Claims that investing in information technology will save money for a college or university have rarely proven true. In fact, realizing the promised dollar savings is so rare in higher education that the credibility of many IT professionals has been jeopardized by making the claim. Not producing promised savings only exacerbates the sense, among many higher education executives, that IT is a "black hole" for institutional funds. Indeed, the truth is that the vast majority of IT investments add cost; they do not generate savings. A strategy to ensure that IT investments are valued is to tie them to the campus strategic plan and priorities. Although many institutions have developed IT strategic plans, these may be perceived as being separate from the overall institutional strategy. Placing IT in the context of campus priorities and needs signals its fundamental value. According to the 2003 EDUCAUSE Core Data Service, more than three-fourths of survey respondents noted that their campus strategic plan included strategies and directions for IT. Other research, such as the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research study on IT funding, illustrates the importance of alignment between institutional directions and IT.