Between now and the end of the semester, faculty, staff, students and information technology professionals will conduct a series of discussions pertaining to the direction campuswide information technology will take in the next five years or more. The Division of Information Technology, formerly the Office of Information Technology, will lead this charge. The goal of these discussions is to formulate Brian Voss’ “IT Abundance” strategy for the campus. To Voss, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, IT Abundance is a philosophy in which technology is advanced, up-to-date, readily available and meets the needs of faculty, staff and students.
The IT strategy will support university President Wallace Loh’s priorities for student opportunity, internationalization, innovation and entrepreneurship and service to the people of this state. Until the end of the semester, action items will be developed by discussing current services provided on the campus and the needs of the academic community. The discussions will be divided into four focus groups: scholarly enablement, infrastructure, research and innovation, and resource allocation and efficient and effective use. Each group will examine a different area of IT development. Scholarly enablement will explore how to help current and future students learn more effectively. Research and innovation will work to create an environment that promotes research and emerging technology. Infrastructure will focus on facilitating administrative affairs for the university. Resource allocation and efficient and effective use will investigate how to manage and govern this university’s IT and technological resources.
Based on the input of the four groups, Voss and the Division of Information Technology will formulate a plan for an effective IT infrastructure for the university. The hope is that this strategy will develop an environment that fosters world-class education, research and administration in support of the university’s overall mission, as well as increase communication between the Division of Information Technology and the academic and administrative community. Additionally, the strategy should reflect the community’s vision for an IT environment that enables the success of this university.
Unfortunately, the focus groups are lacking representation of undergraduate students. Although there are positions reserved for undergraduates within the groups, undergraduate turnout has been low. As of now, the groups are composed of vice presidents, deans and University Senate members from various colleges. Students have the most experience with the IT services this universtiy provides and therefore have valuable input when dealing with central and distributed IT resources. Participation in the focus groups does not require a technological background; all that is required is engagement during discussions. Whether through Blackboard, personalizing MyUM, registering for classes, putting up with WebAssign, etc. – students have valuable input to give in shaping the direction of central and distributed IT resources. This is an excellent opportunity to not only give back to the university, but also shape the academic community and leave a legacy that will affect future classes, research and responses to technological advancements. If you would like to be a part of this committee, please feel free to contact me.
Akash Trivedi is the director of information systems for the Student Government Association. He can be reached at akash.trivedi27@gmail.com.
