When asked to describe their day-to-day responsibilities, Howard Payne University’s Information Technology Services team responded with a beat of silence followed by laughter. It turns out that their day-to-day responsibilities vary, well, from day to day.
“Each staff member has a special area of responsibility,” said Dr. Jodi Goode, assistant vice president for IT services and chief information officer. “But, as a small department, we often step in to help wherever needed.”
On any given day, the department’s six-person staff may be found answering service calls received via phone or through the IT online ticket system, doing administrative duties, consulting with other departments or, as was the case on a recent work day, completely overhauling the system the university uses to handle finance, human resources, payroll, registration and more.
Though they stay incredibly busy, Dr. Goode strives to lead the team in such a way as to facilitate the big systems while also remembering the human touch.
“We really try to be service oriented, dropping everything if someone needs our help,” she said. “If we receive a call from a professor who is unable to start class because the classroom technology isn’t working, or from a student who is unable to submit an assignment, the team’s instinct is to respond immediately. We will often show up in person to assist, even when remote help is possible, to provide added reassurance and support. The team does this not because it is our job, but because we genuinely care about the people we serve. I love that the IT team’s response to our daily tasks not only reflects professionalism but also our willingness to serve in a Christ-like way.”
Dr. Nathan Lane, HPU’s vice president for academic affairs, said Dr. Goode leads her team with integrity and professionalism.
“They go above and beyond to serve others both on and off campus and, in so doing, serve God very well,” he said. “I’m proud of the team and the work they do for the university.”
The IT team meets challenges with grace and humor, serving God by serving others on campus.
“I like to think of our department as the nervous system of the university,” said Christopher Ewen ’24, database administrator. “We help every function on campus.”
The group enjoys working behind the scenes to ensure the campus’ technology infrastructure is sound and secure.
“If we’re doing our job well, no one should know we’re here,” said Dr. Goode, although she quickly pointed out that people at HPU are always grateful, even for the little things.
The department has received encouraging notes, thoughtful words and even snacks from appreciative campus clients.
“The sense of community is the best thing about Howard Payne,” said Dr. Cherri Conley, instructional technology specialist.
Dr. Goode said technology issues often occur at the worst possible time for the end user.
“We often support faculty, staff and students when tensions are high or time is of the essence,” she said. “We fix printers, rescue lost documents and troubleshoot crises at all hours. Our faith calls us to respond with grace, patience and understanding. Although our work is often behind the scenes, it is our ministry, and every ticket, phone call or crisis moment is an opportunity to show Christ’s love through excellent service.”
Dr. Goode reflected on how the Bible consistently calls followers of Christ to servant leadership, humility and compassion.
“Those values are key in how I interact with my team and how I hope they interact with one another and the campus community,” she said. “I do my best to model leadership focused on integrity, transparency and service. I strongly believe we lead best when we serve first, and I strive to foster this culture within the IT department.”
Continual advances in technology bring both challenges and opportunities.
“One of our biggest challenges is protecting the university against constantly evolving cybersecurity threats,” said Dr. Goode. “While computer viruses in the residence halls or password sharing might have been common security issues in the past, today we are defending against sophisticated attacks, phishing attempts and global cybersecurity threats.”
Keeping HPU data, systems and end users safe requires constant monitoring, advanced tools and university-wide training initiatives.
“When many of our alumni were students, most classes were entirely face-to-face, and technology played a supporting role,” said Dr. Goode. “Today, technology is woven through nearly every academic experience. This includes classroom technology, online learning systems and tools, remote collaboration and more. With the rising expectation for these tools and their integration into daily learning activities, reliability and rapid support are crucial.”
Dr. Goode said the average student living in HPU’s residence halls has three to five connected devices such as laptops, tablets, phones, gaming consoles and smart TVs.
“The increased number and variety of devices, along with the expectation of instant access and seamless connectivity, place significant demands on our wireless network and campus infrastructure,” she said. “To support the growing reliance on technology, providing high-speed connectivity across classrooms, residence halls and outdoor spaces is a priority.”
All universities must update systems, hardware and software frequently to keep pace with evolving technology.
“Finding the right balance between innovation and financial stewardship is often difficult as we seek to ensure that every dollar invested in technology clearly supports HPU’s mission and strategic goals,” said Dr. Goode. “As technology demands grow, we constantly evaluate priorities, streamline processes and seek creative solutions to ensure we meet the needs of the campus and successfully support the university mission.”
Dr. Goode said working for HPU is a great way for the IT team to take their gifts, technical in nature, and utilize them for Kingdom work.
“We truly feel like we’re serving the greater good,” she said.
