January 2, 2002

 

NDSU’s Information Technology (IT) Plan

 

Priority #1 – Maintenance and Base

 

The following questions should be asked:

 

·        What are you being asked to do today?

·        Is (are) your current IT structure(s) and resources adequate to support this?

·        If you answered “No”, what are your barriers?

·        Are there any efficiencies to be gained from centralizing certain IT services or support either within your area, division, across divisions, across campus or across the state?  (An example of centralization, which may result in efficiencies, mentioned at the IT Forum, is a common scheduling and calendar system.)

·        Are there any efficiencies to be gained from decentralizing certain IT services or support either within your area, division, across divisions, across campus, or across the state?  (An example of a recent decentralization, which resulted in efficiencies, is the implementation of PageCenter.) 

 

Priority #2 – Upgrades and Enhancements

This priority is linked to NDSU’s strategic goal: “Examine current programs for adequacy in resources and infrastructure.”

 

The following questions should be asked (comments related to the current Administrative system (commonly known as CICS) should be made under Priority #6):

 

Is (are) your current IT structure(s) and resources adequate to support:

 

·        What you plan to do yet this biennium?

·        What you are planning for 03-05?

·        What you are planning for 05-07?

·        What you dream of doing?

 

If you answered “No” to any of the above, what are your barriers?

 

 

 

Priority #3 – IT Initiative

This priority is linked to NDSU’s strategic goal:  “Work to increase federal and private research funding.  Including providing resources and improve research infrastructure to increase competitiveness for merit-based peer-reviewed research grants and advancing the research mission of the university by identifying new opportunities through federal government initiatives.”

 

 The following questions should be asked:

           

·        In what ways do you feel IT could impact/enhance/add value to your ability to meet this goal?

·        What, if any, barriers  (with respect to IT) may limit your area or division in its response to this priority?

 

Priority #4 – IT Initiative

This priority is linked to NDSU’s strategic goal: “Expand doctoral programs in areas of strength.”

 

The following questions should be asked:

           

·        In what ways do you feel IT could impact/enhance/add value to your ability to meet this goal?

·        What, if any, barriers  (with respect to IT) may limit your area or division in its response to this priority?

 

Priority #5 – IT Initiative

This priority is linked to NDSU’s strategic goal:  “Provide real world research and educational opportunities for NDSU faculty and students.  Including improving the student learning experience including enhancing undergraduate research opportunities, incorporating experiential learning into academic programs, exposing students to advances in technology.”

 

The following questions should be asked:

           

·        In what ways do you feel IT could impact/enhance/add value to your ability to meet this goal?

·        What, if any, barriers  (with respect to IT) may limit your area or division in its response to this priority?

 

 

Priority #6 – IT Initiative

This priority is linked to the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, which will replace the 21-year-old Higher Education Computing Network (HECN) administrative information system, commonly known as CICS.  The new system, called an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, will be an integrated system that will be used by higher education, state government and K-12 schools.  The 2001 Legislature appropriated $7.5 million for the selection and initial installation of an ERP system, which has an estimated cost of $30-40 million. 

 

While it is anticipated that the Legislature will fund the system cost, campus personnel time as well as hardware and base level training costs probably will be an individual campus responsibility.   Thus, the following questions are related to your area’s / division’s hardware and training levels.

 

The following questions should be asked:

 

·        What, if any, barriers may limit your area’s or division’s response to this priority?

·        It is anticipated that the ERP will be web-based.  How comfortable are you using the web: 

·        Your top administrators? (1-5 scale and N/A)

·        Your faculty? (1-5 scale and N/A)

·        Your professional staff? (1-5 scale and N/A)

·        Your support staff? (1-5 scale and N/A)

 

·        It is anticipated that the ERP will be Windows-driven.  How comfortable are you using Windows:

·        Your top administrators? (1-5 scale and N/A)

·        Your faculty? (1-5 scale and N/A)

·        Your professional staff? (1-5 scale and N/A)

·        Your support staff? (1-5 scale and N/A)

 

·        Number of MAC computers within your division.

·        Estimate the percentage of these machines that are > 2 years old

 

·        Number of “IBM compatible” computers within your division.

·        Estimate the percentage of these machines that are > 2 years old

 

 

Priority #7 – IT Initiative (“Transform the Business”)

This priority is linked to the strategic goals of the Roundtable: “Collaboration and Cooperation within the NDSU, NDUS, State of ND, and Other Entities”

 

The following questions should be asked:  

           

·                    What collaboration and cooperation efforts currently are happening within your area or division which have an IT component?

 

·                    What collaboration and cooperation efforts currently are planned within your area or division which have an IT component?

 

·                    What collaboration and cooperation efforts would you like to see occur within your area or division, if certain barriers were removed?

 

            What are those barriers?

            Could IT help to remove those barriers?   If so, how?