Welcome to our next CIO

June 27, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Raechelle “Rae” Clemmons has accepted an offer to serve as the next chief information officer (CIO) for Texas Woman's University. Rae began her technology career in startups during the dot-com era. She later transitioned to higher education at California State University, East Bay—an institution that at the time had a student body very similar to the one now at Texas Woman’s University. From there she has served as CIO at Menlo College in California, St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, and currently at Davidson College in North Carolina. Rae says she transitioned to higher education because of its ability to transform lives. That calling is what particularly attracted her to Texas Woman’s.

Rae has the ability to build open and collaborative teams. She is also highly engaged in the national technology landscape and with groups such as EDUCAUSE, which seeks to establish more diverse perspectives to IT in higher education. Rae describes how she believes technology and technologists should minimally enable faculty, staff, and students to achieve their goals, but they should also inspire each of us to push beyond expectations—inspiring excellence and a pioneering spirit.

Given that technology is vital to our economy, I feel it is essential that a CIO possess more than a deep understanding of technology. A CIO should also have a record of strategic planning and the relationship acumen needed to lead cultural change. I am pleased that we have attracted such a leader to this position.

And because technology serves the academic mission and business process functions such as alumni and donor databases, admissions, financial aid, bursar, and human resources, I am taking this opportunity to tweak our organizational structure. I'm making the Office of Technology a stand-alone department which, like the Offices of the General Counsel and Marketing and Communications, reports directly to me. Accordingly, Rae's title will be associate vice president for technology and CIO. The CIO has always had a seat on my cabinet and that will continue. In fact, little will change operationally because Rae will also have a seat at the provost’s Academic Council meetings. The optics will now reflect the reality of operations with this change in the org chart.

Lastly, I hope you will join me in thanking Dennis Hoebee who has been serving as interim CIO for almost a year. Under his leadership, the Office of Technology has shepherded systems for student self-service and planning, collaborated in the transition to Canvas, and worked with planning for new construction projects. Dennis stepped up to the plate and has been a true team player. The department was in good hands throughout this national search.

So please join me in thanking Dennis and in welcoming Rae who will begin with the students’ return on August 27.

Best wishes,

Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President