information technology strategic plan

university of windsor

2004 –2009

January 2005

(revised 13 January)

Draft Plan online at

table of contents

I.Prefacei

A..IT Vision Statementi

B.IT Mission Statementi

C. IT Goals and Objectivesi

  1. Executive Summaryii
  2. Planning Processii
  3. Strategic Plan Synopsisii
  4. IT Goals Referenced to University of Windsor Strategic Visionvi
  1. Guiding Principlesvii

IV.Objectives, Goals, Leadership, Strategies, Outcomes and Metrics1

  1. Learning1

Goal 1.1Technology-Enhanced Learning1

Goal 1.2Promotion of E- Learning2

Goal 1.3Learning Infrastructure2

Goal 1.4Faculty and Staff Desktop Literacy3

Goal 1.5Student Technology and IT Literacy4

Goal 1.6Academic Integrity4

2.Research Administration and Infrastructure6

Goal 2.1IT Management Tools for Researchers6

Goal 2.2Research Collaboration6

Goal 2.3IT Research Support Infrastructure7

Goal 2.4Support and Digital Library Resources for Research Faculty8

Goal 2.5External High Performance Access9

3.Client Support10

Goal 3.1Desktop Services and Support10

Goal 3.2Student Access10

Goal 3.3IT Services for Students11

Goal 3.4HelpDesk12

Goal 3.5Electronic Mail12

Goal 3.6PC Acquisition13

4.Information Systems Management14

Goal 4.1Information Systems Development14

Goal 4.2Academic Information Development15

Goal 4.3End User Access to Institutional Data15

Goal 4.4Campus Work Flow16

Goal 4.5World Wide Web17

5.Technology Infrastructure18

Goal 5.1IT Infrastructure Resources18

Goal 5.2Benchmarks, Viability & Usability of Infrastructure

Resources19

Goal 5.3 Recoverable Infrastructure19

Goal 5.4 Off Campus Connectivity20

Goal 5.5 Maintenance20

6.Security21

Goal 6.1University Security Structure21

Goal 6.2User ID Access System21

Goal 6.3Security Awareness22

7.Governance24

Goal 7.1Best Governance Practices24

Goal 7.2ITSC Effectiveness24

Goal 7.3Strategic Planning26

Goal 7.4Service Providers26

Goal 7.5Policies, Standards and Guidelines27

Goal 7.6Website Management Committee27

8.Communications29

Goal 8.1Web-Based Promotion29

Goal 8.2Campus Web-Based Services29

Goal 8.3Communicating IT Issues and Operations30

Goal 8.4Communicating on Major Projects30

Goal 8.5Electronic Mail Policy31

Goal 8.6Enhanced Telecommunication Services and Management31

V.Appendices

Appendix 1:Glossary33

Appendix 2:IT Providers and Terms of Reference36

Appendix 3:IT Planning Committee Membership37

Appendix 4:Responsibilities of Recommended New Positions39

Appendix 5:Client Groups Served by the IT Strategic Plan40

Appendix 6:Financial and Other Resources42

Appendix 7:University of Windsor Mandate and Vision42

I.PREFACE

The University of Windsor’s strategic information technology plan closely aligns IT initiatives and resources with the objectives established in the University’s strategic plan: To Greater Heights: An Enhanced Culture for Learning (Strategic Planning for 2004-2009).

The IT strategic plan enables the University of Windsor to realize its vision for the period 2004-2009. The IT plan is the result of extensive collaboration and comprehensive feedback from all sectors of the University community and establishes the strategic direction and foundation for annual IT planning and performance monitoring.

The IT strategic plan defines the University's vision, mission statement, objectives, goals, leadership requirements, strategies, outcomes and performance metrics for the use of information technology. The plan provides a campus-wide framework for ensuring that the University’s information technology is continually improving, while being robust, secure and delivering outstanding value to all members of the extended University community.

On behalf of the many members of the University community who generously contributed their creativity, time and feedback to development of this Strategic IT Plan, we encourage the University to embrace the IT plan as a comprehensive strategy for enabling the University of Windsor to realize its vision.

A.IT Vision Statement

The University will excel in delivering information technology that enables the vigorous pursuit of outstanding learning and research.

B.IT Mission Statement

Information technology will be the key enabler in a dynamic support infrastructure that serves all stakeholders fairly and provides for the realization of the University's vision. The technology will support the seamless integration of academic, service and administrative roles in the University to provide a cohesive and efficient learning, research and working environment.

IT will contribute to delivering a quality learning experience for students and a competitive advantage for them on graduation. The technology will strengthen the research culture at the University and enable researchers to compete effectively. IT will be used to deliver training, contribute to the professional development of faculty and staff, and increase public awareness and promotion by helping to publicize and celebrate the strengths and attractions of the University, thereby serving to attract and retain outstanding students, faculty and staff.

C.IT Goals and Objectives

The IT strategic plan contains a comprehensive elaboration of the mission statement through a formal set of strategic initiatives or objectives. The strategic objectives represent an organizing layer between the mission statement and specific goals. For each objective a set of measurable goals have been determined that are consistent with implementing the objective. The goals serve as strategic targets for tracking the University's performance and progress in realizing the information technology objectives. Strategies have been defined for every IT goal to ensure that they achieve the targeted performance outcomes.

ii.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The IT Strategic Plan presents a context and framework for maintaining a robust, secure and continually upgraded information technology infrastructure (web, e-mail, network and servers) that addresses the learning, research, service and organizational needs of the University. The infrastructure enhances the student experience, simplifies collaborations and communication, and empowers the campus community. The plan provides direction for accomplishing current and future IT objectives and goals and promotes ownership by the stakeholders: IT Services, the Centre for Flexible Learning, Leddy Library, WEDnet, specialized IT users, research computing facilities, departmental IT labs, and individual computer facilities. The plan forms the basis for the campus-wide allocation of resources for information technology.

A.Planning Process

In June 2003 the IT Steering Committee launched a planning process to deliver outstanding information technology services to the campus community and to advance the objectives of the University for 2004-2009. The planning process was enacted through a university-wide IT Planning Committee, composed of faculty, students and staff. The IT Planning Committee collaborated with other members of the campus in seven subcommittees to prepare a draft IT plan, which was released for comment in March 2004.

The draft report was produced in four stages that involved: 1) reviewing progress in the last IT plan: White Paper on Strategic Directions for Information Technology at the University of Windsor (2000); 2) reviewing background documents, including the University’s strategic plan To Greater Heights: An Enhanced Culture for Learning (Strategic Planning for 2004-2009), the White Papers on Teaching and Learning, AAU/departmental plans, and other institutions’ IT strategic plans; and 3) in the seven subcommittees, determining the objectives, leadership, goals, strategies, outcomes and performance metrics required to position the University for the successful development and application of information technology and 4) reviewing and producing the draft plan through the IT Planning Committee.

Beginning in early March 2004, the IT Planning Committee consulted extensively on the draft plan, employing the IT Steering Committee’s website and the Daily News and The Lance as well as meetings with deans and department heads, administrative directors and managers, IT Services staff and students; and two open forums.

The IT Planning Committee evaluated campus feedback to better align the initiatives with the University’s strategic plan. As the draft plan came to incorporate significant changes as a result of the campus-wide review process and the work of a focus group consisting of members of the IT Planning Committee and representatives from IT Services, the plan was again evaluated by the campus community before the final plan was released in October 2004.

B.Strategic Plan Synopsis

A robust infrastructure, secure and seamless access, and responsive service and support will enable the University to enhance the learning and research environment and support collaborations and communications. The need for strategic investment in information technology, however, is coupled with resource constraints and presents decision makers with a continuing challenge. This plan outlines eight objectives andcorresponding goals for the development and use of information technology over the next five years in keeping with the University’s strategic plan (see Table 1, page v). Each of the following sections summarizes outstanding IT issues that must be addressed to improve learning, research, information systems and operating support, and presents the objectives and goals for doing so.

1.Technology-Enhanced Learning

Planning in this area addresses the evolving expectations of students and instructors for support and resources and the role of Information Providers in fulfilling these expectations. Students require convenient, media-rich and engaging learning opportunities, including anytime/anywhere access to technology and the flexible delivery of courses. Instructors require that the new modalities be easy to learn and easy to use, and that they enhance pedagogy. Information Providers will address an under-exploited infrastructure and encourage the use of best practices.

Objective:Support and enhance a learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking and the development of lifelong learning skills

Goals:

  • provide technology-enhanced learning that is user-friendly, feature-rich, scalable and accommodates the evolving needs of students and faculty;
  • promote and broaden the use of e-learning;
  • develop a learning environment that integrates technical and curricular expertise to encourage innovation and expand the use of technology in the classroom;
  • provide opportunities for instructors and staff to become technology proficient;
  • provide standards-based, best practice student technology and information literacy; and
  • promote academic integrity in courses campus-wide.

2.Research Administration and Infrastructure

Planning in this area will reduce the administrative burden associated with sponsored research, enhance collaboration among researchers on campus and elsewhere, ensure sufficient and appropriate IT support, and provide easier access to published research. Addressing these issues will allow researchers to devote more time to conducting research.

Objective 2:Use information technology to improve research administration and the technical research support infrastructure to strengthen the University’s ability to identify opportunities and compete effectively for sponsored research

Goals:

  • facilitate the application for and administration of research grants, awards and contracts;
  • enhance IT-based collaboration among research faculty on and off campus;
  • provide and support a robust research computing, computation and networking environment;
  • increase support and digital library resources for research faculty; and
  • provide research faculty with high-performance access to external high bandwidth research networks through the campus network.

3.Client Support

Planning in this area addresses the twin demands by students, faculty and staff for easy access to the University’s computing and network resources independent of location and time, and the critical need for just-in-time support and high-level services, including a robust, easy to use electronic mail service. An increasingly sophisticated environment stimulates increased capability and productivity.

Objective:Deliver high quality client-centered information technology support for faculty, students and staff

Goals:

  • provide software productivity tools and campus-wide support to end users;
  • improve student access to computing facilities;
  • enhance student information technology services;
  • enhance HelpDesk services;
  • provide an electronic mail system that is robust and easy to use; and
  • enable new PCs and computing devices to be easily attached to the campus network.

4.Information Systems Management

The development and maintenance of centralized, state-of-the-art information systems are essential in transforming the University’s organizational processes. Planning in this area addresses escalating demands for timely access to appropriate data to support University-wide decision making. Fulfilling these demands requires application development, robust IT tools (including better web development tools), and an University website that is easy to navigate.

Objective:Provide Improved access to appropriate data information systems in support of decision making at all systems levels

Goals:

  • enhance services and support for developing information systems, including specialized systems;
  • enhance services and support for developing information systems for academic areas;
  • enhance end user access to data in information systems for analysis and decision making;
  • develop systems to manage work flow on campus and eliminate paper-based manual forms, where possible; and
  • support web developers in producing an outstanding and easily-managed University website.

5.Technology Infrastructure

As information technology is critical in supporting learning, research and service, it is critical that the infrastructure remain robust and able to accommodate emerging needs, including the need to protect data centrally and campus-wide. Planning will also address the need for benchmarking to forecast the future learning, research and organizational needs of the University.

Objective:Provide and sustain a cost-effective information technology infrastructure that can support the mission of the University and empower the University community

Goals:

  • plan and deliver IT infrastructure to underpin the University’s mission and activities;
  • regularly monitor the performance of the IT infrastructure and forecast future use;
  • securely back up IT infrastructure resources critical to institutional success;
  • maintain high-speed networking that ensures peak productivity of faculty, students and staff on and off campus (including offshore researchers); and
  • promote maintenance agreements for IT equipment and software.

6.Security

Planning in this area addresses the need to ensure best practices when providing the campus community with appropriate access to data while protecting against the risk of data loss caused by the increasing incidence of malicious attacks on campus servers.

Objective:Provide the campus community with ubiquitous access to the data network while protecting against intrusions and unsolicited and unwanted electronic mail

Goals:

  • provide a secure computing environment that protects network, server and data resources;
  • provide standards-based access control, with role-based security, for all end users; and
  • promote awareness of IT security campus-wide.

7.Governance

As information technology affects the entire campus community, planning in this area addresses the need to formalize the structure governing the University’s IT resources and ensure that it is collaborative, advisory, consultative, and delivers cost-effective services.

Objective:Implement best governance practices to ensure the University's information technology resources deliver outstanding value to stakeholders in accordance with the University’s strategic plan

Strategies:

  • improve the governance and administration of the University’s information technology resources through the implementation of best governance practices;
  • increase the effectiveness of the IT Steering Committee;
  • support appropriate University strategic planning objectives through the IT strategic plan;
  • harmonize core services;
  • ensure accountability of IT Providers and users of services; and
  • clarify the role of the Website Management Committee.

8.Communications

Web-based technology must better promote University resources, accomplishments and initiatives. Such technology must nurture a collaborative environment between the University and current and prospective students and faculty, and between Information Providers and end users on campus. It must be able to communicate IT issues, operations and progress in major projects to the campus community and solicit their feedback. As electronic mail is a major communication vehicle, it is essential to develop a formal strategy for communicating with students. The University is also challenged to manage the convergence of the traditionally separate technologies of voice, video and data (see 5.1: Technology Infrastructure).

Objective:Enhance communication within the campus community and beyond

Goals:

  • enhance web-based promotion capabilities;
  • enhance web-based services for the campus community;
  • inform the campus community of IT issues and operations and solicit feedback;
  • develop plans to disseminate and receive information on all significant issues relating to major IT projects;
  • develop a University communications strategy for students; and
  • enhance telecommunication services and management.

The above eight concepts are aligned with the University’s strategic vision. The following tabular summary provides a snapshot of how information technology will align with and advance the University’s vision.

C.IT Goals Referenced to University of Windsor Strategic Vision

University of Windsor Goals

Learner Centered
University / More
Comprehensive
University / Degree That Works / Strong National & International Research Reputation / StrongInternationalUniversity / Growing Profile and Reputation / Community & Regional Leader and Promoter / Visibly Accountable

IT Objectives

Learning / x / x / x / x / x
Research / x / x / x / x / x / x / x
Client
Support / x / x / x / x
Information
Systems
Management / x / x / x / x / x
Technology
Infrastructure / x / x
Security / x
Governance / x / x / x
Communication / x / x / x / x / x / x

Over the next five years it is anticipated that the strategies in this IT plan will be incorporated into the strategic and annual budget plans of IT Providers and stakeholders, who will submit their requests to resource larger initiatives through the IT Steering Committee for consideration by the University’s Budget Committee.

For this IT plan to become an evergreen document, the Planning Committee recommends that the IT Steering Committee measure progress - in detail and throughout the life of the plan - in accomplishing the proposed IT activities.

III.GUIDING PRINCIPLES

A set of guiding principles underlies the development and implementation of the IT strategic plan:
1. / Technology will be viewed as an enabler for accomplishing University goals in learning, research and the conduct of university business, and not as an end in itself. / 7. / Projects will be developed in partnerships between IT Providers and owners of data, each having distinctive roles.
2. / Our approach to IT will be balanced between managing risks and controlling costs, and supporting established and emerging technologies in a hybrid environment. / 8. / The decision of whether applications will be purchased commercially, obtained from open source, or developed in-house will be based on cost-benefit analyses and competitive advantage. The packages chosen must support a common database, operating system and, when possible, a common set of tools.
3. / The diverse needs of stakeholders will be met in a fair and equitable manner. / 9. / IT Providers will strive to provide ubiquitous access to IT resources.
4. / Decision making relating to the use of information technology at the University will be undertaken within an ethical framework. / 10. / Faculty, students and staff will be provided with convenient training to satisfy their needs.
5. / Technology will be used to foster a culture of change in learning, research and the conduct of university business. / 11. / Life cycle replacement will be integral to planning at every level of information technology investment.
6. / Collaboration and communication among IT providers will harmonize and complement services and prevent duplication of services. / 12. / Procedures and policies will comply with provisions in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA).

1 University of Windsor IT Strategic Plan