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IT at UofA Building a New Vision

IT at UofA Building a New Vision. Jonathan Schaeffer. Skip the Niceties. Integrated-distributed model means that campus fragmented on email, calendaring, portal, network control, backups, LMS, etc. Disconnect between central IT plans and faculty/department/unit IT needs

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IT at UofA Building a New Vision

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  1. IT at UofABuilding a New Vision Jonathan Schaeffer

  2. Skip the Niceties • Integrated-distributed model means that campus fragmented on email, calendaring, portal, network control, backups, LMS, etc. • Disconnect between central IT plans and faculty/department/unit IT needs • Major and disruptive changes are coming • Must change campus attitudes if we are to have the IT infrastructure needed to be a top-20 by 2020 institution

  3. Why Do We Need to Change? • Economic reality • Possible reductions in IT funding • “Do more with less” expectations • Auditor General • Has decided that Alberta PSEs are not approaching IT with the discipline needed • We must conform with AG “recommendations” • IT security • Real danger to institutional reputation

  4. My Opinion • Information Technology (IT) is… • Essential (and growing) for research • Essential (growing and morphing) for teaching • Mission critical for administration/finance • IT is critical to this institution’s future • UofA cannot afford to have substandard IT infrastructure in any of these areas

  5. My Goal Raise the profile of Information Technology at the University of Alberta.

  6. Reality • Need to hear from you! • Top-down and bottom-up process • Too much of what is done centrally is decided without consulting the people who actually do the work • Cannot address the problems without a united effort

  7. Why a Retreat? • Hear your concerns • Have you help the VP(IT) office define institutional priorities • Gain your insights into how we can move forward together • Created unity so that we have a stronger voice

  8. Local Pressures • IT groups tend to be: • Under staffed • Over worked • Under appreciated • Asked to do more with the same (or less) • Only get feedback when things go wrong • Need to develop strategies to percolate these concerns up the food chain

  9. (1) AG Control Framework • Mandated by AG to be deployed in five years • Add discipline to managing all financial IT systems and infrastructure support • Disruptive but the business case is obvious • Mandate includes non-financial IT systems, including education • Very disruptive but unclear why • Coming soon… IT research systems • Very disruptive and potentially confrontational • How do we make these changes?

  10. (2) IT Security • Security not treated as seriously as it should • Institutional reputation at risk • With the ITSO leadership, this will change • Awareness program • Education program • UofA policies and procedures for security • Must percolate into the departments/units • Disruptive change

  11. Central Support for IT? • Many faculties/units have gone their own way, leading to IT fragmentation • Extensive (expensive) duplication of services • Dozens of independent email systems • 35 Blackberry servers • No central Microsoft Active Directory service • Not exploiting economies of scale

  12. (3) Utility Computing • Core IT infrastructure is utility computing • Should be done centrally (or out-sourced) • Email • Calendaring • Networks • Backups • Wireless • Only the last one has a central mandate

  13. (4) Leveraging Expertise • Need to do a better job of leveraging skills • We have over 30 IT islands on campus • Can we create a web of expertise? • Units sharing people? • Subcontracting work with other units? • IT Guide to the Experts? • IT help forum? • Increase venues for communication?

  14. Other Initiatives (Central) • COBIT/ITIL training • Green computing • Electronic document management • Learning Management Systems review • PeopleSoft Grants 2.0 • AMS outsourcing agreement • Student portal

  15. Other Initiatives (Local) • Engage HR on IT salaries • Initial results: IT salaries on campus in line with those in Alberta public/private sectors • Create annual IT awards • Create a professional development fund • Regular consultations with IT personnel • Quarterly newsletter from VP(IT)

  16. What Can the VP(IT) Office Do? • Make the case for more investment in IT with the Deans • Bring the message to the President and Vice Presidents • September 17, 8:00 – 12:00 session • Help create a united voice that gives us strength in numbers

  17. Summary • Lots of work to do • Requirements: • Change: enormous resistance to change; this must change if we are to make progress • Money: some things will have a price tag • Our reliance on IT will only grow • Must be proactive, aggressive, and united

  18. Now It’s Your Turn • Need your candid, no-holds-barred input • The dialogue must continue beyond today • vpit@ualberta.ca • www.vpit.ualberta.ca

  19. What are the top 5 IT issues consuming your group’s time? • administration • desktop support • installs • security • help desk • hardware repairs • bureaucracy • missing skills ???? • under staffing • financial constraints • keeping things running • new technology • purchasing • project management • people management • too heavy a workload

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