Information
Technology
Five-Year
Strategic
Master Plan
(To be updated annually)
2005-2010
1
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 3
IT Strategic Priorities and Goals .................................................................................... 4
IT Goals ......................................................................................................................... 5
Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 6
Strategic Priority I Infrastructure ........................................................................................ 7
Strategic Priority II Enterprise Systems .............................................................................. 8
Strategic Priority III Academic Support ............................................................................. 8
Strategic Priority IV College Community Support ............................................................. 8
Strategic Priority V IT Governance .................................................................................... 8
Appendix ...............................................................................................................................
ITS Operational Objectives 2005-2006 ...........................................................................
Goals of the IT Master Plan .............................................................................................
IT planning retreat ...........................................................................................................
IT Organizational Structure .............................................................................................
Top 10 Issues Colleges Nation-wide ...............................................................................
Top 10 IT Issues at UVSC ...............................................................................................
1
Executive Summary
Vision for the Future
As technological innovation progresses during the next ten years, emphasis will shift from the highly technical
and complex devices to commodity-based technologies with an emphasis on content rather than technology.
Technology expectations and needs will continue to grow as the
college moves toward university status. However, the rapid
Technology must not only
change in technology and rising costs of both purchasing and
be implemented but also
maintaining it are significant issues for UVSC.
maintained while new
technologies are explored.
The future will bring technology that creates a better learning,
teaching, and workplace environment through workflows,
automation, self service, and communication tools that build
communities and increase efficiency in information exchange
through personalized and timely content. Learning (both on and off campus) will be more accessible and
enhanced by technology. The ability to offer services will become more necessary and complex just as the
number and types of technology-enriched services offered to the campus community will continue to increase.
Utah Valley State will continue to lead in the state as it invests in the technology and people needed to bring this
about.
Background
Utah Valley State (UVSC) has been an educational-facilitative technologies leader in the State of Utah.
Our automated, on-line services have profoundly affected UVSC’s academic and administrative
programs, including such area-specific services as: admissions, registration, parking, BookMatch, a
student and employee portal, payment system, degree audit system, Web content management systems,
room scheduling, and the largest installation in the state of the course management system WebCT.
Over the past decade, UVSC faculty, students, and staff have become all but wholly dependant upon
technology for academic and administrative functions and services. This is not to say that teaching and
learning cannot take place at UVSC without technology, quite the opposite is true: our faculty and
students are what makes UVSC a first-rate State of Utah institution. But, at the same time, over the past
decade, UVSC has made a substantial investment in technology that has paid high dividends. Faculty,
students, and staff have become accustomed to reliable systems that support their needs and grow with
them. Thus, it is critical for the college to protect, maintain, and continue to develop the technological
systems that actively support the mission, goals, and strategic directions of the college.
Information technology impacts:
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the day-to-day operation of the college
the college’s productivity and efficiency
the way the college communicates internally and externally
the way the college serves its customers
the learning and teaching environment
the way the college is perceived
the way the college exists in the Information Age
2
IT Strategic Priorities & Goals
Based upon the college’s Strategic Directions and the Senior Administration’s Administrative Priorities
for technology (see exhibits), IT Goals have been developed and divided into five Strategic Priorities.
Each priority has goals and objectives with timelines that support the current strategic directions of the
college. These strategic priorities are:
Strategic Priority I: Infrastructure
Provide a college-wide, secure, and reliable technology infrastructure for the college that
supports communications, teaching, learning, research and other creative activities, and that
delivers administrative and student services.
Strategic Priority II: Enterprise Systems & Infostructure
Improve administrative effectiveness and access to information through the effective use of
the administrative systems and innovative technological applications, driven by institutional
needs.
Strategic Priority III: Academic Support
Enhance the instructional and academic mission of the college through the use and support of
technology used in teaching, learning, applied research, and the support of academics.
Strategic Priority IV: College Community Support
Support the individualized college community, use of technology, at a support level defined
by the institution.
Strategic Priority V: IT Governance
Proactively examine, consider, and implement methodologies for continuous improvements in
the areas of information technology management, planning, coordination, communications
and stewardship.
Within each of these priorities there are three basic support levels for goals and objectives. They are:
1
2
3
Support Level 1 – Basic Functionality: critical to meeting basic needs as defined by the
college.
Support Level 2 – Improvement: moves towards reliability, redundancy and meeting the
ideals of users.
Support Level 3 – Innovation and Initiatives: develop and deploy technology not
currently available on campus. Important for creativity and progress to new
technologies.
While it is important that goals and objectives exist on all of these support levels with none being neglected,
levels are used by the institution as a guide for determining how goals and objectives meet the institutional needs.
These levels are based on the College’s administrative priorities above. Identifying these levels helps to ensure
that all goals and objectives are clearly identified as to how they meet the needs of the institution. Levels for
each objective will be determined by the Enterprise IT committee.
3
Summary of IT Goals
I.
Strategic Priority: Infrastructure
Provide a college-wide, secure, reliable technology infrastructure that supports communications, teaching,
learning, research and other creative activities, and that delivers administrative and student services, as
shown in the following goals:
II.
A.
Keep internet and intranet operating and functional 95% of the time.
B.
Keep the phone system operating and functional 99.99% of the time.
C.
Keep cable TV and video conferencing operating and functional 90% of the time.
D.
Maintain SAN storage with an average 100 MB for students and 1 GB for employees.
E.
Define backup levels and maintain the defined backups on CRITICAL business systems.
F.
Maintain and keep updated all UVSC core business servers and technology systems
keeping critical server hardware under five years old.
G.
Reduce the number of servers on campus by consolidating servers to less than 200.
H.
Provide for department servers through use of centralized resources.
I.
Improve IT security by adequately securing college-wide, sensitive data and systems.
J.
Eliminate storage of sensitive data in non-secured, non-approved shadow database
systems including storage of social security numbers, credit card numbers, and
passwords.
Strategic Priority: Enterprise Systems & Infostructure
Improve administrative effectiveness and access to information through the effective use of the
administrative systems and innovative technological applications, driven by institutional needs, as shown in
the following goals:
A.
Maintain core business system (e.g. Banner) and provide information services necessary for
college business and decision making.
B.
Re-create critical reporting functionality for the Banner system lost in the transition.
C.
Create No-stop, services for student and employees on-line.
D.
Develop and maintain functional accurate websites.
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III.
Strategic Priority: Academic Support
Enhance the instructional and academic mission of the college through the use and support of technology
used in teaching, learning, applied research, and the support of academics, as shown in the following goals:
A.
Have smart classrooms available to all faculty increasing number by 3-5 each year and
providing equipment checkout for areas without them.
B.
Support grant and research proposals.
C.
Meet Northwest Accreditation guidelines to support academics with infrastructure and
equipment.
D.
Support Distance Education and on-line academic resources.
IV.
Strategic Priority: College Community Support
Support individualized, college community use of technology at a support level defined by the institution, as
shown in the following goals:
A.
Maintain open labs and kiosks available for campus service
B.
Continue Help Desk support available 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday. No Sundays.
C.
Continue service support response time for Help Desk and IT services within 24 hours.
D.
Create a plan for after hours support of technology & information.
E.
Participate in employee training activities providing training for technology
F.
Migrate wireless infrastructure to new generation providing better reliability,
functionality, and coverage.
V.
Strategic Priority: IT Governance
Proactively examine, consider, and implement methodologies for continuous improvements in the areas of
information technology management, planning, coordination, communications and stewardship, as
illustrated and with the following goals:
A.
Fund IT appropriately including on-going and hidden costs to maintain systems at the level
of the expectations of the college.
B.
Improve IT communications, decision making and collaboration across UVSC.
C.
Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all IT resources and costs.
D.
Know the technology needs of UVSC through formal planning process reviews and
continual assessment of IT users.
E.
Coordinate all major IT projects and purchases centrally across the college.
F.
Establish and report on measurements of success for IT and IT projects.
5
IT Organizational Structure
The IT organization was recently re-organized into the following structure.
This structure aligns the IT organization with the College’s administrative priorities for IT and enables
IT to better support the mission and strategic directions of the institution. Each area will have an
advisory council associated with it and each advisory council reports to the Enterprise IT committee
which serves as the master committee for IT.
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Conclusion
It is important that this plan become a working document that grows and changes with the institution.
The following plan should be implemented to ensure its success.
1. Campus input and approval for this plan is critical. This plan should go through a similar process as
other institutional master plans for approval and adoption including reviews by the administration,
campus forums and community forums. The plan should then be reviewed and approved by the
UVSC Board of Trustees. Upon adoption the master plan should be published to the UVSC
community.
2. On-going administrative support for this plan is critical. The plan should be reviewed by the UVSC
administration annually and either modified or adopted and published to the campus community.
Without administrative direction and support, the plan has little chance for success.
3. Each year, through the PBA process, all goals, objectives, and timelines should be reviewed,
updated, and approved or where necessary removed. With progress, new goals and objectives
should be added each year as appropriate, based upon the current strategic directions of the
institution. Without funding, the plan can not succeed.
4. Measurements of the level, quality, and success of IT must be established and communicated to the
campus community along with this plan. Without setting and communicating the expectations of IT
to the campus community, IT can not succeed. The expectations of the campus community can not
be met unless they are set and known.
5. IT should provide an accountability report each semester (three times a year) on the progress of this
plan and the status of IT at UVSC. Without accountability, the success of the plan and IT can not
be determined.
6. At least every five years a comprehensive review of this plan by administration and the campus
community should take place, repeating the process, confirming the existing plan, and/or creating a
new plan will be critical for technology’s success at UVSC.
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Appendix
ITS Operational Objectives
Objectives from 2005-2006
Objectives (with timelines) for each support level under each of these goals will be presented and
determined during the PBA (Planning, Budgeting, and Accountability) process during the Fall 2005
cycle.
Goal I
I.1.1
Finish current phase of network update to eliminate old ATM technology from the network
Timeline: Summer 2006
I.2.1
Create plan for update of video infrastructure
Timeline: December 2006
I.3.1
Determine a backup strategy and develop a backup plan for critical systems within
resources available. Present plan and risks to president’s council
Timeline: February 2006
I.4.1
Consolidate and update all servers older than five years old for critical systems
Timeline: October 2006
I.5.1
Eliminate the use of social security numbers from campus except where required by law or
where no other option exists
Timeline: April 2006
Goal II
II.1.1
Complete the interface of Banner to critical systems
Timeline: By December 2005
II.1.2
Re-create critical reports from the Banner system
Timeline: On-going as reports are due through Summer 2006
II.1.3
Determine migration, shut down, and reallocation of SISPlus system and hardware.
Timeline: On-going as reports are due through Summer 2006
II.2.1
Re-create admissions, registration and financial aid services in the Banner environment to
an equivalent level as previously available.
Timeline: Complete by summer 2006
II.3.1
Convert the UVSC level 1 website to the new look and feel and content management
system
Timeline: Complete by summer 2006
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Goal III
III.1.1
Make available classroom technology for all faculty by implementing a media checkout
system for those classrooms that do not have technology.
Timeline: start of Spring semester 2006
Support Level 1 Basic Functionality
III.1.2
Increase the number of classrooms with technology by 5 each year.
Timeline: On-going until all classrooms have technology
Support Level 2 Improvement
III.1.3
Evaluate interactive classroom feedback technology and provide a report on its use to
academics.
Timeline: Evaluate Fall 2004 – Fall 2005 with report by April 1, 2006 (in process)
Support Level 3 Innovation & Initiatives
Goal IV
IV.1.1
Enhance access to campus help and information services by creating a one-stop phone, live chat,
and email call center for answering questions and providing help to the campus community.
Timeline: December 2007
Support Level 2 Improvement
IV.1.2
Enhance off-campus access and wireless access on campus by improving existing infrastructure for
better coverage, speed, and services.
Timeline: On-going
Support Level 2 Improvement
IV.1.3
Determine the feasibility of off-campus wireless access for students and employees and also study
the ramifications of teaming with commercial, off-campus providers.
Timeline: Issue a report to administration by May 2006
Support Level 3 – Innovation & Initiatives
IV.2.1
Create on-line information on all enterprise systems of frequently-asked-questions, and where to go
for help and support.
Timeline: Re-build by October 15, 2005
Support Level 3 - Innovation & Initiatives
IV.3.1
Create and have approved an IT service level support document.
Timeline: Report to administration by Dec 2006
Support Level 3 – Innovation & Initiatives
IV.3.2
Implement an automated operator system for overflow and for after hours phone service
Timeline: Done by Oct. 2006
Support Level 2 – Improvement
Justification: number of dropped and missed operator calls
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Goal V
V.1.1
Examine and establish funding models and funding sources for IT.
Timeline: On-going – present 1 idea for consideration during PBA 2005-2006
Support Level 2 – Improvement
V.1.2
Have a president’s council appointed team examine staffing levels for IT and create
recommendations on staffing levels, needs, efficiencies, costs, and funding possibilities.
Timeline: Present study to administration by February 2006
Support Level 1 – Basic Functionality
V.3.1
Perform a comprehensive inventory and audit of all IT resources and costs.
Timeline: Inventory by January 2006 and 3 year cost record by August 2006
Support Level 1 – Basic Functionality
V.4.1
Perform an assessment of the technology needs at UVSC.
Timeline: By January 2006
Support Level 3 – Innovation and Initiatives
V.5.1
Create a system for approval, tracking, and coordination of IT projects and purchases.
Timeline: By January 2006
Support Level 2 – Improvement
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Goal of the IT Master Plan 2005
The primary goal of this IT master plan is to support the academic and administrative mission of Utah
Valley State and to tie all technology planning efforts to the Strategic Directions for UVSC. These
directions as outlined in the Strategic Directions Document for 2005-2006 are:
Strategic Direction 1: Manage enrollment
a. Prepare and retain students for successful completion
b. Enhance the academic experience
c. Increase participation of under-represented groups by identifying and eliminating barriers combined with proactive recruiting and
retention efforts
d. Prepare for future growth from changing demographics, including population growth and transfer trends
e. Build stronger partnerships with the high schools, including assessing, improving and expanding concurrent enrollment offerings as
appropriate
f. Offer expanded services to students including child care resource options
Strategic Direction 2: Establish an integrated campaign to promote a consistent positive image and awareness of UVSC
a. Aggressively market our unique combination of certificate through four-year degrees programs
b. Enhance and increase awareness of extra- and co-curricular programs
c. Build and promote recognized academic and service programs
d. Develop closer ties with the community and alumni
e. Aggressively market the Wasatch campus
f. Identify and implement coordinated, integrated marketing strategies
Strategic Direction 3: Expand and reallocate institutional resources
a. Strengthen and expand public and private resource development efforts across the institution
b. Prioritize and utilize resources in an effective, efficient and sustainable manner
c. Encourage entrepreneurial initiatives and strategic business partnerships
d. Achieve equity in state appropriations to institutions of higher education
e. Empower college units and hold them accountable
Strategic Direction 4: Develop, retain and attract an exceptional and diverse faculty/ staff
a. Adopt policies and practices that promote the development and advancement of employees at all campus locations
b. Attract and retain a diverse faculty and staff through affirmative recruitment practices
c. Revise faculty and staff workload and compensation structure to meet state and national standards, as well as professional
engagement standards, recruitment guidelines, etc. allowing for alignment with accreditation requirements specific to programs,
departments and schools
d. Encourage, recognize, and reward exceptional faculty merit in teaching, service, and scholarly work
e. Attract, retain and recognize exceptional and diverse faculty and staff through creative and innovative awards and recognition
programs
f. Foster campus citizenship, civility, and safety
g. Improve the work-life balance for faculty and staff
Strategic Direction 5: Realize a comprehensive four-year college mission
b. Gain approval for and implement a comprehensive set of appropriate two- and four-year academic degree programs
c. Develop traditions and programs to engage students and alumni during and after their campus experience
d. Develop appropriate programs, services, infrastructure and facilities that support a congenial, holistic learning environment
e. Expand continuing education, adult outreach programs, and degree and course offerings at Wasatch Campus
f. Effectively support and develop college level trades and technology programs
g. Enhance organizational systems and processes
Strategic Direction 6: Build a distinctive educational experience for UVSC students
a. Provide opportunities for students to extend learning beyond the classroom and throughout life including internships, mentoring,
service learning, network building and other professional engagement activities
b. Provide an array of social and academic opportunities that develop cross cultural literacy and build toward global and intercultural
perspectives
c. Provide instruction and learning activities which focus students on the importance of ethics, enabling them to contribute with
integrity
d. Facilitate scholarly work through undergraduate research opportunities
e. Foster a spirit of leadership, entrepreneurship and exploration
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IT Planning Retreat 2005
Over a two-day period in the summer of 2005, the senior administration team at UVSC participated in a
two-day Technology Planning retreat. The purpose of the retreat was to think in broad terms about the
future of UVSC and how, generally and specifically, information technology could actively contribute
to the college’s forward-thinking mission.
By the end of the retreat, several administrative priorities, operational issues, and recommendations
emerged as guidelines for the development of an Information Technology Five-Year Master Plan. They
include the following.
Administrative Priorities for IT
(Guiding principles for decision making)
The following are the IT priorities in order of importance and for decision making purposes as
established by the UVSC administration.
1. Infrastructure - Ensure a reliable, accessible IT infrastructure for UVSC including all mission
critical systems and services.
2. Technology-Service Initiatives - Create and maintain systems and services that enhance the
operation and environment of UVSC for students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and the
community which the college serves according to the priorities established by college and in support
of the strategic directions.
3. Innovation - Encourage, support, and participate in innovation in technology and in using
technology.
4. Support & Training - Support individual users, departments and classes and provide training on
available technology.
Operational Issues for IT success
The following are operational issues that IT must be examined and addressed for IT to be successful at
UVSC.
1. Maximize staff resources.
2. Examine IT Funding Strategies & alignment of resources and priorities with Institutional priorities.
3. Develop success measures for all IT initiatives.
4. Develop effective coordinated communications and decision-making strategy for IT initiatives.
5. Enhance relationships and coordination with both internal and external entities.
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Consultant Recommendations
The following are recommendations from an outside consultant regarding IT at UVSC.
RECOMMENDATION #1: UVSC should perform a comprehensive inventory of all IT resources (both centralized and
departmental). This effort should take stock of all voice, data, video, and audiovisual hardware, software, services and
staffing resources.
RECOMMENDATION #2: UVSC should develop and promote a uniform methodology for coordinating technology
decisions. I am not advocating full centralization of all IT-related services and purchasing. However, the lack of a
coordinated approach to all IT purchasing, from my experience, fuels the aforementioned adhocracy. Left unchecked, the
pressures upon central IT will continue to build and a culture of “haves,” “have nots,” and “used-to-haves” may take root
at UVSC.
RECOMMENDATION #3: UVSC should perform a full audit of the comprehensive costs of all voice, data, video, and
audiovisual service requirements. Such an exercise will help UVSC isolate (and protect) necessary areas of redundancy
and identify (and eliminate) areas of duplicated effort should they exist.
RECOMMENDATION #4: UVSC should develop a methodology for ensuring the opportunities and burdens of IT
development is shared between faculty, staff, students, and the technology expertise that exists in the Orem area. Proactive
measures by IT leadership to draw upon the experts in the area and faculty/student passion for learning can help create a
sense of community and shared ownership. The development of a working document Strategic IT Plan, driven by ties to the
larger UVSC Strategic Plan and Directions documents will help immeasurably.
RECOMMENDATION #5: UVSC should develop a generally-accepted approach to measuring IT accountability and
success. Qualitative and quantitative measurements (known in advance of an initiative or purchase) can help UVSC
leadership and faculty manage and chart technology growth. While it will not be necessary to hold all initiatives (e.g.
simple computer replacements, etc.) to such scrutiny, major initiatives should be tracked, benchmarked, and measured in a
manner known and accepted by all at UVSC.
This IT master plan uses these strategic directions, administrative priorities, operational issues and
consultant recommendations to align the IT organization, priorities, goals and objectives to the strategic
direction of UVSC.
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Educause Top-Ten Current IT Issues, 2006
1. Security and Identity Management
2. Funding IT
3. Administrative/ERP/Information Systems
4. Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity
5. Faculty Development, Support, and Training
6. Infrastructure
7. Strategic Planning
8. Governance, Organization, and Leadership
9. E-Learning/Distributed Teaching and Learning
10. Web Systems and Services & Enterprise level Portals
Top 10 list from ITSC
1-WebCT support
2-Integration support
3-Regular replacement/repair of technology equipment & Communications/inventory awareness (especially desktop
replacement) (especially very old PCs)
4-Communication and procedures (HelpDesk/Other areas
5-Better backup plans for quicker restores/Business continuity
6-Classroom projectors for N.G. building--Classroom technology
7-SCT Extender (Document scanning archive)
8-Security
9-IP Telephones
10-Migration support (Change Management)
11-Software updates
12-Proactive support
13-Server replacement
14. More instructor input into content management selection
15. Integration of support between HelpDesk, Media, area techs and Labs (one stop support & communications).
16. Media logins (superfluous and cumbersome)
17. Improved wireless and technology in Gunther trades
18. Banner customization & reporting (custom forms)
19. General redundancy – less downtime for critical systems (UVLink, Web1, etc)
20 Email storage – longer than 120 day possible without local archiving.
21 Long term power backup system for main server rooms - more than 20 minutes.
22. Lessen lag times on network during high load times (beginning of semesters)
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