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IT governance roundup

Teaching and Learning Portfolio

Jan. 14 • The request for learning spaces funding proposals has gone online. Two open houses are scheduled, and a task force will be appointed to gather information from those making requests to help the portfolio make its decisions. The group reviewed an Education Advisory Board case study of Eastern Michigan University’s “collaborator,” which allows teachers to interact with the latest technology to determine its application to their instruction. A similar setup is being created in Milton Bennion Hall.

Feb. 10 • Two membership changes were approved, with Anthony Oyler replacing Jesus Hernandez and Jordan Gerton replacing Nalini Nadkarni. Jon Thomas shared the results of the learning spaces proposal open houses. Associate Director of Auxiliary Services Jennifer Reed discussed the plans for the UCard office and its printing services. The office runs printing services for many labs across campus and is looking to expand to provide better service and help consolidate many of the disparate print management systems in use. The group discussed how to treat interdisciplinary programs that seek learning spaces funding. It was decided to allow those groups that fit a narrow set of specifications to be allowed to seek funding independent of the colleges with which they are associated. The learning spaces task force was named.

March 4 • There were 23 total requests for student computing fees. The requests will be uploaded for review, and the task force will visit with the requestors to discuss any outstanding issues. Catherine Soehner explained how the Marriott Library has requested and used student computing fees historically, and asked that if the committee intended to change its guidance on the use of those funds to give her enough time to find alternate sources of funding. Pam Hardin shared with the group information about how the College of Nursing uses technology in its simulation lab. Kirsten Butcher discussed some of her research on how technology and learning intersect.

University Support Services

Jan. 20 • New CIO Steve Hess spoke about his thoughts on IT governance. He urged the portfolio to continue pushing for projects that are well thought out and provide a clear understanding of the benefits for the university. He said he did not immediately foresee any major changes to the USS portfolio, and any future changes would be based on data that came to light. He said UIT should be focused on strategic initiatives determined by the academic and administrative leadership, and said the portfolio would be a key driver in that effort. Chair Patricia Hanna said future portfolio rankings would be approved by the body present, rather than a quorum, so that there would be no delay in University Support Services being able to act on the new rankings.

Feb. 17 • The group was shown a preview of the upcoming CAS login page changes. Matt Lopez discussed a new Admissions partnership with SLCC. He also offered an update on the document management solution. Hanna discussed some conversations happening surrounding IT governance. She suggested it would be helpful to update the information regarding the USS portfolio on the CIO website. Others said it would be helpful to have a small, clear strategic plan from the institution. Another suggestions was to create a central page listing all the technology being used on campus so that colleges and departments could see what is already on campus before seeking their own solutions.

Infrastructure

March 11 • Mike Ekstrom presented data about the efficiency and power consumption at the Downtown Data Center. He shared some concerns about the challenges surrounding the growth of the data center, including the way power is billed. He sought guidance about how to address the disparity in how power is paid for in on-campus data centers vs. the DDC. The group urged him to speak with several people around campus about the issue before bringing it up with the Operational IT Committee. Caprice Post discussed the plans for retiring the Sympa email list service and replacing it with a more modern offering. She was given permission to send a survey to list owners to gather data for that effort. She also talked about upcoming launches of Google Apps for Education and Office 365, both of which offer similar features and will be made available to the campus, though the email components are still being fleshed out. Steve Dean told the group the NextNet report is still being worked on. Dan Bowden said his work with the Academic Senate executive committee is winding down and he will soon present the new risk management and security policies to the full Senate for a vote.

For governance agendas and minutes summaries, visit cio.utah.edu

Last Updated: 5/7/21