Priorities for 2010-2011
- Google Apps: Assist all students, faculty, and staff to move to Google Apps for Education. This will provide email, calendar, and collaboration tools for all members of the UMD campus community.
- Security Initiatives: Provide automated desktop security management to desktops and laptops through Active Directory. Expand use of encryption on campus laptops and other devices that require additional security. Work to bring the campus into compliance with the new University Policy on Securing Private Data, Computers, and Other Electronic Devices.
- Project Management and Prioritization Initiative: Improve customer service by setting clear priorities, focusing on fewer projects at one time, and meeting deadlines.
- Academic Support : Provide peer and online training for students and expanded Tech Camp opportunities for faculty.
- Infrastructure: Improve high-speed connectivity to the Internet and to remote campus locations. Provide wireless networking in residence halls and campus apartments. Replace aging projectors in classrooms, and implement centralized control of classroom technology.
- Mobile Computing: Respond to the expanding needs of users with mobile devices, including smart phones, iPads, and net books. Provide instructions for interfaces with UMD systems, and adapt UMD web sites for smaller form factors.
- Inclusiveness: Improve the ITSS physical environment, policies, and procedures to better demonstrate our continuing commitment to inclusiveness and social justice. Emphasize the value of information technology to all people, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Goals for 2010-2011
The goals below are not listed in order of importance. The projects listed under each goal are a subset of all we will do. We encourage each ITSS team to determine how their projects will help to support our goals.
Improve Classroom and Learning Technology
- Apply learning-space theory to improve learning spaces, including classrooms, computer laboratories, informal spaces, and online environments.
- Implement centralized control of classroom technology through classroom control systems.
- Replace aging projectors in approximately 30 percent of UMD classrooms.
- Provide high-definition digital video, wide-aspect projection, and improved sound systems in selected classrooms and computer labs.
- Oversee classroom infrastructure for building and reconstruction projects: Montague Hall, Chester Park.
- Support the Library's Learning Commons Initiative.
- Expand support for class-capture and other video technologies.
- Provide 24-hour computer lab access for students.
Improve Student Services
- Participate in Welcome Week by providing workshops as well as support for student computers and networking.
- Provide wireless networking in residence halls and campus apartments.
- Continue to provide information sessions at freshman orientation and parent's weekend.
- Assist students as they move to Google Apps for email and document services.
- Provide peer and online training for students.
- Upgrade student computing labs to Windows 7, and improve student printing services.
Improve Services and Support for Customers
- Develop technology orientation session for new employees.
- Assist all students, faculty, and staff to move to Google Apps for Education. This will provide email, calendar, and collaboration tools for all members of the UMD campus community.
- Improve customer service by setting clear priorities, focusing on fewer projects at one time, and meeting deadlines.
- Provide expanded Tech Camp opportunities for faculty.
- Revamp the ITSS web site to incorporate new templates and improve organization.
- Streamline the TechCenter process for receiving, repairing, and returning computers to their owners.
- Improve the ITSS physical environment, policies, and procedures to demonstrate inclusiveness. Emphasize the value of information technology to all people, regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, gender, and sexual orientation.
Improve Fiscal Management
- Revise our rates for FY2012 based on ISO principles and regulations.
- Develop policy, procedures, and rates for database applications.
- Review business processes for compliance and efficiency improvement
- Improve ISO inventory compliance and reporting for resale materials.
Provide Effective Application Development Support and Services
- Continue to provide consulting and programming services to campus units, and transform their needs into project and program support.
- Continue to provide timely, consistent management reporting from University data assets.
- Research new programming development technologies, and implement them as support solutions.
- Utilize change and project management processes to improve customer application development and project support.
Improve Computer, Network, and Physical Security
- Provide automated desktop security management to desktops and laptops through Active Directory.
- Expand use of encryption on campus laptops and other devices that require additional security.
- Work to bring the campus into compliance with the new University Policy on Securing Private Data, Computers, and Other Electronic Devices.
- Establish a logging service for servers, and offer this service to the campus.
- Improve description of server support options. Encourage migration of department-owned servers to secure ITSS server space.
- Provide support for building automation systems used by Facilities Management.
- Complete biannual review of credit-card workstations.
- Exercise and update operational continuity plan.
- Complete annual security review of critical applications.
- Automate processes for responding to reports of security problems or inappropriate use of computers on the UMD network.
- Collaborate with the Office of Information Technology to implement the Sandvine solution for improved network security management.
Improve Campus Infrastructure
- Improve high-speed connectivity to the Internet and to remote campus locations.
- Provide wireless networking in residence halls and campus apartments.
- Maintain high availability, scalability, service continuity, security, and data integrity of network and system infrastructure.
- Work with regional partners on the Middle Mile Project, which will use stimulus funding for improved network connections for remote locations.
- Participate in all campus renovation and building projects: Montague Hall and Chester Park.
- Continue to upgrade computer systems using clustering and mirroring techniques to provide maximum up-time.
- Expand the use of virtual server technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Extend the capacity of the email system in order to provide quality service during the transition to Google.
- Replace the UMD web server.
Improve Working Environment for ITSS Staff
- Continually review and revise ITSS staff handbook. Regularly review all ITSS policies.
- Improve social opportunities and build community within the ITSS staff.
- Encourage staff training and professional development.
- Provide a working environment for staff that encourages them to remain employed at ITSS.
- Continue to emphasize importance of a healthy and safe working environment for staff.
Participate in Campus Life
- Participate in the UMD strategic planning initiative.
- Guide and enhance the use of technology across the UMD community.
- Maintain strong collaboration and coordination between IT staff within UMD units, ITSS, and University of Minnesota technology units.
- Meet and coordinate activities with our campus partners.
- Contribute to campus governance and activities by serving on committees, task forces, commissions, etc.
Technology Development
- Respond to the expanding needs of users with mobile devices, including smart phones, iPads, and net books. Provide instructions for interfaces with UMD systems, and adapt UMD web sites for smaller form factors.
- Review the IT landscape for useful emerging technologies.
- Research encryption for wireless data transmissions.
- Investigate shared software distribution methods for student-owned computers.
- Research cyber-infrastructure needs for campus researchers.
- Investigate improved email security using digital signatures and enhanced authentication.
Preliminary Priorities for 2011-2012
- Reallocate staff and equipment resources from email services to web, database, security, and programming services following the campus conversion to Google Apps.
- Reallocate staff and equipment resources from Novell services to Active Directory services following the campus conversion to Active Directory. Customize the Active Directory environment to better meet UMD campus needs.
- Participate in the University-wide identity management project. Ensure that this new solution meets the needs of the UMD campus.
- Participate in the University-wide UData system for documenting faculty accomplishments. Provide local support for UMD faculty.
- Lead the campus to more efficient use of server equipment and facilities. Encourage the use of virtual servers, energy-saving solutions, and shared data center and server rooms.
- Participate in the University-wide conversion from WebVista to Moodle for course information. Provide local support for faculty to convert their class information.
- Participate in the University-wide replacement of the data warehouse, which provides data for ad-hoc management reporting. Provide local support for the conversion.
- Participate with campus partners to reduce UCard payment methods to a single solution.