20092014
Information
Technology
Strategic Plan
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 3
Vision .................................................................................................................................... 4
Guiding Principles .................................................................................................................. 4
Strategies .............................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 5
Technology Strategies ........................................................................................................... 7
The Seven Individual Technology Strategies ........................................................................... 7
Appendix A - Vision, Core Values, Mission & Institutional Goals ........................................... 16
Vision .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Core Values .................................................................................................................................. 16
Mission ........................................................................................................................................ 16
Institutional Goals for 2004-2011 .................................................................................................. 16
Appendix B – Analysis.......................................................................................................... 17
Present Situation.......................................................................................................................... 17
Performance Indicators ................................................................................................................ 17
SWOT Analysis. ............................................................................................................................ 18
Campus Satisfaction Survey .......................................................................................................... 20
Key Success Factors ...................................................................................................................... 25
Current Challenges ....................................................................................................................... 26
Appendix C – Information Resources Organizational Chart .................................................. 28
Appendix D – Bellevue College Named Microsoft IT Showcase School .................................. 29
Appendix E - Information Technology Strategic Plan Advisors .............................................. 31
Technology Advisory Committee 2008-2009-2010 Members:......................................................... 31
Information Resources Management Team Members: .................................................................. 31
Document Editors: ....................................................................................................................... 31
Appendix F - Definitions ...................................................................................................... 32
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 35
2
Executive Summary
The ubiquity of technological resources on campus makes Bellevue College’s Information
Technology (IT) Strategic Plan a significant cornerstone for building an effective and
engaging learning environment.
The college Information Resources (IR) department developed the baseline information for
the Information Technology Strategic Plan with assistance from the Information Resources
Management Team and the Technical Advisory Committee. To get a more encompassing
opinion, we surveyed the larger campus community asking for feedback on the college
current technology performance, as well as for information on what they would like to see
happening in the next few years.
Supporting the use of technology in an educational environment such as Bellevue College
requires a unique mix of standards and practices because the day-to-day business functions
require a tested, stable and reliable technology environment, while the ongoing educational
tasks require cutting-edge, innovative and often pioneering resources. Balancing and
integrating these two—sometimes conflicting—purposes requires both imaginative vision
and substantial knowledge. The college IT Strategic Plan is designed to support College
priorities and provide a strong and flexible foundation for accomplishing these goals.
In addition to supporting the vision of the college and addressing the specific technology
needs of the campus community, the IT Strategic Plan is intended to fully leverage
statewide technology initiatives, leadership and planning provided by the Washington State
Board of Community and Technical Colleges. This plan reflects the college role as a
statewide technology leader.
Finally, it is important to recognize that efforts to make best use of IT are no longer the
purview of a few technical experts but have become the collaborative responsibility of the
entire campus. This plan reflects the results of that alliance and campus-wide collaboration
and provides rationale for deepening those relationships. In alignment with the college
institutional goals, the following IT vision, guidelines and strategies for the next three-tofive years were developed.
3
Vision
Bellevue College will continue to be a state-wide leader in administrative and education
technologies that support and enhance all aspects of college life, providing students, faculty
and administrators with a state-of-the-art technology-enabled environment integrating a
strong portfolio of innovative and proven technologies.
Guiding Principles

Foster a rich and successful teaching and learning environment through a wide range of
innovative and proven eLearning technologies

Enable a collaborative environment through the implementation of communication and
collaborative technologies and practices

Facilitate knowledge-based administrative decision-making and efficiency through the
integration of data warehousing/business intelligence tools.

Foster a technologically empowered campus community through ongoing
communication, support and training of all campus constituents

Provide seamless technology-enabled student services that span all aspects of the
student college experience to increase student success and retention
Strategies
1. Continue to test and implement eLearning technologies and course management
systems to support a rich and effective teaching and learning environment
2. Expand and maintain an enabling IT infrastructure to support the ever-changing needs
of the college community
3. Continue to implement communication and collaborative technologies and systems to
support rich interactions among all college constituents and extent this capability to key
external stakeholders.
4. Implement data warehousing/business intelligence tools that help administration, faculty
and students obtain relevant information to support effective decision-making
5. Evaluate and improve communication, support and training options on an ongoing basis
to increase access and use of technology by all college staff and students
6. Implement integrated solutions to improve student services at all levels of the student
college experience
7. Assess effectiveness of college technologies and systems, Information Resources
organization, personnel and practices, and college-wide technology policies to optimize
technology efficiency within budget and staffing constraints
4
Introduction
Bellevue College strives to meet the ever-changing technological needs of students, faculty,
and staff by incorporating the newest technologies with innovative, quality infrastructure
and services to positively affect campus workflow with minimal budgetary impact to the
institution.
Bellevue College is known among all Washington State Community and Technical Colleges
as a leader in technology. This reputation transcended state boundaries when the college
became the second Microsoft IT Showcase School in 2006. This honor made Bellevue
College the first community college ever to receive such distinction.
The IT infrastructure is the behind-the-scenes engine allowing the college to rise to the level
of top-notch technology showcase educational institution. To support the college leadership
role a number of technology infrastructural changes have taken place over time. A historical
overall picture providing an idea of the growth level and intensity of these changes is
included in the Analysis section in Appendix B.
Strategically, technology planning is based on careful examination of the college internal
environment, as well as emerging external technologies and new techniques in the
application of technology in support of curriculum delivery.
For the purpose of internal assessment, Information Resources enlisted the assistance of
the Information Resources Management Team and the Technical Advisory Committee. To
get a more encompassing opinion, we surveyed the larger campus community for feedback
on our current performance, as well as for information on what they would like to see
happening in terms of technology at Bellevue College.
In April 2008, Information Resources conducted a campus-wide satisfaction survey to
concretely gather feedback on how the department performance was seen by the college
staff and faculty. The focus of the survey was on responsiveness, timeliness, quality of
service, adequacy and reliability of key IT resources, key areas in which IR could assist the
campus, user’s confidence level in their understanding of IT Security Standards and Policies
and overall satisfaction levels. With a high response rate, a total of 53% of all survey
respondents rated their satisfaction level with IR efforts as Good, while 26% of faculty and
36% of staff/administrators rated it as Excellent. Details of the survey results are included
in Appendix B.
The resulting Technology Plan represents our best effort to align technology to better serve
the vision and mission of the college in the upcoming years and is in alignment with the
college Institutional Goals (Appendix A.) Table 1 summarizes the relationship between the
IT Core Guiding Principles and the Bellevue College Institutional Goals. The IT Strategic Plan
closely relates particularly to the College’s Technology Leadership Institutional Goal of being
a leader in administrative and educational technology, including online learning.
5
Bellevue College Goals 2004-2011
Technology-enabled
Teaching & Learning



Enabling IT Infrastructure



Collaborative
Environment
 



Knowledge-based
Administrative Decisionmaking











Community Leadership &
Partnerships
Pluralism
Technology Leadership
Financial Sustainability
Professional &
Organizational Excellence
Institutional Accountability
Teaching & Learning
2009-2014
Student Success
Guiding
Principles
Access
IT Core




Technology-empowered
campus community









Technology-enabled
student services









Table 1. Alignment Matrix IT Core Principles and College Institutional Goals
6
Technology Strategies
In this technology plan there are 7 technology strategies, which include:



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
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Strategy 1: Continue to test and implement eLearning technologies and course
management systems to support a rich and effective teaching and learning
environment.
Strategy 2: Expand and maintain an enabling IT infrastructure to support the everchanging needs of the college community.
Strategy 3: Continue to implement communication and collaborative technologies
and systems to support rich interactions among all college constituents and extend
this capability to key external stakeholders.
Strategy 4: Implement data warehousing/business intelligence tools that help
administration, faculty and students obtain relevant information to support effective
decision-making.
Strategy 5: Evaluate and improve communication, support and training options on
an ongoing basis to increase access and use of technology by all college employees
and students.
Strategy 6: Implement integrated solutions to improve student services at all levels
of the student college experience.
Strategy 7: Assess effectiveness of college technologies and systems, Information
Resources organization, personnel and practices, and college-wide technology
policies to optimize technology efficiency within budget and staffing constraints.
Under each strategy background statements are provided as well as goals and activities for
the next 3 to 5 years. From the activities annual work plans will be developed for the
various IR departments.
This document might make reference to technology terms that might not be widely known,
refer to the Definitions (Appendix F) at the end of this document.
The Seven Individual Technology Strategies
Strategy #1
Continue to test and implement eLearning technologies and course management systems to
support a rich and effective teaching and learning environment.
Background:
Teaching and learning is the college core endeavor. Technology has revolutionized many
industries and education was a natural target. “Educational Technology is the study and
ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and
managing appropriate technological processes and resources” (Richey, 2008).
Goals:



Increase access to education for all students by providing anywhere, anytime
learning opportunities through the implementation of eLearning technologies
Improve quality and richness of learning through a wide range of technologysupported modalities
Foster the infusion of innovative student-centered and collaborative technologies to
increase student retention and success
7



Actively promote and facilitate web and digital technology-enhanced teaching and
learning practices
Strive to create a seamless learning environment that is user-friendly and flexible
and that gives a seamless experience to all users
Maintain emphasis on encouraging and supporting instructional innovation, and
leveraging off-classroom technologies (i.e. social networking)
For more details on the college eLearning initiatives, please refer to the College’s eLearning
Strategic Plan on Information Resources’ portal website.
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:
Direct future funding opportunities to support the following:

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

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Increase the number of electronic classrooms
Increase coverage of the wireless network
Promote course casting
Increase the number and use of virtual labs
Expand online and hybrid eLearning opportunities
Provide online tutoring
Ensure that adaptive technologies are available
Ensure 24x7 access to technology resources
Expand effective Library Management System (LMS)
Research and implementation of effective solutions for a Course Management
System (CMS)
Strategy #2:
Expand and maintain an enabling IT infrastructure to support the ever-changing needs of
the college community
Background:
The college IT infrastructure is the foundation upon which all technology efforts depend.
The enterprise data systems housed in the HP system and exported to campus data
stores and warehouses, the college administrative and academic networks, Internet
access, phones, database backup and recovery, and desktop computing software, web
applications, hardware and support are all critical.
In the uncertainty that economic downturn and budget cuts brings, now more than ever,
strategies for containing IT expenses must be carefully planned to ensure the college
infrastructure is maintained with integrity.
Goals:


Continue to increase student access to technology through computer labs, wireless
internet, and other technology-based infrastructure
Research and test new technologies and technical infrastructure components on an
ongoing basis to continuously improve system functionality, reliability, integration
and efficiency
8




Continue to explore more efficient ways to provide quality technical support to all
users of the system on and off campus within staffing and budget constraints
Form strong partnerships and deepen the dialogue among all system stakeholders
and users to support the growth of the infrastructure while enhancing the quality of
education and college administration
Continue to research and implement technologies that are environmentally sound
and minimize use of resources
Refine ongoing testing plan of existing technology systems to identify and remedy
inefficiencies, security issues and limitations
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:
Direct future funding opportunities to support the following:

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





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

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
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Expansion of the server room
Develop a hardware capitalization plan that is funded on an annual basis
Research and use virtualization technologies to improve server efficiencies
Research and create data center (storage) either on or off campus
Upgrade the existing phone system to VoIP
Explore the possible use of ‘cloud computing’ to provide some of our services
Provide remote access to needed college information in a secure way
Improve records retention
Test and implement software upgrades as appropriate
Create email archiving system in order to comply with legal requests
Review and update security policies for legal compliance
Update digital asset management practices
Promote data stewardship and greater data mining opportunities
Continue to improve and build out campus data stores and warehouses
Research and promote Green IT solutions that are economically feasible
Strategy #3
Continue to implement communication and collaborative technologies and systems to
support rich interactions among all college constituents and extent this capability to key
external stakeholders.
Background:
The networking of computing systems and the recent advances in networked
applications have transformed the way we communicate and collaborate. Technology
facilitates the growth of user-defined communities, user-generated content and easier
access to users developing their own custom solutions.
We are no longer bound by the limitations imposed by physical locations. Online or
virtual collaborations allow individuals to contribute and work cooperatively in projects
without the need to ever physically meet. The digital native learner thrives in creating
community and establishing fruitful collaborations via social networking and web 2.0
technologies.
The college has laid the foundation for technology-based collaborative environments, a
great example of this is the college portal hosted on Microsoft SharePoint where staff
can develop collaborative workspaces for classes and projects.
9
Goals:






Provide an integrated suite of collaborative and communication tools that facilitates
project collaboration at all levels of the organization
Continue to provide a state-of-the-art eLearning environment through the research,
testing and piloting of web-based collaborative applications to support rich-media
faculty and student participation
Actively participate in discussions on innovative approaches to technology-facilitated
collaboration with college and industry partners
Foster college-wide discussions on best practices centered on the development of
sustainable social networks and digital communities
Leverage community portals and extranets to facilitate committee and campus-wide
collaboration, as well as external collaborations with other colleges or community
partners
Expand the classroom beyond the geographical boundaries of the college through the
use of content creation tools such as podcasting and screen video capture
applications
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:
Direct future funding opportunities to support the following:

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







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Implement Office Communicator and Unified Messaging (advanced voice systems)
Implement Instant messaging
Promote Universal Design
Research and select Website content management software
Implement social networking practices
Deploy Web 2.0 tools
Research and develop implementation plan for Web 3.0 technologies
Pilot and deploy software and hardware tools that enable collaboration and content
creation
Integrate software tools, like Microsoft’s Office suite
Build up already established platforms the college has invested in such as SharePoint
and Office Communication Server (OCS) to deliver collaborative services
Implement document management and workflow solutions
Research Customer Relationship Management tools
Research and implement as appropriate next generation network services
Continue to strengthen community portals and extranets
Strategy #4
Implement data warehousing/business intelligence tools that help administration, faculty
and students obtain relevant information to support effective decision-making
Background:
The 21st century is the Age of Information, future investment opportunities in
Instructional Research, business intelligence, data center utilization, application
10
development, data mining, enhanced security, 24x7 access, system integration,
analytics, client-focused IT leadership will assist and improve all college units but in
particular: Finance, Administrative Services, Student Services & President staff.
Goals:





Provide an integrated information system that enables administrators and staff to
query relevant databases, correlate various information sources and create reports
and dashboards that support timely and accurate decision-making
Establish policies and implement safeguards to control data access and support
overall information security at all levels of the organization
Continue to migrate college services and functions into the digital environment
through judicious technology selection and careful redesign of business processes
Continue to evolve an integrated information system for staff faculty and students
that emphasizes 24X7 access, customizable data access based on user privileges,
and ease of use while maintaining high levels of data security
Explore and promote innovative and cutting-edge analytics solutions to create a
realistic picture of performance, and to support trends and scenario business analysis
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:
Direct future funding opportunities to support the following:











Research and implement applications that support the college Instructional Research
Research and implement data warehousing and business intelligence applications and
processes
Promote data center utilization
Research and develop or acquire applications for enhanced data mining,
management and reporting
Research strategies and application to provide enhanced data security
Provide 24x7 access to data
Continue to integrate data systems throughout the college, and between the college
and the SBCTC
Expand the development of HP Staging Area – Operational Data Store and Business
Analytics
Build on the technologies the campus community already uses to provide better data
mining and analytics
Be prepared to implement the Go Forward Plan being developed by the State Board
for Community and Technical Colleges – IT department
Revise the college application/project selection and delivery process to:
o Track more directly institutional goals
o Increase involvement of campus stakeholders
o Be more responsive to the changing environment
o Get more done with less
o Deliver improvement more rapidly
Strategy #5
11
Evaluate and improve communication, support and training options on an ongoing basis to
increase access and use of technology by all college staff and students
Background:
College users are demanding more support in accomplishing their work, not just more
technology tools. Increasing IT literacy, fostering utilization of universal tools, and
improving services and process efficiency for all college staff must become a central
focus of all college units. Emphasis on technology-related training to be delivered via
multiple formats and offered at flexible times are critical to keep college staff and faculty
current with the ever-changing technology tools and processes.
Goals:


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

Foster a college environment where staff and faculty feel confident in using the
college technology tools and systems and keep up with the technology upgrades and
system changes
Provide training to all college constituents through a wide range of modalities,
including face-to-face, asynchronous and self-paced technology-mediated formats
Provide expert and timely technology support to all college users, on and off campus,
with an emphasis on 24x7 support
Improve communication to college staff, faculty and students regarding technology
upgrades, scheduled maintenance and problems so that users can plan accordingly
Seek regular feedback and input from college community by working in close
collaboration with various college committees and stakeholder groups
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:

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




Create a baseline set of technical competencies for existing and new college staff
through a collaboration between the college Information Resources and Human
Resources departments
Implement a comprehensive college-wide technical employee development plan
Explore options to move toward a 24x7 technical support service
Test training options based on different delivery modes, formats and schedules
Use surveys and other feedback mechanisms to continuously analyze
communication, support and training efficacy
Create training materials in a variety of delivery formats
Partner with other colleges, when appropriate, to develop training materials
Strategy #6
Implement integrated solutions to improve student services at all levels of the student
college experience
Background:
Students expect to experience consistency in the quality and ease of use of the online
college student services they access. As a college we need to provide online student
12
services that holistically integrate all aspects of the “student technology life cycle.” In
order to be successful in providing quality online services, the college must involve the
students in the planning and implementation process. This must be a high priority for
the college so that the students’ interactions with the college through its technology
form a positive experience that contributes to an overall impression of high quality of
the institution.
Goals:




Provide personalized online services that seamlessly move the student through
college processes
Plan and prioritize how the college deliver student services via the web by
considering how the student experiences the technology or service
Determine how students interact with technology to create a student life cycle from
recruitment of the prospective student, enrollment of the new student, registration,
attending classes, and through graduation and beyond
Make the technology an enabling and user-friendly process to quality education in all
aspects of the student college life
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:

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
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Research and select a set of online integrated student services
Work with the college community, including students, to create an easy to use
personalized online student services that seamlessly integrate with each other
Incorporate the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) IT
Strategic Plan initiatives where appropriate
Work with the SBCTC “Go Forward Plan” as well as with other colleges, to create a
modern Student Management System that provide 24/7 online student services
Expand the use of the HP Staging Area and Operational Data Store to help build
integrated online student services
Expand the use of SharePoint to create an extranet of online student services
Expand the use of SharePoint and other applications to provide better social
networking services
Provide online student activities as part of the integrated online student services
Provide a means for students to stay connected to the college after they leave
Strategy #7
Assess effectiveness of college technologies and systems, Information Resources
organization, staffing and practices, and college-wide technology policies to optimize
technology efficiency within budget and staffing constraints
Background:
Bellevue College relies on a strong Information Resources (IR) department to manage all
technology systems and services. In order to successfully carry out its mission IR relies on
several critical success factors:


Skilled Staff – Leadership, innovation, expertise, IT expert knowledge and campus
education culture
Capacity to adapt to technology changes
13

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Superior IT systems
Quick responsiveness
Ability to take on complex projects
A strong web application portfolio
Strong data security technologies and policies
Campus collaboration, inclusion, and stake holders buy-in
Wise use of limited budgets and staff
A well thought-out set of technology policies
In order to assess the college technology system and support effectiveness, surveys of
faculty, staff and students are conducted on a regular basis and the results of the survey
analysis inform decisions technology-related decisions at all levels of the organization.
Goals:
The Information Resources department strives to:
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Be a leader in providing opportunities for faculty members not only to learn about
technology but how to adapt it in the classroom
Listen to stakeholders deeply in order to fully understand campus information needs
Provide consultation on what tools may be of benefit according to intended
applications
Research and demonstrate a variety of solutions, and lead when it comes to showing
the possibilities of technology
Support all college functions and units through state-of-the-art technology services
and a technology portfolio of hardware and software solutions
Invite and include feedback and suggestions from all college constituents regarding
existing and future technologies
Effectively balance technology needs and desires with existing constraints in staffing
and budgets
Activities in the next 3 to 5 years:

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Continue to promote technology awareness and engage early adopters of technology
Expand the space for peer-to-peer sharing of best practices
Work across the college to improve our approach to identifying, prioritizing and
delivering information improvements
Continue to gather feedback and suggestions from different college user groups
through surveys, focus groups and other communication venues
Continue to evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of the IR organization,
represented expertise and practices
Continue to refine college technology policies based on ever-changing technology,
security risks and government legislations
Continue to evaluate technology priorities in the context of existing staffing and
budget constraints
14
Conclusion
This strategic planning process served as an opportunity for the college to re-evaluate and
grade itself, reassess its strengths and weaknesses, determine if current approaches are
working appropriately, review whether operational practices are in line with what the college
community needs and expectations, and to dream about the possibilities in the context of
technology solutions.
The strategies outlined in this IT Strategic Plan will serve as the foundation and guide for
the functional and operational work plans of all college departments, with an emphasis on
the Information Resources unit. It is within this context that unit goals, objectives and
measurable actions will be identified and implemented.
The Bellevue College IT Strategic Plan will be reviewed on an annual basis to address
changes in technology, college strategic directions or student expectations, and to face
challenges that could not be envisioned at this time.
15
Appendix A - Vision, Core Values, Mission & Institutional Goals
Vision
Bellevue College will continue to be the region’s college of choice, based on its excellence,
innovation, and national recognition for exemplary programs (See
http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/0411.asp).
Core Values
We, the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and administration of Bellevue College, place
students at the center of all we do and support and promote the excellence of their efforts.
We affirm and embody pluralism; value collaboration and shared decision making; and
honor creativity and innovation. We consider it our duty to anticipate changing demands in
education and welcome the opportunity to shape its future. We acknowledge our
responsibility to society and embrace the belief that widespread access to excellent
postsecondary education is the cornerstone of a democratic society (See
http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/0411.asp).
Mission
Bellevue College is a student-centered, comprehensive and innovative college, committed to
teaching excellence that advances the life-long educational development of its students
while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of its diverse community. The
college promotes student success by providing high-quality, flexible, accessible educational
programs and services; advancing pluralism, inclusion and global awareness; and acting as
a catalyst and collaborator for a vibrant region (See
http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/0411.asp).
Institutional Goals for 2004-2011
(See http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/0411.asp).
 Access: Bellevue College will provide access to educational programs and services
that strengthen the economic, social, and cultural life of its diverse community.
 Student Success: Bellevue College will support students’ lifelong educational
development, by offering programs and services consistent with their needs,
interests and abilities.
 Teaching and Learning Excellence: Bellevue College will offer educational
programs and services that are responsive, flexible, and of the highest quality.
 Institutional Accountability: Bellevue College will maintain a viable and
supportive system of organizational review that verifies and improves college
effectiveness and ensures the integrity of programs.
 Professional and Organizational Excellence: Bellevue College will foster
creativity and innovation, high standards of professional excellence, a developed
sense of community, and continuous organizational renewal.
 Financial Sustainability: Bellevue College will remain preeminent by strengthening
its financial position.
 Technology Leadership: Bellevue College will be a leader in administrative and
educational technology, including online learning.
 Pluralism: Bellevue College will advance diversity programs that promote pluralism,
inclusion, and global awareness.
 Community Leadership and Partnership: Bellevue College will be a leader and
partner in building a strong and vibrant region.
16
Appendix B – Analysis
Present Situation
IR’s mission directly relates to the College’s mission of being a “student-centered,
comprehensive and innovative college, committed to teaching excellence that advances the
life-long educational development of its students while strengthening the economic, social
and cultural life of a diverse community.”
IR specifically addresses Bellevue College’s institutional goal #7, Technology Leadership,
by helping “Bellevue College be a leader in administrative and educational technology,
including online learning.” Table 1 provides a detailed description of this goal and its
objectives.
Three Year Outcome
Assessing Results
Objective 7.1
Objective 7.2
The College will increase operation and management
efficiency and effectiveness by 5 percent annually
through technology applications that enhance student
learning and facilitate college management. The
College will increase distance offerings by at least 8 to
10 percent per year.
Surveys of staff and faculty will be used to measure
the effectiveness and efficiency created in technology
applications.
Develop regional and national model of a managed,
effective program for online instruction that ensures
quality education and services for online and oncampus students, faculty, staff, and the community.
(Instruction and Information Resources)
Plan and implement an aggressive technology plan
that supports College operations and provides a
“virtual campus” of comprehensive self-directed
services for staff, students, potential students and
other “users” of college services. (Information
Resources)
Table 1. Technology Leadership – Goal 7 description & objectives
For the analysis of our present situation, we relied on a number of assessment tools such
as: key performance indicators, SWOT analysis, campus satisfaction surveys, and key
success factors.
Performance Indicators
Bellevue College is known among all Washington State Community and Technical Colleges
as a leader in technology. This reputation transcended state boundaries when Bellevue
College became the second Microsoft IT Showcase School in 2006. This honor made our
College the first community college ever to receive such distinction. To rise to this level of
achievement requires significant technology infrastructure. To support Bellevue College’s
leadership role a number of technology infrastructure changes took place over time. A
17
historical overall picture illustrates the growth level and intensity of these changes. For this
analysis we have researched a number of key performance indicators in the last four
academic years and summarized them on Table 2 (below).
Indicators
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
Enrollment
35,000
34,584
34,785
33,671
Staff
567
547
575
572
FT Faculty
157
155
154
155
PT Faculty
826
805
804
749
Bandwidth
20MB
20MB
25MB
35MB
Computers
Servers
Phone lines
Electronic Classrooms
Request Center
9,412
9,739
9,865
10,202
STSC
588
956
1,150
1,421
Wireless Utilization
BbVistaOnline
12,205
13,933
15,307
18,075
BbVistaTelecourses
655
422
259
208
BbVista Hybrid courses
31
2,832
3,741
4,900
Web site visits
139,212
319,098
Web site hits
10,544,377
21,224,161
MyBC Portal Usage1
16,474
16,793
14,701
MyClasses sites
1,769
2,336
2,175
MyClasses Storage (MB)
12,379
14,502
18,330
Portal Training
56
40
22
0
BbVista Training
7
60
15
23
FRC Training
31
64
13
63
1
Portal Stats based only on Feb-July time period. MyBC Portal released to employees Sept ’04, to Students in
Jan’05, Course sites Jan ’06.
Table 2. Historical Overall Technology Indicators
SWOT Analysis.
As part of the Strategic Planning process both the Technology Advisory Committee and the
Information Resources Management Team participated in a variety of reflecting and
visioning exercises, yielding data that helps paint a broad picture of the current and desired
future states of affairs in terms of technology at Bellevue College.
The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) Analysis helped audit our
operations and environment while providing guidance and direction for the future. By
looking at strengths and weaknesses we can assess the internal Information Resources’
environment, while the external forces affecting IR are assessed by the analysis of
opportunities and threats.
18
Strengths












Personnel technical expertise
Staff Retention
Student support
Prompt Service
E-mail management
Systems upload time
LMC IT support
Creative & innovative solutions
Effectiveness of internal practices
Purchasing Support
Latest technology in labs
Application portfolio (Request Center, Degree
Audit, Emergency Alert system, Survey
Generation Tool)
 IT/Business alignment
 Availability of Technology
 BC Tech-inclined culture
 Increasing scope of WLAN
 Instructional Material Distribution Options
 Web Presence
 IT Security info dissemination
 IT Policies
 Executive level of Dean of IR
 IR Organizational Hierarchy
 IT Centralized Governance
 Representation on TAC
 Top management support
 Influence IT State decision-making
 Student Technology Fee
 Economies of scale
Opportunities
 Funding sources
 Build on State Technology Transformation
Task Force initiatives
 Student Survey
 CTC Shared resources
 Media shared tech in collaborations and
classrooms
 Teaching & Learning Center
 Unified Messaging – VoIP
 Smart Boards
 Smart ID cards
 Off-shelf solutions
 Business Intelligence
 Increase software integration
 Succession Planning
 Virtualization Technologies
 State IT Initiatives
 Increased automation of business processes
 Impact of IT in T&L
 User empowerment
 Increase availability of ‘Virtual Campus’
 Increased online collaboration
 Outsourcing
 Server application upgrades
 New domain infrastructure
Weaknesses
















Threats






















WLAN coverage
Inadequate staffing levels
Decline in training opportunities
Funding models
HP Downtime
CIS Data Legacy Systems
Application Delivery timeline and
backlog
MyBC Access, accuracy, search tool
Navigational websites
Low % of electronic classrooms
Drop-in “how to” help
Transcript setup software
Inadequacy of server room facilities
Inconsistent/unstable annual funding
allocations
Misguided campus perception of IT
roles and responsibilities
Ambiguity of business process
ownership
Technology security
Unstable funding
IT facilities and infrastructure
Inadequate user IT training
Federal and state mandates
Network Bandwidth
Organizational changes
CIS Re-hosting Project
Expanding multi-campus support
High impact disasters
Competition for staff resources
Support of legacy systems
Demand/supply balance
Rate of IT growth
Staff burnout & retention
Records retention
E-mail archiving
Limited cross-training
Inadequacy of server room facilities
User expectations of uptime
Changes in enrollment
Economic downturns
Table 3. SWOT Analysis
19
Campus Satisfaction Survey
In April 2008 IR conducted a campus-wide satisfaction survey to concretely measure and
garnish feedback regarding how our campus users perceived us. In total 212 users took part
on this survey, of which 31% of the respondents were faculty members and the other 69%
were staff and college administrators. A total of 53% of all respondents rated their
satisfaction level with IR efforts as Good, while 26% of faculty and 36% of
staff/administrators rated it as Excellent.
The survey, focused on responsiveness, timeliness, quality of service, adequacy and
reliability of key IT resources, key areas in which IR could assist the campus, user’s
confidence level in their understanding of IT Security Standards and Policies and overall
satisfaction levels. The results are reflected in the tables below.
Responsiveness
Timeliness
Quality
of
Service
User's IT Sec
Understanding
Strongly Agree
Overall Satisfaction
Excellent
Faculty
50%
42%
45%
27%
26%
Staff/Admin
52%
51%
51%
34%
36%
Agree
Good
Faculty
35%
40%
39%
53%
53%
Staff/Admin
38%
38%
38%
51%
53%
Neutral
9
Faculty
10%
10%
13%
17%
5%
Staff/Admin
9%
7%
7%
12%
8%
Faculty
5%
8%
2%
3%
2%
Staff/Admin
0%
3%
3%
2%
0%
Disagree
Poor
Strongly Disagree
Needs Improvement
Faculty
0%
1%
1%
0%
Staff/Admin
1%
0%
2%
1%
2%
1%
No Opinion
Faculty
5%
Staff/Admin
2%
Table 4. Campus Survey - Overall Results
20
Adequacy
of
Resources
Phones
Wireless
HP3000
Internet
E-mail
Faculty
Excellent
Good
21.67%
40%
6.67%
15%
0%
10%
38.33% 41.67%
38.33% 36.67%
Computer
Labs
20 %
Electronic
Podiums
16.67%
Desktop
Systems
35%
28.33%
Fair
10%
20%
1.67%
5%
8.33%
Needs
No
Poor Improvement Opinion
6.67%
5%
16.67%
3.33%
10%
45%
6.67%
5%
76.67%
0%
8.33%
6.67%
3.33%
8.33%
5%
8.33%
0%
1.61%
66.94%
38.33% 11.67%
0%
11.67%
21.67%
36.67% 11.67% 3.33%
5%
8.33%
5%
71.67%
5%
1.67%
6.67%
5%
3.33%
46.67%
Adaptive
Technology
1.67%
8.33%
Request
Center
36.67%
41.67%
21.67%
41.67% 18.33% 6.67%
Portal
(MyBC)
Emergency
Alert
System
6.67%
25%
11.67% 1.67%
15%
0%
16.67% 1.67%
Table 5. Campus Survey - Adequacy of Resources (Faculty Responses)
21
Adequacy
of
Resources
Staff/Admin
Needs
No
Good
Fair
Poor Improvement Opinion
45.97% 12.10% 1.61%
4.03%
4.03%
23.39% 5.65% 3.23%
9.68%
41.13%
19.35% 12.90% 4.84%
12.10%
42.74%
41.94% 5.65% 0.81%
1.61%
6.45%
38.71% 6.45% 3.23%
2.42%
4.03%
Phones
Wireless
HP3000
Internet
E-mail
Excellent
32.26%
16.94%
8.06%
43.55%
45.16%
Computer
Labs
17.74%
12.90%
3.23%
0%
1.61%
64.52%
Electronic
Podiums
8.06%
19.35%
7.26%
0.81%
3.23%
61.29%
Desktop
Systems
23.39%
48.39% 10.48% 0.81%
0%
16.94%
Adaptive
Technology
8.06%
12.10%
6.45%
0.81%
1.61%
70.97%
Request
Center
45.16%
39.52%
5.65%
0.81%
3.23%
5.65%
20.16%
41.13% 16.13% 4.84%
4.03%
13.71%
16.94%
31.45%
4.03%
37.90%
Portal
(MyBC)
Emergency
Alert
System
7.26%
2.42%
Table 6. Campus Survey - Adequacy of Resources (Staff & Administrator Responses)
22
Reliability
of
Resources
Phones
Wireless
HP3000
Internet
E-mail
Faculty
Needs
No
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor Improvement Opinion
33.33%
40%
8.33%
2%
3.33%
13.33%
8.33%
20%
11.67% 3.33%
10 %
46.67%
8.33%
8.33%
0%
5%
78.33%
43.33%
40%
6.67%
0%
5%
5%
43.33% 43.33% 3.33% 3.33%
3.33%
3.33%
Computer
Labs
20%
30%
5%
0%
1.67%
43.33%
Electronic
Podiums
18.33%
35%
10%
5%
8.33%
23.33%
Desktop
Systems
31.67%
36.67% 13.33% 1.67%
1.67%
15%
Adaptive
Technology
3.33%
11.67%
1.67%
3.33%
73.33
Request
Center
38.33%
38.33% 11.67% 1.67%
3.33%
6.67%
25%
48.33%
3.33%
6.67%
8.33%
10%
26.67% 11.67%
0%
1.67%
50%
Portal
(MyBC)
Emergency
Alert
System
6.67%
8.33%
Table 7. Campus Survey - Reliability of Resources (Faculty Responses)
23
Staff/Admin
Reliability
of
Resources
Needs
Good
Fair
Poor Improvement
45.16% 9.68%
0%
2.42%
19.35% 7.26% 3.23%
7.26%
18.55% 18.55% 1.61%
7.26%
40.32% 9.68%
0%
1.61%
38.71% 8.06% 2.42%
3.23%
No
Opinion
3.23%
44.35%
42.74%
4.03%
4.84%
Phones
Wireless
HP3000
Internet
E-mail
Excellent
39.52%
18.55%
11.29%
44.35%
42.74%
Computer
Labs
20.16%
10.48%
0.81%
0%
1.61%
66.94%
Electronic
Podiums
12.10%
15.32%
6.45%
0%
1.61%
64.52%
Desktop
Systems
28.23%
39.52% 11.29% 0.81%
0.81%
19.35%
Adaptive
Technology
10.48%
11.29%
4.84%
0%
1.61%
71.77%
50%
37.10%
4.84%
0.81%
2.42%
4.84%
27.42%
35.48% 12.90% 4.03%
2.42%
17.74%
16.94%
31.45%
4.03%
37.90%
Request
Center
Portal
(MyBC)
Emergency
Alert
System
7.26%
2.42%
Table 8. Campus Survey - Reliability of Resources (Staff & Administrator Responses)
Training
Adequacy
Microsoft
Office
MyBC
Excellent
8.40%
9.48%
Good
Neutral
Fair
Needs
Improvement
30.25% 15.13% 3.36%
15.13%
27.59% 20.69% 1.72%
10.34%
Total STAFF/ADMIN Respondents
No
Opinion
Response
Totals
27.73%
30.17%
119
116
123
Table 9. Campus Survey - Training Adequacy
24
Training
Adequacy
Microsoft
Office
MyBC
MyBC
Class Sites
Blackboard
Vista
Excellent
Good
Neutral
Fair
Needs
Improvement
No
opinion
Total
8.47%
8.47%
16.95%
23.73%
18.64%
13.56%
1.69%
5.08%
6.78%
10.17%
47.46%
38.98%
59
59
8.47%
25.42%
5.08%
5.08%
8.47%
47.46%
59
15.25% 10.17% 3.39%
Total FACULTY Respondents
10.17%
49.15%
59
59
11.86%
Table 10. Campus Survey - Training Adequacy
Critical Issues IR
could assist with
Teaching &
Learning
Faculty
12%
Staff/Admin
17%
Administrative
Processes
6%
15%
Customer
Service
6%
15%
Table 11. Campus Survey - Critical Issues IR could assist with
In addition to the satisfaction survey, we polled the campus community via an open-ended
electronic survey for assistance in our strategic planning efforts. Full text results will be
listed on the Information Resources portal site.
Key Success Factors
For Information Resources to successfully carry out its mission the department must be very
good at a number of things. The IR Management Team concluded that our key success
factors are:







Skilled Staff – Leadership, innovation, expertise, know-how of IT and campus
education culture
Capacity to adapt to technology changes
Superior IT systems
Quick responsiveness
Ability to take on complex projects
Web application portfolio
Campus collaboration, inclusion, and stake holders buy-in
25
Current Challenges
As we move forward we face a number of technological challenges, which we call our “worry
list”:


HP re-hosting project cancelation– Our legacy HP 3000 houses the most mission
critical data systems on campus: Student, Financial and Personnel Management
Systems. These systems were developed by the Center for Information Systems
(CIS) for all Washington State Community and Technical Colleges. Any HP downtime
also affects Web Transaction Server, online class scheduling, and Instructor
Briefcase, an application used by Instructors to manage their class enrollment
information. The HP 3000 hardware is no longer produced and related software
development and support has now ceased. Though the systems’ Go Forward
response is largely beyond our scope, we took steps to continuously improve campus
users’ access to information. IR made infrastructure improvements including a
staging area and operational data store which allow us to move data from the HP
3000 and convert it to SQL format. This enables the college to move forward with
application development. Other colleges are adopting this approach to campus data
management, which will enable the community college system to more easily share
software applications. Therefore the system is moving to improve information
services on campus without waiting for Go Forward results. Any HP replacement will
serve as a source for this campus data management approach. Additionally this
approach paves the way for data warehousing/business intelligence solutions that
support knowledge-based decision-making. IR is in the process of upgrading its
staging area and data center so it is in a dedicated environment and can respond to
the growing demands from the college community.
Inadequate funding models to meet IT demands – The college budget allocation
process allows IR to identify all IT-related college obligations that must be funded if
it expects to be able to offer services to the campus community. These are mainly
licenses and technology contracts the College must have in place in order to
function, such as: Microsoft Campus Software License Agreement, Internet (K-20
network) connection, phone lines and their respective maintenance contracts. As the
concept entails the college is obligated to fund these if it expects to be able to offer
services to the campus community. Outside these basic IT obligations, all other IT
funding has no guarantee of being approved and must be requested on a yearly
basis from President Staff. Over the past 10 years the college has allocated, on
average $100,000/year, for capitalization of administrative network servers and
infrastructure. Any other technology needs have been funded through one-time only
money, which is requested as needed within the budget planning cycle deadlines. Up
until three fiscal years ago, equipment funds were also given directly to the
programs and division. These funds were also meant to replace desktop computers
but over time most divisions used their funds for office equipment needs such as
computers for newly added positions (growth) but not to replace the increasingly
aging desktop systems. Resulting in about 75% of all faculty/staff systems being 7
years old. As a result, IR staff spent most of their time dealing with trying to repair
the almost un-repairable and worker’s productivity sank, as users across campus
were literally unable to perform their tasks due to poor computing performance.
Administrative desktop computers reached the point they were unable to keep up
with the minimum requirements of new operating systems and productivity software.
It was at this point that the College took action and allocated $167,000 for three
consecutive fiscal years for the replacement of desktop computers. Today, we enjoy
the computing power of systems that meet minimum requirements but we risk facing
the same issues as in the past unless the college sets aside capital funding to
26




continue the life-cycle replacement of administrative computers on a yearly basis.
Academic technology needs are funded almost entirely by the Student Technology
Fee and adhere to a 3-year life-cycle replacement. The Student Technology Fee
Oversight Committee, led by the Associated Student Government, is the organism
that approves the use of these funds.
Inadequacy of our Data Center facilities – Over the past few years the demand
for more technology resources and applications has resulted in a significant growth in
the number of server and devices within our server rooms. It has gotten to the point
that we have physically outgrown our server room in terms of power and air
conditioning needs. To help address this need, funds have been set aside in the
2008-2009 budget to add more server room space, air conditioning, fire suppression
systems, additional electrical circuits and a larger back-up generator. IR is also
migrating to blade servers and virtualization, which will help reduce the amount of
space needed for the servers and enhance efficiency.
IT Staffing - Increasing institutional IT demands are stretching the limits of our IT
staffing resulting in increased response times, error rates, overtime, burnout, and
creating staff retention issues. Like most colleges, Bellevue College has difficulty
hiring qualified application developers and network administrators. Even though the
pay is good, it still can’t complete with the outside market. It often takes up to a
year to fill a vacant position, which in turn creates more stress on remaining staff.
Technology has also become more complex and sophisticated to implement and
manage. We continue to add to the number and complexity of our systems,
stakeholder needs and expectations trend up, however staffing levels remain
basically the same. In response to lean staffing, we consistently look at ways to
increase IR efficiencies, including streamlined workflows, automation, and new
approaches to the work.
Application Development Backlog - Although in-house development at Bellevue
College has dramatically increased productivity, we are not satisfied with our ability
to meet campus needs for improvement. Concerns include project prioritization, iBC
governance, lack of campus workflow knowledge, lack of holistic view/overall context
and the inability to meet customer needs in a timely manner. IR has deployed 21
applications since 2004-2005,however cannot keep up with the demand for new
ones. Developers spend more time maintaining existing applications, reducing their
availability to create new ones. A more systemic approach to campus needs can
bring improvements in this area. It is time to move to a leaner and more responsive
approach to the changing campus climate. This will require committed product
management (users) at the division level participating in nearly continuous feedback
loops with developers. The new model emphasizes fast, incremental improvement
and exploits recent infrastructure upgrades, including our campus data architecture
and SharePoint. It is time to move from a conversation about which application to
buy or build this year and toward a conversation about what information is most
critical next quarter or next week.
Lack of Technology Training – Users require regular technology training
opportunities that meet their needs. These must be offered in a variety of formats,
and at flexible times. Product integration of the basic office productivity applications
with major business tools such as MS SharePoint and Performance Point Servers,
also create an increasing need for user training in order for the College to make the
most out of its software investment.
27
Appendix C – Information Resources Organizational Chart
28
Appendix D – Bellevue College Named Microsoft IT Showcase School
Only second in the nation to receive designation.
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Nov. 20, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. today designated Bellevue Community College
(BCC) the second Microsoft® IT Showcase School in the nation, recognizing the college’s leadership in
preparing students for the digital age.
“The future economic health of our region and the nation depends on preparing students for the growing
opportunities provided by advances in technology,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at
Microsoft. “That’s why we support Bellevue Community College’s trailblazing efforts in technology
education. We want to help other colleges learn from BCC’s success, so that even more students can
benefit.”
The IT Showcase School program seeks to recognize those institutions of higher learning that have
demonstrated leadership in information technology (IT) education and teaching and help them share that
knowledge and experience broadly.
In naming BCC an IT Showcase School, Microsoft highlighted the college’s following programs and
achievements:
 Annual Working Connections summer seminars to train teachers in new IT programs and
concepts (created in cooperation with Microsoft)
 Fast Track training programs (full certificate programs condensed to six to eight months of
intensive study, focused primarily on Microsoft technologies and certification), which were
pioneered by BCC and are now emulated across the nation
 IT Job-Shadowing for high school and community college teachers
 National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (a National Science Foundation Advanced
Technology Education Center of Excellence), which develops IT skill standards and curricula and
helps promote best practices in technology education to benefit students, faculty and industry
regionally and nationally
 Business Intelligence certificate programs (among the few offered in an area of growing need for
employers)
 Life Sciences Informatics programs and National Life Sciences Informatics Center of Excellence,
one of five biotech education centers nationally supported by the U.S. Department of Labor
 Innovative MyBCC Web portal created collaboratively with Microsoft, providing a central point of
access to commonly used tools, applications and services; individual course sites that allow
faculty to distribute online materials to students; and innovative data-mining tools for college
administrators to use in forecasting and decision-making.
“We are honored to be chosen by Microsoft as its second national IT Showcase School and its only
community college. BCC has, for many years, developed innovative programs that educate students to
be adaptable to changing environments and emerging technologies,” said Jean Floten, president of BCC.
“A great deal of our success in IT education is due to the support Microsoft has provided community and
technical colleges nationally as part of its intense commitment to the advancement of education. Its
additional support now will help us all continue to turn out the students our employers need to stay
competitive.”
Schools in the IT Showcase School program will benefit from a deep relationship with Microsoft and
access to a broad array of customized learning resources tailored to the schools’ specific needs. Further,
Microsoft will support schools in the program so that they may accomplish the following goals:


Share best practices
Highlight innovative curriculum and pedagogy
29


Collaborate with other schools looking to adopt innovative IT curricula and programs and
encourage women and minority enrollments in IT
Create the technical infrastructure needed to support future innovation
BCC has a strong history of collaboration with Microsoft, including premier membership status in the
Microsoft IT Academy Program, offering up-to-date training, education and certification preparation using
Microsoft technologies and Microsoft-certified instructors.
BCC is also the largest provider of Microsoft training and education among Washington state’s 34
community and technical colleges and one of the largest in the country. BCC delivers hundreds of
courses annually for thousands of students and industry professionals pursuing advanced training and
certification using Microsoft products.
BCC was also the first college in the nation to deliver Microsoft .NET programming training for incumbent
workers and operates one of the highest-volume testing centers for Microsoft certifications in the U.S.
BCC joins the University of Massachusetts Amherst, selected in October 2005 as the first national
Microsoft IT Showcase School for its strong Information Technology Program, IT Curriculum Case
Studies, Learning Commons, Women in Technology Initiatives, Center for Teaching and other leadership
IT programs.
About Bellevue Community College
Serving 35,000 students annually, Bellevue Community College is Washington State’s third largest
institution of higher education. BCC offers transfer study (the first two years of college) as well as careerrelated training in 90 fields including information technology, health sciences and business. BCC’s
Continuing Education division offers programs in computing, various work-related topics, art, travel,
languages and personal enrichment, as well as business contract training and small business
development. Visit BCC on the web at www.bcc.ctc.edu.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software; services and solutions
that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the
Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed.
For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or
other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.
30
Appendix E - Information Technology Strategic Plan Advisors
Technology Advisory Committee 2008-2009-2010 Members:
Justin Abassi, 2008-09 ASG Emerging Technology Representative
Burke Colquhoun, 2009-10 ASG Emerging Technology Representative
Melissa Sitzenstock, Student Services Representative
Greg Schmidt, North Campus Representative
Steve Yarborough, Faculty Representative
James Kelly, Faculty Representative
Thomas Almli, Faculty Representative
Martha Stevens, Faculty Representative
David Maxwell, Administrative Services Representative
Myra Van Vactor, Library Director
Mike Talbott, Dean of Information Resources
Justin Hart, Information Resources Administrative Assistant
Mary Slowinski, Curriculum Development Services
Asha Nelson, Education Technology Services
Agnes Figueroa Martínez, Computing Services Director
Gary Farris, IT Security Administrator
Carol Robinson, Application Support Services Administrator
Information Resources Management Team Members:
Mike Talbott, Dean of Information Resources
Justin Hart, Information Resources Administrative Assistant
Keith Mutch, Technology Development Support Services Director
Lori Tiede, Web Services Director
Agnes Figueroa Martínez, Computing Services Director
Gary Farris, IT Security Administrator
Carol Robinson, Application Support Services Administrator
Gary Mahn, Re-hosting Administrator
Document Editors:
Agnes Figueroa Martínez
Michèle Royer
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Appendix F - Definitions
Adaptive Technology – Refers to the realm of “products, devices or equipment, whether
acquired commercially, modified or customized, that are used to maintain, increase or
improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities."
(http://section508.gov/docs/AT1998.html Assistive Technology Act of 1998, 105-394,
S.2432)
Analytics – “Analytics leverage data in a particular functional process (or application) to
enable context-specific insight that is actionable." (Gartner’s Definition,
http://www.infoworld.com/t/data-management/analytics-buzzword-needs-carefuldefinition-567)
Bandwidth – “Bandwidth refers to how much data you can send through a network or
modem connection. It is usually measured in bits per second, or "bps." You can think of
bandwidth as a highway with cars travelling on it. The highway is the network connection
and the cars are the data. The wider the highway, the more cars can travel on it at one
time. Therefore more cars can get to their destinations faster. The same principle applies to
computer data -- the more bandwidth, the more information that can be transferred within
a given amount of time.” (http://www.techterms.com/definition/bandwidth)
Business Intelligence - Business Intelligence is a broad category of applications and
technologies for gathering, storing, analyzing, and providing access to data to help clients
make better business decisions. (http://www.utbi.utoronto.ca/gethelp/glossary.htm)
Business Process - the various systems employed by a business to make it run efficiently.
(http://www.eduka.com/News/Glossary-of-Terms.aspx)
Content Management - A set of processes and technologies that support the evolutionary
lifecycle of digital information, also known as content. Content may take the form of text,
images, audio, video, email, web pages or any other type of file or record requiring
management. (http://www.comandsolutions.com/resources/glossary.html)
Course casting - The idea is to use course casting to supplement, and occasionally replace,
large and impersonal lectures.
(http://www.cramersweeney.com/cs_id/trainingblog/2005/12/course-casting-is-here.htm)
Dashboard - In information technology, a dashboard is a user interface that, somewhat
resembling an automobile's dashboard, organizes and presents information in a way that is
easy to read. However, a computer dashboard is more likely to be interactive than an
automobile dashboard (unless it is also computer-based).
(http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci804078,00.html)
Data Warehouse - A repository of corporate or institutional data that is organized in a way
that is meaningful for Business Analysis and Reporting. It may also store historical
information. A data warehouse is a collection of data marts [logical subset of related
information]. (http://www.utbi.utoronto.ca/gethelp/glossary.htm)
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Data Mining - Data mining is sorting through data to identify patterns and establish
relationships. Used as a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, it can take
advantage of the huge amount of information gathered by a Web site to look for patterns in
user/customer behavior. The results are used to understand customer behavior, evaluate
the effectiveness of a particular Web site, and help quantify the success of a marketing
campaign. (http://www.eduka.com/News/Glossary-of-Terms.aspx)
eLearning - to take a course online using a modem, wireless, or cable connection to access
academic course material from a computer, phone, or handheld device.
(http://www.govst.edu/elearning/default.aspx?id=12984)
E-mail Archiving - E-mail archiving is a systematic approach to saving and protecting the
data contained in e-mail messages so it can be accessed quickly at a later date. In the past,
companies often relied on end-users to maintain their own individual e-mail archives. The IT
department would back up e-mail, but not in a manner that made messages searchable. If a
specific e-mail needed to be traced, it often took weeks to find it. With today's compliance
legislation and legal discovery rules, it has become necessary for many IT departments to
manage the entire company's e-mail archiving in bulk so specific messages can be located
in minutes, not weeks. (http://it.jhu.edu/glossary/def.html)
Green IT or Green Computing – is the study and practice of using computing resources
efficiently. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_IT)
Learning Management System - is commercial software product that enables instructors
to provide course materials to students with access to a computer, phone, or handheld
device via an Internet connection. (http://www.govst.edu/elearning/default.aspx?id=12984)
Operational Data Store - An operational data store (ODS) is a type of database often
used as an interim area for a data warehouse. Unlike a data warehouse, which contains
static data, the contents of the ODS are updated through the course of business operations.
An ODS is designed to quickly perform relatively simple queries on small amounts of data
(such as finding the status of a customer order), rather than the complex queries on large
amounts of data typical of the data warehouse. An ODS is similar to your short term
memory in that it stores only very recent information; in comparison, the data warehouse is
more like long term memory in that it stores relatively permanent information.
(http://searchoracle.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid41_gci786730,00.html)
SharePoint Portal - Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) is the full version of a
portal-based platform for collaboratively creating, managing and sharing documents and
Web services. MOSS enables users to create "Sharepoint Portals" that include shared
workspaces, applications, blogs, wikis and other documents accessible through a Web
browser. (http://searchwinit.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid1_gci1284054,00.html)
Server Consolidation - Server consolidation is an approach to the efficient usage of
computer server resources in order to reduce the total number of servers or server locations
that an organization requires. The practice developed in response to the problem of server
sprawl, a situation in which multiple, under-utilized servers take up more space and
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consume more resources than can be justified by their workload.
(http://it.jhu.edu/glossary/def.html)
Social Networking - In the online world social networking is the term used to describe the
way that users build online networks of contacts and interact with these personal or
business friends in a secure environment. Some of the most popular social networking sites
include Facebook and MySpace. (www.awamedia.com/jargon_buster)
Unified Messaging - delivery of various forms of messaging data to a single device.
Unified Messaging frequently includes delivery of all or a portion of the following services:
phone service, voice mail, Email, calendar, paging and fax messages.
Universal Design - Designing for the largest audience possible regardless of disability or
ability. This is a process rather than an end in itself.
(http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/support/Training/Online/webdesign/glossary/u.html)
Virtualization - A method of partitioning one physical server computer into multiple
“virtual” servers, giving each the appearance and capabilities of running on its own
dedicated machine. Each virtual server functions as a full-fledged server and can be
independently rebooted. (http://www.comandsolutions.com/resources/glossary.html)
VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that employs the IP protocol by
telecommunications vendors and service providers in order to transmit voice messages over
standard IP based transmission services. (http://it.jhu.edu/glossary/def.html)
Web 2.0 - refers to the second generation of the Web, which enables people with no
specialized technical knowledge to create their own websites, to self-publish, create and
upload audio and video files, share photos and information and complete a variety of other
tasks. (www.capilanou.ca/help/active-cms/glossary.html)
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Bibliography
Microsoft Press (2006). Bellevue Community College Named Microsoft IT Showcase School Press Release. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/nov06/1120BCCMSITShowcasePR.mspx.
Richey, R. C. (2008). Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field. TechTrends:
Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning; Jan2008, Vol. 52 Issue 1, p24-25,
2p.
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