(US and Canada) Ryan Whisler, Program Chair IT, WGU Ohio speaks with KL Allen, Chancellor, WGU Ohio about the transformation of IT over the years and leveraging technology for course delivery at WGU Ohio.

Whisler has over 30 years of experience in the domain of IT. Speaking about some of the major changes he has seen in IT during his career he says that a major difference is the power of data. He started with using data on system performance and internal metrics, but today, it is like the gold of an organization. He mentions that today, the value of the organization is found in its data.

He then goes on to highlight aspects of data like protecting it and using it to guide decision-making and says that IT has become more of an enabler. He stresses that there is a need to focus efforts on democratizing technology like cloud and modern tools so that anybody can connect and use cloud-based tools.

Speaking about how Western Governors University leverages IT and enables growth he says that being entirely online, the courses are flexible and convenient for learners. The degrees deal with areas like cloud, cybersecurity, data, and IT tools. And, they are delivered via multiple different modes like email, phone calls, video conferencing, etc.