Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Proposed Initiatives from the Salesian Polytechnic University Assessment

Digital Transformation is widely addressed in the literature, however, studies focused on strategies for its implementation in Higher Education are little addressed. The objective of this research is to explore the Digital Transformation initiatives of an Ecuadorian Higher Education Institution to generate useful knowledge for higher education managers and leaders. Through a case study, this research explores the Digital Transformation initiatives of the Salesian Polytechnic University (UPS) of Ecuador. Techniques such as a documentary study, interviews, and observations were applied for the definition and discussion of the initiatives according to three research questions: (PI1) What technologies, methodologies, or models may support the definition of Digital Transformation initiatives? (PI2) What Digital Transformation initiatives may be considered in the context of Ecuadorian Higher Education? (PI3) What business concepts may be considered in the definition of Digital Transformation initiatives? The main results provide a vision of digitalization needs in Ecuadorian higher education and how they may be solved. The results of this research indicate that technological support to expand the virtual offer, as well as the inclusion of technologies for data analysis are essential for an adequate Digital Transformation.