How SCSU Is Rebuilding Campus Technology for the AI Era

Southern Connecticut State University CIO Tom Armstrong on Modernization Priorities Jennifer Lawinski • February 4, 2026

Tom Armstrong stepped into the role of CIO at Southern Connecticut State University at a critical moment for higher education, as institutions face growing pressure to modernize legacy systems, strengthen cybersecurity and responsibly adopt artificial intelligence.

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As Connecticut's first and only Carnegie Classified Research 2 public university - designating institutions with high research activity and growing doctoral programs - SCSU is balancing expanding research ambitions, student expectations and operational efficiency in an increasingly complex risk environment.

Drawing on his experience in enterprise technology strategy for nearly 40 state agencies, Armstrong said success in higher education depends on trust, transparency and disciplined prioritization. While universities operate at a different scale than state government, shared governance, faculty autonomy and budget constraints add unique layers of complexity that ...