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Executive Summary
This document presents a vision for the continuing development of academic and administrative information technology services at CU-Denver for the next three to five years. It is the product of several months of review and consideration of IT issues by the Academic Information Technology and Administrative Information Technology Committees. The vision encompasses a broad scope of institution-transforming changes anticipated as networked resources and information technology become ubiquitous at CU-Denver. Information technology, networked access to resources and communication, and advanced applications will support the transformation of the educational, research, and business missions of CU-Denver into a new context of high visibility, extension of services without limits of time or place, and responsive, service-based competition that will be required for survival and growth in the higher education marketplace.
For students, it will mean 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week access to university services, reference and multi-media information resources, student-faculty communication, and a variety of educational program delivery services.
For faculty it will mean uniform and reliable technology support for teaching, advising, curriculum development, and professional development and communication, including the Internet and inter-campus program development and delivery.
For professional staff it will mean a well-integrated administrative computing environment; advanced communication support for group work through teleconferencing and other virtual meeting applications; and training and support in the use of IT applications for the greatest possible streamlining of administrative processes.
This strategic vision requires ongoing attention to a number of critical issues: expanded access (effectively to all staff, students, and any interested person or potential student in the greater community—not just Colorado, but the world); control of costs; quality of service (support and training as a fundamental feature of IT development); extension of services (to K-12, to telelearners via CU Online, etc.); network capability (both high-bandwidth and reliability); "user-friendliness" (the sine qua non); and governance.
The complexities of coordination, collaboration, and equitable distribution of resources in the expanding IT environment require an active, representative, and attentive decision and governance structure which is yet to be defined. This document provides background material for such a function.
In the next few years, the traditional processes of higher education and the new possibilities of the virtual university must meet and combine into a practical and mutually beneficial new form. Strategic planning and coordination of information technology resources and services will be essential to successful outcomes for these new investments.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. ACADEMIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
A. INTRODUCTION
Purpose
Information Technology at CU-Denver
- 1993 Academic Strategic Plan for Information Technology
- 1997 Information Technology Initiative
- 1997 Implementation of the Proposal for Planning for Constant Change
B. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
The Campus Mission
The New Urban University Initiative
The Total Learning Environment Initiative
Competition
Funding
C. VISION FOR ACADEMIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Teaching and Learning
- Classrooms and Laboratories
- Faculty Students
- Faculty-Student Communication
- Information Availability
Student Services
Research and Creative Activities
- Technology Infrastructure and Access
- Digital Production Facilities
- Information Gathering
- Data Analysis and Productivity Packages
- Hardware and Software
Networking
Video and Multimedia
Voice Telecommunication
D. CU-DENVER ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
E. IMPLEMENTATION
II. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
A. INTRODUCTION
B. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
User-Driven systems
The Administrative Streamlining Project (A.S.P.)
Alignment of Policies and Processes
IT Survey
External Scans
Other Initiatives
Implementation Considerations
C. VISION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Develop and Implement Coordinated Communication Systems
- Advanced Electronic Communication
- Web-based Interactive Information Presentation
- Directory/Locator Services
- New Campus-wide Administrative Services
- Customer Service Center (Help Desk)
- The PeopleSoft Student Administration System
- Library and Media Center Support
Voice
Video Deployment
- Content on Demand
- Video Streaming
- Video Conferencing
IT Resource Management
- Network Standards
- Life-cycle Management
- Resource Allocation
- Total Cost of Ownership
Developing and Maintaining Workforce Skills
- Core Competencies
- Position-specific Application Training
- User-selected Elective Training
- Advanced Capability Training
- Options
D. ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS IT INFRASTRUCTURE
III. A STATEMENT ON GOVERNANCE