Information Technology Services

1. Information Technology Services In Progress Review July 15, 2008

2. Mission The Division of Information Technology Services (ITS) strives to support and enrich the university experience for students, faculty and staff – an experience that is increasingly technology enabled and network based. • ITS teams develop, operate and maintain the University’s computing and networking infrastructures, major administrative and academic information systems, baseline instructional and information technologies, and associated technical support services. • ITS teams provide direct support for the information and academic technology needs of the University’s administrative and academic units.

3. Vision Excellence in teaching and learning, information sharing, and the exchange of ideas and viewpoints, along with anytime/anywhere access to resources and services, are defining features of the academically rich, student centered university experience we intend to help provide for Cal State East Bay students. The goal of excellence in the use of information technology is an essential ingredient in achieving this vision.

4. Values Within ITS, we share a common set of values as we work to accomplish our mission of supporting the academic, administrative, and co-curricular functions of Cal State East Bay. (Adopted by ITS staff in Fall 2007) • We value our technology services role in the mission of the university. • We value exceptional customer service. • We value operational excellence. • We value helpful and supportive relationships. • We value a collaborative work environment and refuse to let each other fail. • We value professional development and accountability. • We value a healthy and fun work environment.

5. Advisory & Governance Advisory Operational

6. Alignment The strategic plan for IT@CSUEB focuses on the alignment of central and local information technology resources, services, projects and support structures with Cal State East Bay’s “seven mandates” outlined within the Framework for the Future. The tag line for ITS alignment and balance is: “Centrally-coordinated/Locally-directed.”

7. Framework for the Future

8. IT@CSUEB Strategy Plan The strategic plan calls for ITS to provide: 1) A solid foundation of IT infrastructure and sound fiscal planning; 2) Academic & instructional technology resources and support for faculty; 3) Anywhere/anytime access to services and support for student success and engagement in campus life; and 4) The cyber-facilities required for the university to appropriately serve specific internal and external audiences.

9. First Year Priorities Major responsibilities and projects included: • launching the new ITS division, and the "centrally-coordinated/locally-directed" IT management model; • launching the Online Campus initiative; • launching the Online Student Services initiative; • launching the Accessible Technology Initiative, and the Web Rebuild project; • launching the Server Consolidation and lifecycle management initiative; • launching the Desktop Infrastructure and support initiative; • launching the Smart Classroom Infrastructure and support initiative; • launching the Email Outsourcing initiative; • launching the Emergency Notification initiative; • creating an Email Retention Policy; • creating Acceptable Computing Use policies for faculty, staff, students, and guests; • completing the initial phases of Financial and Student Data Warehouse initiatives; • testing and evaluating Voice-over-IP implementation options; • providing support and leadership for key CSU systemwide IT initiatives; and • providing support and leadership for CENIC and IEEAF initiatives.

10. What worked well? Bringing all IT staff together (hard work, but well received by nearly all staff) Baseline computer refresh Server consolidation & virtualization Initial phases of data warehouse initiatives Smart classroom build-out & refresh College & Concord SLAs ATI IMAP & web rebuild Student email hosted by Google Email retention policy Internal communications between most teams within ITS What didn’t work well? Bringing all IT staff together (very difficult for PEM IT staff, and for a few lone rangers) Filling vacant positions Admin Division SLAs Communication about procedures, processes, resources, roles, status info, etc No service desk Project advisory & governance – who approves, who prioritizes, what’s our capacity? Second phases of data warehouse initiatives Free printing First Year Reflections

11. The Road Ahead – Together Jointly focusing on continuous improvements while: • Moving forward with strategic initiatives • Revising SLA structure to include enterprise-class/best-practice processes & metrics • Institutionalizing client relationship management, service desk, & communications functions • Establishing project prioritization, scheduling, advisory, & portfolio management structures • Launching a collaborative initiative with faculty to define & develop cyberinfrastructure for academic programs

12. Strategic Initiatives • Server consolidation • Desktop infrastructure • Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) • Web Rebuild project • Data warehouses & institutional dashboards • Online campus & CCC/CVC collaboration • Online student services

13. Division-level SLAs • Enterprise-class/best-practice processes (ITIL-ish) • Adopt a service desk approach – not just a help desk • Document processes for initiation and fulfillment of service requests • Metrics for measuring progress

14. Client Relationship Management • Continue IT staff “mindset” shift • admin units & colleges are our “clients” (customers) • embrace the mindset of an “outsourced” IT service provider (accountability for delivery of agreed upon support & services) • embrace enterprise-class/best-practice processes (abandon past practices & behaviors) • Client (a la “account”) management • separation of IT consulting roles from IT operational roles (similar to the separate projects office function) • layered support services (leveraging depth of skill-sets available) • Business analyst & project management roles • collaboration with clients to staff BA & PM functions

15. Project Portfolio Management • Establish PMBOK-ish processes for: • Project initiation & planning • Prioritization & scheduling • Funding & staffing • Implementation • Management of project portfolios • Cabinet-level, divisional, college-level, & ITS • Establish project sponsor, business analyst, & project manager roles • Determine project capacity “bandwidth” – within client organizations as well as ITS

16. Cyberinfrastructure Vision NSF’S Cyberinfrastructure Vision For 21st Century Discovery http://www.nsf.gov/od/oci/ci-v7.pdf Our Cultural Commonwealth: The report of the American Council of Learned Societies Commission on Cyberinfrastructure for the Humanities and Social Sciences http://www.acls.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/Programs/Our_Cultural_Commonwealth.pdf