Information Technology Division

Compact Planning-2002-06

 

Second Iteration for ITD:
Preliminary list of highest priority/most likely to succeed initiatives

For UPA's overview of the Compact Planning process for NCSU, see: http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/compactplan/index.htm

1. Initiatives contributing to achievement of university goals

High Performance Computing/Research Computing - Partnering with Office of Research and various colleges and centers, facilitate NC State HPC-based research in face of budget cuts to MCNC and NCSC; rebuild on-campus ITD expertise and resources to support research and scientific computing; create sustainable funding-capability model; advance NC State research/academic goals, including science and technology learning

Help Desk - Developed as a coordinated resource for multiple user groups

University Portal (for academic and administrative users) - Coordinated with appropriate group regarding support roles and expected customer needs

Expanded Distributed Support Program - Enhanced program would include a more holistic campus-wide philosophy on assessing support needs; formal program of "Support Partnerships" with support staff in departments; formalized method of providing training and communication and certification to all departmental computing support staff

Classroom technology support - Pilot project in collaboration with new campus classroom improvement initiative

Unified Desktop Environments - Partnering with RMIS and the Colleges to continue development of a more universal Windows computing environment; budget requests would be for additional staff to fully document the environments and to develop training for campus staff

Enterprise File System - Implement advances in data storage technology that leverage the low cost per terabyte of modern Storage Area Networks

Electronic Identity Management and Provisioning - An enterprise-wide system implemented in partnership with other major service providers such as RMIS, DELTA and the NC State Libraries

Remote Application Access for complex and expensive programs (e.g., AutoCAD, ProEngineer, Solidworks, SAS) - For DE students and other users without computer lab access across multiple platforms and protocols to meet the diverse needs of NC State's students, faculty, staff and researchers

New data funding model - Create a new funding model for data network services so that the funding is
done per department based on an equitable model. Collaborative purchasing of computer hardware and software - Working with University IT Committee, establish process to coordinate purchases of software and hardware. Efficiencies include lower purchasing and labor costs.
Expanded security capabilities
a. cyber-security: Add additional staff to handle increase cybercrime load, deal with DMCA notification (Resnet & non-Resnet and add legal expertise to staff b. security and antivirus: microcomputer focus

2. Initiatives contributing to the university's planning for "Student Learning in a Technology-Rich Environment":

IT Fluency - In collaboration with the LITRE QEP, ITD would act as a. the service unit that works to make sure that students have basic information technology competency
b. facilitator of collaboration among units on campus who desire to incorporate IT fluency into their curriculum or services

Mobile/wireless/cellular computing initiatives
a. network infrastructure aspect (ComTech)
b. delivery systems, content management and applications for PDAs, etc. (Computing Services and
Systems)

Accessible IT production and research facility - In partnership with College of Education, and DSS (and DELTA?). Facility will provide
a. production of accessible and alternate format materials (such as captioning ); (b) support/education
on web accessibility to facilitate implementation of upcoming academic regulation; c. research opportunities for accessibility and universal design for learning issues

3. Initiatives contributing to achievement of unit-specific goals:

Disaster recovery preparedness
a. Continuation of DRP efforts with existing sites
b. Planning/provisioning for new secondary site to open in 2004