kindly.” [11:02]

Noteworthy Timestamps

• [00:00] – Introduction and context: The reality for independent college/university CIOs
• [01:54] – 1: Designing for resilience
• [04:10] – 2: Networks as strategic assets
• [06:10] – 3: Leading on AI
• [08:02] – 4: Prioritizing staff sustainability
• [10:00] – 5: Proactive storytelling and narrative control
• [12:00] – Actionable summary and closing thoughts

Episode Takeaway

Independent colleges and universities won’t thrive simply by getting bigger—they must be intentional, present, and engaged. Hinson’s five mandates for 2026 CIOs underscore the importance of resilience, strategic thinking, ethical stewardship, people-centered leadership, and proactive narrative shaping. The future is immediate and demands action, clarity, and credibility from every technology leader.

Note: While this episode uses a cloned AI voice, all insights and thoughts are authentically authored by David Hinson.