Brandon Bernier, vice president for information technology and chief information officer for Colorado State University in Fort Collins, has taken on the dual role of CIO for the CSU System, effective December 2022.
In this role, Bernier will lead the information technology enterprise across the Fort Collins, Pueblo, and Spur campuses with a dual report to Amy Parsons, president of CSU, and Henry Sobanet, senior vice chancellor for administration and government relations and chief financial officer of the CSU System. Bernier will lead the Systemwide alignment of IT across CSU’s campuses that aims to ensure the stabilization of IT operations, while enhancing collaboration in the delivery of services and support – including a focus on shared administrative systems, where feasible.
He takes over the position previously held by Pat Burns, who was the first CIO of the System and who is scaling back his duties to lead a rural broadband initiative for the System.
“The chief information officer for the CSU System plays a critical role in ensuring all of our campuses have access to the robust technology needed to serve our students and academic programs well – and that we’re always focused on maximizing efficiency and affordability for Colorado taxpayers,” Chancellor Tony Frank said. “Brandon brings both exceptional technological expertise and a commitment to collaboration that make him an ideal fit for this dual role. We’re grateful he’s willing to take on the challenge, and grateful also to Pat Burns for the outstanding foundation he’s established as our first System CIO.”
At the Fort Collins campus, Bernier leads all central IT services, operations, and investments in support of teaching, learning, student success, research, outreach and administration.
In this role, he worked with Burns and leaders across the CSU campuses to forge Systemwide partnerships in academic technology (Data and learning analytics, Academic Technology program review, classroom enhancements); research IT (HPC, storage, and compliance environments); and shared administrative systems (Joint Banner Project, Identity and Access Management, CSU systemwide IT environments).
Prior to joining CSU, Bernier held progressively responsible leadership roles in information technology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. He is actively engaged in national conversations related to technology leadership, strategic planning, and student success and serves as a faculty member for EDUCAUSE, where he teaches for their Institute programs.
“I’m truly honored to serve as the vice president for information technology and chief information officer for the Colorado State University System,” Bernier said. “As we work across the CSU System to align IT, we will be setting a strong foundation that will allow technology to sustainably grow and evolve for years to come. This alignment effort will bring together the very best strengths from a group of talented professionals that will provide strategic direction and high-quality services for all of our campuses’ students, faculty, and researchers.”
Since joining CSU in 2018, Bernier has worked in partnership with Fort Collins campus leaders to develop a 2022-2025 IT strategic plan that includes four strategic areas of focus: student success, IT security, IT governance, and operational excellence. He has also secured more than $4M in new funding for IT investments in student success, research computing, cybersecurity, and technology infrastructure by leveraging campus, CSU System, State of Colorado, and NSF funding partnerships.
Bernier has more than 20 years of higher education experience and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications from Michigan State University, and an MBA from Wayne State University.
