May 2026 Meeting & Elections: Governing the Ungovernable: Information Lifecycle Management in a Decentralized University, Presented by Brian Bolt, Interim Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Boise State University

OVERVIEW

This session offers a practitioner’s account of establishing information governance at a large public university where ownership, lifecycle expectations, and system design have rarely aligned. Rather than presenting a finished model, this talk focuses on the honest realities of the work: what was inherited, where traditional policy-first approaches fell short, and how governance is being built as a decision-making framework rather than a compliance checklist.

KEY THEMES

– What “decentralized” actually means in practice, and why it complicates retention, holds, and disposition across legacy and modern systems alike.  The University is really unable to distinguish between a document and a record.
– Governance as a decision-making framework. The distinction between having policies and having governance muscle, and why that gap matters.
– The cascade effect of new governance. When governance is established in one domain, it illuminates gaps in adjacent ones. Using Boise State’s University Budget Model as a case study, this session explores how new governance surfaces unintended connections and exposes previously invisible accountability gaps.
Knowing the boundaries of IT governance. IT project governance processes can be well-designed and still fail to position IT as a trusted organizational partner. This session examines why scope and framing matter as much as process design.
Connecting governance to the data layer. Early work tying governance approvals and metadata into the underlying data architecture, and what that approach intends to solve.

AUDIENCE VALUE

Records and information professionals increasingly interact with the governance structures, system owners, and technology leaders who shape how information is managed upstream of their own work. This session provides a CIO-level perspective on the strategic and structural challenges that affect whether records management policies can actually be implemented, and invites a conversation about where IT and IM practitioners can better align.

Brian Bolt serves as Interim Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Boise State University, where he leads the Office of Information Technology in delivering reliable, secure, and forward-looking technology services that support the university’s academic, research, and administrative missions.
With more than two decades of experience at Boise State, Brian brings a deep understanding of the institution along with a broad technical and leadership background spanning infrastructure, enterprise systems, project and portfolio management, and IT governance. He has played a key role in advancing enterprise technology strategy, strengthening organizational alignment, and guiding the university through complex technology and operational changes.

As Interim CIO, Brian has focused on stabilizing operations, advancing a clear technology roadmap, and rebuilding IT governance to ensure transparency, prioritization, and alignment with institutional goals. He has also helped position Boise State to leverage emerging technologies, including cloud platforms and artificial intelligence, in support of student success and research innovation.

Beyond his university responsibilities, Brian is a key participant in technology collaboration across the state. He currently holds several external leadership positions, including Vice Chair of the Idaho Regional Optical Network (IRON) Board. Additionally, he contributes his expertise as a board member for both the Boise Project Board of Control and the New York Irrigation District.

Location: Ada County Highway District (ACHD), 5800 N Meeker Ave, Boise, ID 83713. Meeting Room: Sawtooth Boardroom. Attendees will need to check in at the front desk. Parking Map.

Date/Time: Monday, May 18th, Lunch starts at 11:30, presentation from 12 – 1pm, Elections follow the presentation.

RSVP: here.

Cost (Includes Lunch): $15/ARMA member / $20 non-member ($3 processing fee to pay on the website, or pay with cash in person). Pay here online.