 The boundaries between academia and the rest of the world have never been more porous. These external forces are shaping the strategic priorities of higher education institutions. These priorities include reducing costs, demonstrable improvements in student outcomes, strategic advancements in e-learning, and meeting the demands of consumerization. These priorities are reflected in the Top 10 IT Issues list for 2013, which covers the most current and pressing topics in higher education technology. Issue number one on the list is leveraging the wireless and device explosion on campus. At many schools, thousands of unique devices access the campus broadband each day, and often with a population of far less than that. That means students and faculty are often carrying multiple devices up to three and four per person with powerful computing abilities. Issue number two is improving student outcomes through an approach that leverages technology. State and federal governments are expecting institutions to deliver a low-cost education with degree attainment in four years. In terms of technology, in addition to analytics and automated advising tools, technology can be employed in the design, creation, and delivery of the learning experience to the student. Issue number three is developing an institution-wide cloud strategy to help the institution select the right sourcing and solution strategies. As is often the case, successful technology adoption requires an alignment of people, processes, and technology. Utilizing the cloud is no exception. Other education institutions will need to create guidelines for anyone acquiring a cloud service. Issue number four is developing a staff and organizational model to accommodate the changing IT environment and facilitate openness and agility. Our university missions are shifting in ways that are forcing us to be more agile. And our budget structures haven't changed in a way to make it possible to be more flexible in expanding and contracting our workforce. Issue five is facilitating a better understanding of information security and finding an appropriate balance between infrastructure, openness, and security. A great resource for this subject is the information security guide, effective practices and solutions for higher education. This compendium provides guidance on effective approaches to the application of information security at higher ed institutions. It's available free online. Issue six is funding information technology strategically. We need to stop thinking about IT as a separate cost center, if you will, and rather as an integral part of systematically how we deliver on our strategy, what are the business outcomes and the performance that we're looking for. Issue seven is determining the role of online learning and developing a sustainable strategy for that role. Many of the challenges involved in adopting online learning programs resemble the challenges involved in adopting any new technology. Investment in not only the technology, but also in effective change management and support for faculty are essential. Issue number eight is supporting the trend towards IT consumerization and bring your own device. Students are carrying in their pocket everything they need for studying and learning. This consumerization of IT places a number of challenges on higher ed institutions including an explosive demand on wireless networks, accommodating new expectations in service and keeping data secure. Issue number nine is transforming the institution's business with information technology. One of an institution's business with IT will be elusive for any organization that does not first acknowledge that such initiatives are not about technology, but rather about the business outcomes and performance. And issue number ten, using analytics to support critical institutional outcomes. Increasingly we're being asked to look at student success and analytics is really at the core of being able to identify key drivers that are going to shape the changes you need to make at your institution to be able to meet your institutional objectives. As we see the top 10 IT list through the lens of the top four priorities, it gives us our first glimpse of the connected age. As we move through this upheaval to new applications of technology and new models of higher education, it will be the collaborations within the higher education community that will help us innovate gracefully and successfully.