Table of Contents
Executive Summary
1
A Vision for Texas Tech
2
CIO Study - Findings and Recommendations
3
Proposed Organizational Structure – TTU
10
Proposed Organizational Structure – TTUHSC
11
IT Investment Peer Analysis – TTU
12
IT Investment Peer Analysis – TTUHSC
13
Financing the Strategic Investment
14
Implementation Steps
15
Acknowledgments
20
Executive Summary
New and converging technologies have created an Information Age economy and altered the way
people obtain, use, and share information. It is clear that the primary driver of the Information Age
transformation is the integration of historically disparate concepts and approaches into an interrelated
environment that offers more value than the sum of its parts. Institutions must provide their students,
employees, and entire organization with the environment, experiences, and skills for success in a
transformed economy and culture. Information Technology (IT) planning and management have moved
from an independent tactical activity to an essential part of an organization’s strategic processes.
In response to this changing environment, Chancellor John T. Montford began a strategic initiative to
ensure that Texas Tech is positioned to take advantage of the opportunities and meet the challenges of
the Information Age. He charged a CIO Design Team with the responsibility of leading a study and
producing a report addressing the role, organization, direction, governance and financing of information
technology at Texas Tech. The team’s external efforts included analyzing models from other universities,
reviewing related public policy issues, discussing partnerships with the private sector, and reviewing
how new and emerging technologies have impacted expectations for information services. The team
broadly engaged students, faculty and staff, within the Texas Tech community. A wealth of information
was obtained from over 500 people, whose thematically consistent responses form the foundation of this
report.
During the environmental assessment of Texas Tech’s IT operations, it became obvious that significant
improvements in the scope and quality of information technology services are needed. Numerous
symptoms emerged as evidence, pointing to the need for strategic leadership and vision, for strategic
technology planning and governance, and for strategic investment.
To meet these basic needs, Texas Tech must implement a new IT governance structure, develop a
comprehensive technology planning process that strategically aligns IT with our organizational mission
and goals, and shift the orientation of its financing approach from a series of ad hoc expenses to a
coordinated investment strategy. In order for Texas Tech to be successful in the Information Age,
organizational allocation of resources for IT at Texas Tech will need to grow both in absolute dollars and
as a percentage of the total budget.
The strategic integration of information and technology is fundamental to our mission and the
achievement of our goals. It is necessary to prepare our students for the world in which they will live
and work. It is necessary to empower our faculty and employees to be successful and effective in the
work they do. It is necessary to keep Texas Tech current with the rest of the world. Information
technology can be a foundation for Texas Tech to move forward—attracting high quality students,
faculty, and staff, responding to the opportunities and challenges of the Information Age and creating an
environment for excellence.
1
A Vision for Texas Tech
Texas Tech will be a recognized center of excellence in leveraging information technology to stimulate
the exchange and creation of knowledge. Students, faculty, researchers, staff, and those in the private
sector will desire to be a part of the Texas Tech community and will want to develop a lifelong
association with our institutions.
At Texas Tech, information will exist in an integrated environment that fosters an open, collaborative,
and unifying culture and provides ubiquitous access to needed information. Information technology will
serve as a catalyst to reengineer processes and activities. This will enable our institutions to be more
successful and redirect their focus and resources to being a university instead of the overhead processes
associated with running a university. This integrated information environment and unifying culture will
form the foundation for the pursuit of excellence.
Our faculty will have superior tools for communicating with students and colleagues, incorporating
technology into pedagogy, and being free to focus on their mission of teaching and research. Texas
Tech will provide a world-class infrastructure to support researchers in increasing knowledge,
collaborating with colleagues, and attracting research support.
Education will be accessible for all students through portable computing devices and networked
facilities. Students will acquire the technological skills that are in demand in the workplace and used in
society. Students will be free to explore individual paths of learning whenever and wherever they
choose. Opportunities for learning will be extended to those who have traditionally lacked access to
them. Lifelong learning experiences will be universally available for an extended community.
Texas Tech will be in the forefront in providing skilled people and infrastructure for economic
development. We will take a leadership role in the economic development of our region. Our graduates
will be well prepared to make significant contributions in the new economy of the Information Age.
A focal point of Texas Tech’s environment will be state of the art technology facilities at our institutions,
which will serve as magnets for attracting students, faculty, staff, and private partnerships. By bringing
together disparate operations and activities, these facilities will foster synergistic and collaborative
operations and relationships.
In an environment of accelerating change, Texas Tech will be strategically positioned to respond to
these changes and provide leadership and service for our region, state, and nation.
2
CIO Study - Findings and Recommendations
The convergence of telecommunications and computing technologies has profoundly changed the way
people acquire and share information. The exponential growth of the Internet and other networks has
altered the way we are educated, how we conduct our business, how we enjoy our leisure time, and
how we obtain our health care. It is the proliferation of information technology throughout our society
that makes the Information Age so significant.
The integration of Information Technology (IT) into teaching, learning, and research is a significant part
of both the opportunity and the challenge that higher education faces in the Information Age. Donald
Norris and Michael Dolence believe that these cultural and technological changes provide us with
opportunities to create “environments where intellectual capacity, information and knowledge bases,
methodologies and other valuables are made available to learners anywhere, anytime.” Clearly, IT is an
important tool in creating access to a learning environment that encourages interaction and collaboration
and supports a student’s ability to explore individual paths of learning. However, these new
opportunities do not come without significant challenges. William F. Massey and Robert Zemsky argue,
“IT will change teaching and learning profoundly, no matter what the response of traditional higher
education institutions. Just as the development of the printing press forever changed the teaching
enterprise. IT represents a fundamental change in the basic technology of teaching and learning.... If
traditional colleges and universities do not exploit the new technologies, other non-traditional providers
of education will be quick to do so.”
It is clear that the primary driver of the Information Age transformation is the integration of historically
disparate concepts and approaches into an interrelated environment that offers more value than the sum
of its parts. Traditional distinctions and boundaries in technologies—access to information, demand for
services, organizational structures and processes—are passé. Everything is becoming structurally
integrated into networks that exchange information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions
on a real-time basis.
Obviously, these technical and cultural changes are effecting how successful organizations compete in
this dynamically changing period. Institutions must provide their students, employees, and entire
organization with the environment, experiences, and skills for success in a transformed economy and
culture. IT planning and management has moved from an independent tactical activity to an essential
part of an organization’s strategic processes. The demand and expectation level of internal and external
customers for information requires organizations to plan and provide for IT services much as they do for
basic utilities such as electricity, water, or heating and cooling. The expectation level has raised the bar
on the demand for basic information services at a university to virtually an entitlement. In fact, in the
Information Age, IT systems and services are often seen as the factor that distinguishes success from
failure in an intensely competitive marketplace.
With the need for strategic integration, the trend among institutions of higher education is the
combination of academic computing, administrative computing, and telecommunication organizations.
Institutions have found that the traditional reasons for the separation of these units based on the needs
of their customers no longer exist. Even the national professional organizations, which represented
academic computing (EDUCOM) and administrative computing (CAUSE) have merged. In one of the
final Cause newsletters it was noted:
“As technologies have converged, higher education institutions have recognized the
overlapping of needs of the academy and administration for infrastructure, technology transfer,
technology uniformity, professional development and support. Along with this has come
unprecedented growth in demand for information technology resources. Recognizing the
synergistic value of collaboration on and off campus, many have undergone formal
3
restructuring or integration of governance, or created partnerships between their technology
and other campus organizations.”
In response to this changing environment, Chancellor John T. Montford began a strategic initiative to
ensure that Texas Tech is positioned to take advantage of these opportunities and meet these challenges.
Effective January 1, 2000, Chancellor Montford appointed Michael Phillips to the position of Chief
Information Officer (CIO) for the Texas Tech University System. On January 19th the Chancellor charged
him with the responsibility of leading a study and developing a written report to include
recommendations in the following areas:
➢ What should be the role of information technology at Texas Tech?
➢ How should information technology be organized?
➢ How should information technology be governed?
➢ How should information technology be financed?
On March 2nd, Chancellor Montford appointed Sam Segran, Gary Wiggins, and Kay Whyburn to staff the
core study group (CIO Design Team) along with the CIO.
The CIO Design Team approached its obligations under the Chancellor’s charge utilizing a variety of
different strategies. Within the Texas Tech community, the team broadly engaged students, faculty and
staff in order to:
➢ Learn what the needs and issues are,
➢ Communicate the Chancellor’s vision and commitment clearly,
➢ Develop trust and improve relationships, and
➢ Develop a constituency as the basis for sustaining this strategic initiative.
The team communicated the intent of the study and requested advice and counsel from all students,
faculty, and staff at Texas Tech in a number of different ways:
➢ Utilizing both group and individual meeting formats, the team held discussions with
several hundred people throughout the Tech community.
➢ Work sessions were held with the information technology groups.
➢ Electronic announcements were posted on Texas Tech networks.
➢ A Web page was developed to share and receive information.
➢ An announcement was run in the University Daily.
➢ A memorandum was sent to all faculty and staff.
A wealth of valuable information was shared by over 500 people in these interactions. The themes were
very consistent, and they form the foundation for this report.
The team’s external research efforts included analyzing how other universities are leveraging the
convergence of information and technology, reviewing related public policy issues, discussing
partnerships with the private sector, and reviewing how these new and emerging technologies have
effected customers’ expectations for information services and organizational strategic opportunities. This
research included:
➢ Formal peer review surveys,
➢ Meetings with the private sector,
4
➢ Meetings with public policy officials,
➢ Meetings with University of Texas System staff,
➢ Discussions with staff from institutions of higher education throughout the country, and
➢ Literature research primarily available on the Web.
During the environmental assessment of Texas Tech’s operations, it became obvious that significant
improvement in the scope and quality of information technology services is needed. Based on input
received from students, faculty, and staff the following observations consistently emerged:
➢ E-mail addresses and other basic contact information for faculty, staff, and students are
not available on-line in a common directory.
➢ Systems for the electronic distribution of information are inadequate.
➢ Collaboration between IT departments needs significant improvement.
➢ IT infrastructures and services overlap and duplicate one another.
➢ Customers often do not know whom to call for information technology services.
➢ Computer workstation support systems are inadequately staffed and do not meet
people’s needs.
➢ Students do not have adequate access to computer systems or support.
➢ Information technology training needs to be improved.
➢ The level of technological infrastructure and support available in our classrooms do not
meet the needs of faculty or students.
➢ Data is not shared through an integrated information system environment.
➢ Faculty, staff, and students waste resources and lose opportunities due to the lack of
automation in paper-bound administrative systems.
➢ People are frustrated with the current environment, and they are skeptical that it will
improve.
The team believes these issues are a result of the lack of strategic leadership and vision, the lack of
strategic technology planning and governance, and the lack of strategic investment. If Texas Tech is to
take advantage of the opportunities of the Information Age and meet its challenges, these issues must be
addressed.
Strategic Leadership and Vision
Texas Tech must implement a new IT governance structure. Chief Information Officers that report to
their respective President should be appointed at the two institutions. The two CIOs should work closely
together in planning and implementing interinstitutional initiatives, promoting collaboration, and
monitoring enterprise-wide initiatives and operations. In addition to their routine interactions, the CIOs
should meet at least monthly on a formal basis as the CIO Council. The two institutions should provide
staffing to support the CIO Council’s activities.
The role of the Council should be primarily the strategic oversight of the three entities that comprise the
Texas Tech University System. The recommended scope of the Council’s responsibilities include:
➢ Developing a strategic plan that sets priorities and aligns technology with Texas Tech’s
mission and goals,
5
➢ Developing public/private partnerships,
➢ Coordinating the formation and operation of governance councils,
➢ Ensuring institutional collaboration,
➢ Developing standards and policies that facilitate the creation of an integrated
information environment,
➢ Coordinating the governance of IT services which are shared throughout Texas Tech,
➢ Coordinating Texas Tech’s role in IT related public policy processes, and
➢ Managing the planning and design of all telecommunication networks.
At the institutional level, the CIO will be the focal point for ensuring that both centralized and
decentralized services are woven together into an integrated environment. Without a focal point, it is
unlikely that the necessary integration will occur. While the institutions do not need an IT “Dictator,” it
will be essential for the CIO to have the authority and responsibility to bring disparate and sometimes
conflicting activities into strategic alignment. Therefore, we believe the CIO should be given sufficient
organizational and budgetary authority in order to be held accountable for the information technology
infrastructure and services of the institution.
Institutional IT resources would be organized around two conceptual service areas, Technology Services
and Information Services. Customer access to all IT services will be available through an integrated “on
ramp” and help-desk support system.
Technology Services would be oriented toward the technical aspects of the IT environment. Technology
Services would provide institutional support for data operations, customer services, telecommunications,
and technology assessment and support. Data Operations would include platform operations,
production management, and data management. Customer Services would include desktop support,
training, student labs, software support, and classroom support. Telecommunications would include
domain management, electronic mail and directory services, remote access, cable plant management,
distance education infrastructure services, and network security. Technology Assessment and Support
would provide assessments of new and emerging technologies and provide consultation services, which
would assist customers in implementing appropriate technology solutions.
Information Services would be focused on developing an integrated information environment at Texas
Tech. The two primary areas of Information Services would be Information Systems and Information
Management. Information Systems activities would include Intranet development, systems integration,
and Web development. Information Management will provide data warehousing and data mining
services to support informational needs in institutional research, decision support, performance
measurement, and accountability.
The same basic organizational model is recommended for both institutions. However, TTU will provide
the necessary operational support for shared services such as communication services, administrative
information systems, and IT support for Texas Tech University System operations.
Strategic Technology Planning and Governance
Texas Tech needs a comprehensive technology planning process that strategically aligns IT with our
organizational mission and goal. The planning process must be based on a broad customer-focused
constituency developed throughout Texas Tech and with the private sector. The plan will serve as the
basis for developing a shared understanding of our overall IT direction and priorities. Customer and
technical governance councils must continuously update the plan through annual formal planning
processes and ongoing oversight activities.
6
As a part of these processes, Texas Tech should develop stronger relationships with the private sector.
Our focus should be on reducing the number of vendor relationships and increasing the number of
strategic partnerships. We should create a Private Industry Council to leverage resources and
relationships in developing our strategic direction, assessing new and emerging technologies, improving
IT services for students, enhancing research, and raising our visibility.
It will also be critical to the success of our planning process to utilize governance councils and related
task force activities to ensure the diversity of the Texas Tech community is engaged in these activities. In
this regard, we recommend the creation of two councils, the IT Strategic Planning Council and the
Technical Advisory Council.
The IT Strategic Planning Council will provide the leadership and guidance for planning, developing,
and evaluating system wide IT initiatives. The Council will include the CIOs, and a cross section of
students, faculty, and staff from each university. Each university President will appoint five members to
serve on the Council. The Council will meet formally at least quarterly. The Council may appoint task
forces as needed to develop, direct, and/or monitor an IT strategy. Task force membership will generally
include technical staff and customers with expertise in the subject area.
The Technical Advisory Council will provide a vehicle to share information and foster collaboration
among the information technology staff at Texas Tech. The Council will be responsible for providing
technical and managerial expertise on IT issues such as development of policies and standards, technical
solutions, recruitment and retention of staff, training, and operations. Council membership should
include a broad variety of expertise to provide the necessary scope of technical support and leadership.
Members will be appointed by the CIO Council. The Council will meet at least quarterly and will report
to the CIO Council. The Council will be available to assist the IT Strategic Planning Council as necessary.
Texas Tech should move aggressively to form the Councils, which will be the foundation for our
planning and governance activities. These collaborative and coordinated activities should begin as soon
as possible in order for Texas Tech to develop strategies to meet the following strategic objectives:
➢ Information technology policies, practices, and services will meet the needs of our
customers.
➢ Integrated information technology services will provide students, faculty, staff, patients,
and the public with a comprehensive and seamless array of electronic services
regardless of their point of entry to the Texas Tech University System.
➢ Collaboration with the private sector and among the entities of the Texas Tech
University System will increase the efficiency, cost effectiveness, quality, and scope of
services available through information technology.
In addition to meeting these strategic objectives, significant efforts should be made in order to
implement the following priority recommendations:
➢ An integrated “on ramp” for information technology services should be created.
➢ An integrated e-mail system should be developed.
➢ Students should have appropriate access to computer technology.
➢ Technology infrastructure and support in our classrooms should meet the needs of
faculty and students.
➢ Processes and services should be automated and accessible through Web browsers.
The planning and governance processes must be continuously updated to reflect changing needs and
environments. We must be accountable to our customers by focusing on their needs, including them in
7
these processes, and developing benchmarks and other measurement criteria to evaluate our process in
achieving Texas Tech’s goals and objectives.
Strategic Investment
As the role of IT changes from a tactical to a strategic activity, the financing approach and
methodologies must also change. Organizations must shift the orientation of their financial models from
a series of ad hoc expenses to a coordinated investment strategy, which realizes the following:
➢ IT will be increasingly critical to success.
➢ The rate of technological change will accelerate.
➢ The demand and expectation level for information services will accelerate at least as
fast as the technology.
➢ The marketplace will become ever more competitive.
➢ The current shortage of skilled IT professionals will get worse.
In order for Texas Tech to be successful in the Information Age, organizational allocation of resources
for IT at Texas Tech will need to grow both in absolute dollars and as a percentage of the total budget.
If we continue our current approach to funding IT investments, it will be difficult for Texas Tech to
remain competitive with our peer institutions. Their current level of investment in information
technology is substantially higher than ours, and experts expect the entire higher education community
to be spending and doing more in the next few years. We are behind and facing a prospect of falling
farther behind.
In order for Texas Tech to compete successfully with our peers and be responsive to the needs of our
students, faculty, staff, and other customers we need to:
➢ Allocate IT resources consistently, based on a comprehensive strategic planning
process,
➢ Increase the level of recurring IT investment as a percent of total budget by
¡
1.5 – 2.5% at TTU
¡
2.1 – 3.5% at TTUHSC,
➢ Program IT investments into the planning process for
¡
HEAF
¡
Tuition Revenue Bonds
¡
Commercial Paper,
➢ Pool and leverage IT resources throughout Texas Tech,
➢ With appropriate oversight, consolidate IT budget authority and IT fund balances under
the direction of the CIOs,
➢ Implement a system of IT procurement review and approvals to promote consistency,
economy and interoperability,
➢ Create partnerships with the private sector, and
➢ Make fund raising for IT a priority.
8
While it is true that we need to invest more in information technology, it is equally important that we
invest wisely and leverage the resources we currently have. It is essential that decisions on IT spending
be made with coordination and planning to maximize the utility of the resources we do have, and not
be made haphazardly or in isolation.
Conclusion
The Information Age presents us with profound opportunities and daunting challenges for Texas Tech.
We must change our historical approach to how we plan, provide, and use information technology in
order to respond effectively to the changes that are occurring. We must institute sustained customerfocused strategic planning and governance processes. These processes must create a shared vision on
the strategic role that information technology must play to secure our future.
The strategic integration of information and technology is fundamental to our mission and the
achievement of our goals. It is necessary to prepare our students for the world in which they will live
and work. It is necessary to empower our faculty and employees to be successful and effective in the
work they do. It is necessary to keep Texas Tech current with the rest of the world. Information
technology can be a foundation for Texas Tech to move forward—attracting high quality students,
faculty, and staff, responding to the opportunities and challenges of the Information Age and creating an
environment for excellence.
9
Proposed Organizational Structure – TTU
10
Platform
Operations
Server
Management
Production
Management
Data
Management
Data
Operations
Help Desk
Texas Tech
University
Domain
Management
Mail & Directory
Services
Remote Access
Cable Plant
Distance
Education
Infrastructure
Network Security
Voice Operations
Telecommunications
Technology
Services
Desktop Support
Training
Student Labs
Software Support
Site License
Management
Classroom
Design
Support
Customer
Services
Technology
Assessment
Customer
Technical
Consultation
Technology
Assessment &
Support
Chief Information
Officer
PRESIDENT
Information
Management
Data
Warehousing
Data Mining
Institutional
Research
Decision Support
Performance
Management
Systems
Information
Systems
Administrative
Programming
Intranet
Development
Web
Development
Systems
Integration
Information
Services
Technology Planning
& Policy
CIO
Council
Friday, July 28, 2000
Strategic Planning
Policy Development
Interinstitutional
Collaboration
Advisory Councils
Procurement Review
Proposed Organizational Structure – TTUHSC
11
Platform
Operations
Server
Management
Production
Management
Data
Management
Data
Operations
Help Desk
Domain
Management
Mail & Directory
Services
Remote Access
Cable Plant
Distance
Education
Infrastructure
Network Security
Telecommunications
Technology
Services
Regional Campus
Operations
Design
Support
Desktop Support
Training
Student Labs
Software Support
Classroom
Customer
Services
Texas Tech University Health Sciences
Center
Technology
Assessment
Customer
Technical
Consultation
Technology
Assessment &
Support
Chief Information
Officer
PRESIDENT
Intranet
Development
Web
Development
Systems
Integration
Information
Systems
Information
Services
Technology Planning
& Policy
CIO
Council
Data
Warehousing
Data Mining
Institutional
Research
Decision
Support
Performance
Management
Systems
Information
Management
Friday, July 28, 2000
Strategic Planning
Policy Development
Interinstitutional
Collaboration
Advisory Councils
Procurement Review
12
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12
Source: Texas Tech Department of Institutional Research survey of peers, Spring 2000
University
s
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sip
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$0.00
$200.00
$400.00
$600.00
$800.00
$1,000.00
$1,200.00
$1,400.00
$1,600.00
$1,800.00
Information Technology Expense per Student at TTU and Its Peers
Texas Tech University
IT Budget per student
IT Investment Peer Analysis – TTU
13
$0.00
$2,000.00
$4,000.00
$6,000.00
$8,000.00
$10,000.00
$12,000.00
$14,000.00
$16,000.00
$18,000.00
$20,000.00
UTMB
Institution
UT Southwestern
Texas Tech
13
Source: Texas Tech University Department of Institutional Research survey of peers, Spring 2000
Baylor College of
Medicine
Information Technology Expense per Student at TTUHSC and Its Peers
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
IT Budget per student
IT Investment Peer Analysis – TTUHSC
Financing the Strategic Investment
Texas Tech will need to utilize several complementary strategies to fund the initial and recurring
investments, which are needed. Initially, the existing IT fund balances should be made available to
finance needed investments. The Communication Services fund balance at the System level will be
available for system-wide priorities and likewise, the institutional balances will be available for
investments at the University level.
The budget authority for these fund balances will be assigned to the CIOs under the direction of their
CEOs. The Communication Services fund balance will be assigned to the CIO Council. Subject to the
approval of the Chancellor, these resources will be available to provide the seed money to finance the
broad aspects of the strategic initiative and the priority implementation projects which are identified.
In Fiscal Year 2001, the budget authority of the current IT departments should be consolidated under the
CIOs. This consolidation will permit the CIOs to align the resources of these departments strategically.
Resources that become available through collaboration, efficiencies, or the elimination of duplication
will be available to improve services. The CIOs will be the focal point in developing relationships with
various constituencies in order to pool resources and to leverage our ability to meet our needs. Texas
Tech will begin a coordinated process of defining financing strategies in order to provide the
investments, meet the needs of our customers, and achieve a competitive standing with our peers.
During Fiscal Year 2001, the Universities will implement an IT procurement review and approval
process. The objective of this process will be the development of a consistent strategic direction to
achieve an integrated information environment for Texas Tech. Additionally, this process will identify
opportunities to reduce redundancies and maximize the impact of our investments. Review and
approval thresholds will be set at $25,000.
Strategies will be developed to reduce the number of vendor relationships we have and create strategic
relationships with the private sector. We will pursue opportunities to aggregate our purchases in order to
leverage our procurement authority. Additionally, opportunities to maximize resources through
collaboration or by outsourcing operations will be developed.
IT investment should become an essential element in our priorities for allocating funds from our HEAF,
tuition revenue bond, and commercial paper programs. Additionally, acquisition of extramural support
to finance IT infrastructure and services will be critical.
For Fiscal Year 2002 and beyond, customer-focused strategic planning and governance processes that
align IT direction and priorities, with the mission and goals of Texas Tech, will be the basis for allocating
recurring and project investment.
14
Implementation Steps
The following outlines an action plan for the proposed new IT structure and organizations for Texas
Tech. Each activity has been assigned a target deadline. Each deadline is expressed as an elapsed time
from the start of the project, i.e., from the time Texas Tech approves the plan, funds the plan, and
authorizes its initiation. The targets are estimates that may change as more detailed plans are made
subject to the availability of adequate funding. Almost all of the items depend on one or more of the
others. Changes to the target date of any item can influence the target time for several others.
1.
Financial
a.
At the start - Transfer budget authority for IT fund balances and accounts to the CIOs.
b. Within one month - Develop the policies and methodologies for the general IT
procurement review.
c.
Within two months - Implement IT procurement review at $25,000 level to each
institution’s CIO.
d. Within six months - The CIO Council will develop policies and methodologies to
coordinate and manage site licenses for IT products for Texas Tech.
2.
e.
Ongoing - Each institution will prepare revisions to the FY 2001 budgets as needed for
IT departments and areas.
f.
Ongoing - Begin IT budget planning for FY 2002 and later, based on the strategic
planning process.
g.
By the FY 2002 budget deadlines - Complete coordinated budgets for IT at Texas Tech.
Organization and Structure
a.
At the start - Each institution will fill its CIO position.
b. At the start - Each institution will fill the Technology Services, and Information Services
positions at the institutions.
c.
At the start - Texas Tech will transfer AIS and Institutional Research to the Information
Services area at TTU.
d. At the start - Texas Tech will transfer Communications Services to the Technology
Services area at TTU.
e.
At the start - Texas Tech will transfer UCS and ACS to the Technology Services area at
TTU.
f.
Within two months - Texas Tech will transfer the System office’s microcomputing
administration to the Technology Services area at TTU.
g.
Within two months - The CIO Council will obtain an external consultant for
Telecommunication Design and Strategic Planning for Texas Tech.
h. Within three months - Each institution will fill the Technology Planning and Policy
position at the institutions.
i.
Within twelve months - Each institution will have completed the reorganization of
existing staff at each institution into areas as defined by the organization charts.
15
j.
3.
Throughout the year - Texas Tech will add staff and capabilities in IT as listed in the
organization charts to the extent budgets and funding permit.
Governance Councils
a.
At the start – Texas Tech will create the CIO Council.
b. Within two months - Texas Tech will create the Strategic Planning Council.
c.
Within four months - Texas Tech will create the Technical Advisory Council.
d. Within four months - Texas Tech will create the Private Industry Council.
e.
4.
Within six months - Each institution will create IT Councils at the institutions.
Planning and Policy
a.
Within eight months - Texas Tech will implement a policy for technology review of
construction and renovation projects at Texas Tech.
b. Within eight months - Texas Tech will implement initial technology assessment and
review activities at both institutions.
c.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete an initial recommendation on IT
performance measures and accountability.
d. Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete an initial analysis and
recommendation on career ladders and pay plans for Texas Tech.
e.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete an initial, functional, strategic plan for
IT at Texas Tech.
f.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete the initial plan for integrated
networks.
g.
Within twelve months - Each institution will complete an initial strategic plan for highperformance computing and research support in IT.
h. Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete an initial analysis and make
recommendations for digital libraries.
5.
i.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete the first iteration of IT standards and
policies.
j.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete an initial IT retention and recruitment
plan for Texas Tech.
k.
As funding permits - Texas Tech will begin implementing the IT career ladder and pay
plan revisions in accordance with the policy recommendations.
Services to Students
a.
As soon as possible - Texas Tech will complete a campus agreement with Microsoft.
b. Within nine months - Each institution will assign each student a free, official Texas Tech
e-mail address and account, provide increased Web space for each student, and provide
each student Web-portal-type capabilities.
c.
Within twelve months, as funding permits - Each institution will increase and upgrade
student computer labs and open-access areas.
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d. Within twelve months, as funding permits - Each institution will increase the number of
technologically supported classrooms and investigate classroom wireless access.
e.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete an initial tactical plan for increasing
desktop support for students.
f.
Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will expand the student’s access to student
information via the Web in terms of both quantity and scope of information and in
terms of quality of service and ease of use.
g.
Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will be in a position to assign each admitted
prospective student a free, official Texas Tech e-mail address and account.
h. Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will complete the initial pilot implementation to a
Web-based, e-commerce functionality offering items such as parking permits, on-line
award letters, and on-line applications to the graduate school.
i.
6.
Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will expand desktop support for students in
accordance with the plan to the extent budgets allow.
E-commerce and Its Prerequisites
a.
Within six months - Texas Tech will establish a standard naming convention for e-mail.
b. Within eight months - Texas Tech will complete an initial plan and set of policies to
enable comprehensive data sharing and collaboration.
c.
Within nine months - Texas Tech will create a comprehensive, on-line directory for
communicating with all faculty and staff via e-mail, voice, or fax.
d. Within nine months - Texas Tech will integrate the approaches, styles, and directories of
the official Web pages of the System and each institution.
e.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will define and make an initial plan for providing
network access to all employees.
f.
Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will complete implementation of e-commerce
infrastructure including digital signatures, security, transaction tracking and status, and
methods of authorization.
g.
Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will complete an initial implementation of electronic
forms and e-commerce in administrative transactions.
h. Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will complete the initial implementation of
expanded, Web-based access to data for employees.
7.
Networks and Telecommunications
a.
At the start - The CIO Council will assume responsibility for the strategic direction of
networking at Texas Tech.
b. Within six months - Texas Tech will establish a standard naming convention for e-mail.
c.
Within six months - The temporary consultant for telecommunications will complete the
analysis and recommendations for networks at Texas Tech.
d. Within eight months - Each institution’s CIO will integrate networking operations,
security, and planning at the institutions.
e.
Within nine months - Each institution will assign each student a free, official Texas Tech
e-mail address and account and provide increased Web space for each student.
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8.
f.
Within nine months - Texas Tech will create a comprehensive, on-line directory for
communicating with all faculty and staff via e-mail, voice, or fax.
g.
Within eighteen months - Texas Tech will begin implementing the recommended
structures for integrated networks.
Desktop and Customer Support
a.
Within six months - Texas Tech will create integrated IT desktop support groups at each
institution.
b. Within nine months - The institutions will create a single customer on-ramp (i.e., a
single point of entry and help-desk function for all IT services) for support and problem
solving at each institution.
c.
Within nine months - The CIOs will define the appropriate target level of desktop
support and include plans to reach the goal in the IT strategic plans.
d. Within eighteen months - The institutions will create formal technical consulting,
training, and backstopping support groups for departmental desktop specialists.
9.
Data Access
a.
Within six months - The Information Management area at TTU will complete an initial,
pilot implementation of Web-enabled data warehouse for TTU.
b. Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete plans for expanded data
warehousing, data mining, institutional research, and performance measurement.
c.
Within twelve months - Each institution and the System, will identify an initial set of
information requirements for decision support.
d. Within fifteen months - The Information Management area at TTU will complete a
second iteration expanding the capabilities of data warehousing at TTU.
e.
Within fifteen months - Texas Tech will develop a plan for collaborative use of digital
libraries across the System.
10. Training
a.
Within nine months - Texas Tech will complete an assessment of current IT training
opportunities, resources, and needs.
b. Within twelve months - Texas Tech will expand internal training opportunities for IT
staff.
c.
Within twelve months - Texas Tech will include training and staff development in all IT
budgets.
d. Within twelve months - Texas Tech will complete a plan for using the University’s
curriculum resources for improved training of IT staff.
11. Customer Relationships
a.
Within two months - The CIOs will complete group and individual meetings with all IT
employees on building relationships and cultivating trust with clients.
b. Within four months - Texas Tech will provide status reports on the IT initiatives on the
Web.
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c.
Ongoing - The CIOs will continue follow-up conversations with participants in CIO
design activities.
d. Ongoing - Texas Tech will make relationships with clients a key component of IT
performance reviews.
e.
Ongoing - The CIOs will involve the clients in IT’s planning for the next fiscal year and
involve IT in client’s planning for the next year.
12. General Operations
a.
Within six months - Each institution will develop a plan for server management and
support.
b. Within nine months - Each institution will implement a plan for server support,
including backup and recovery.
13. Distance Education
a.
Within twelve months - The CIOs will integrate the results of institutional strategic
planning for distance education into the IT strategic plans.
b. Within twelve months - Texas Tech will develop plans to leverage IT support
infrastructure resources for distance education across the System.
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Acknowledgments
The CIO Design Team thanks all faculty, staff, students, councils, senates and corporate partners for their
time and input regarding information technology at Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center. The team met with various senates, councils, college level committees, executive
administration, academic and administrative departments, individuals and specialized groups in addition
to establishing and publicizing a web site for additional input. The information obtained through the
interview sessions and web site were a major contribution to the findings and recommendations found
in this report.
Additionally, the CIO Design Team held orientation sessions with thirteen computing organizations
across both campuses and regional centers. These sessions were more detailed in nature to obtain
specific information on the scope of services provided for faculty, staff and students. Technical
infrastructure, collaboration between IT departments, current and planned major events, and
opportunities for improving IT services were a few topics of discussion at these sessions. We thank each
one of these departments for their time in preparing information requested prior to each session and
allotting the team extra time during each session.
The team also identified Texas Tech’s primary computing vendors and extends a personal thank you to
each one of them for the time and effort allotted Texas Tech during our charge. Interview sessions were
held with Cisco, Southwestern Bell, AT&T, Dell, IBM, and Microsoft. Discussed were the products and
services provided to Texas Tech, the business practices at Texas Tech and their impact on efficient and
effective business relationships, Texas Tech’s interest in creating larger strategic business relationships
and general recommendations for Texas Tech from an external perspective.
We also thank the members of the Texas Tech Board of Regents and representatives of other institutions
who graciously shared their time with us during the course of the charge. Their hospitality and
willingness to share their time and provide information is appreciated.
The CIO Design Team appreciates the amount of time spent by each one of you in sharing your
experiences and visions for Texas Tech. The candor and openness shown during the group meetings,
web input, and one-on-one sessions were invaluable in providing the information that shaped the
contents of this report and contributed to the recommendations. Thank you again for being a part of the
information technology future at Texas Tech.
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