Characteristics of colleges that may indicate the need for a chief information officer (CIO) are identified, along with factors that might lead to failure in taking this direction. An example of an institution that encountered problems when they hired a CIO is included. Factors leading to success are as follows: (1) a well-thought-out position on computing based on experience; (2) upper-level administrators and faculty who are knowledgeable about technology; (3) current school computer employees who are knowledgeable about the institution and about higher education in general; (4) institutional leaders who have internalized enough of the issues surrounding technology in higher education to be able to make informed judgments; (5) a school with a governance structure in place that listens to input from all over the campus; (6) an institution that has made significant inroads into end-user computing and distributed processing; and (7) an institution that has an overall strategic plan in place, from which the long-range computing plan can be drawn. Schools who do not meet the criteria are advised not to establish the position of CIO. Having a CIO on campus too early means taking a risk that there will not be the needed support structure for the CIO to succeed. (SW)