Top Issues Facing Information Technology at UAB

1. Top Issues Facing Information Technology at UAB Sheila M. Sanders UAB Vice President Information Technology February 8, 2007

2. Areas of Focus • Top Issues Facing IT in Higher Education • Top IT Priorities and Plans at UAB • IT Organizational Changes to reflect priorities • IT Vision

3. Top IT Concerns in Higher Ed Campus Computing ProjectTop Five Concerns • Network and data security • Helping faculty integrate technology into instruction • Upgrading/replacing ERP systems • User support • Funding hardware and software replacement

4. Top IT Issues in Higher Education 2006 EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey • Critical for Institutions’ Strategic Success • Security and identity management • Funding IT • Administrative/ERP/Information systems • Disaster recovery/Business continuity • Faculty development, support, and training • Expenditure of Most Human and/or Financial Resources • Administrative/ERP/Information Systems • Infrastructure • Support Services/Service Delivery Models • Security and Identity Management • Electronic classrooms/Technology Buildings Models

5. Top Trends in IT (Educause Current Issues)

6. Top IT Priorities at UAB • Data Security Program • Replacement of our Administrative Systems • Support for Research • Support for Teaching and Learning • Portal and Web Strategy

7. UAB Data Security Program Developed a data security program in 2006 with the following key elements: • Appointed a Data Security Officer and recruited staff • Began revising of our Data Security Policy • Defined the roles and responsibilities for all members of the UAB community • Added responsibilities for those maintaining sensitive information • Developed a standard for data security incident response • Appointed a Incident Response Committee • Published a process for reporting incidents on the Data Security web site • Weekly review of incidents • Developed a Security Training Plan • General training and awareness for all employees • Purchased an on line security module • Will be made available through BlazerNET to all faculty, staff and students • Targeted IT Security training • Charged IT Directors with documenting employees responsibilities for security in job description and review annually

8. Replacement of our Administrative Systems Recent Successes: • Oracle HR/Payroll and Finance modules • Development, Alumni and Equipment Accounting Systems Underway: • Student Information System • Implement for the Fall Class of 2007 • Important ancillary projects • Operational Data Store • Xtender imaging system • Integration with BlazerNET portal for single sign on • Improved reporting environment

9. Research(Support Systems) Research Support Systems: • Trends • Increased regulatory environment • New requirements for online grant submissions • Competition for research dollars • Underway and under consideration • Replacing paper forms and routing for grant documentation, IRB, IACUC • Web access to the ESYS grants pre-award budget system • Review products on the market • Oracle pre-awards • External grant submissions systems • Oracle workflow • No one vendor solution

10. Research(Networks and Computing) High Performance Networks • Continue to invest in on campus upgrades and infrastructure • Evolution of the Internet • 1980s UAB joins BITNET which evolves into the Commodity Internet • 1990s UAB becomes an Internet2 member • Today - • Final Stages of completing our connection to the Southern Light Rail and the National Lambda Rail (Internet 3) • Dark fiber obtained by UA, UAB, and UAH • Partnered with NASA and Georgia Board of Regents • Lower cost Internet and Internet 2 connectivity • Extends the boundaries of the campus network for external collaborations

11. Research(Networks and Computing) High Performance Computing Today • Enabling Technology Lab and the Shared High Performance Computing Lab • Expertise in Grid Computing on Campus • In the process of connecting the CS cluster with the ETL (eng) cluster • Participant of SURA Grid • Academic Computing middleware research – scheduling and identity management • Recently added to our compute power by purchasing the IBM Blue GeneL Supercomputer

12. Research(Networks and Computing) Next Steps • Organize a strategic planning effort sponsored by the VPs for Research and IT • Widespread involvement of stakeholders • Direction and validation for infrastructure planning, networks, computing, tools and support

13. Support for Teaching and Learning Recent successes: • Moved to one standard for all course management systems at UAB – WebCT Vista • Increased use in employee training • Hospital Compliance • Data Security • Research Compliance • Integrated with BlazerNET on my courses and training tab Next steps • Organize for better support of online and in person classes • Initiated a Classroom Enhancement Project • Joint Charge by Provost and VP IT • Make recommendations for the following areas • Room layout and design • Standards for technology • Support (technology and training faculty)

14. Portal and Web Strategy Critical to our image and in the way we communicate with our constituents Next Steps • Continue role based service delivery • Continue to implement single sign for most systems at UAB through BlazerNET • Continue to refine our search capabilities • Support standards for external facing pages • Development of dark sites for emergencies • Web site contingency plan

16. The Vision for IT at UAB • Information will be easy to find and easy to use • IT will be a partner in Research, Teaching, Learning, and HealthCare at UAB