IT governance roundup

Teaching and Learning Portfolio

October 24 • Agenda •

• Peter Jensen, associate professor (lecturer) in the School of Computing, was introduced as the portfolio's newest member.
• Cory Stokes, UOnline director and associate dean for Undergraduate Studies, led a discussion about software procurement at the U, and the ways in which the portfolio can be more involved in that process.
• Paul Burrows, TLT information architect, gave an update on the new timeline for Learning Spaces/student computing fees and confirmed that everything is on target for releasing the funding application form in early December.
• Patrick Tripeny, director for the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) and professor in the College of Architecture, presented on a new task force being proposed that would take a closer look at the learner-centered classrooms and learning spaces on campus.
• Jon Thomas, TLT director, gave a very brief update on the Student Computer Lab Usage project.
• The meeting concluded with a tour of the HSEB wet lab and nursing simulation lab.

Enterprise Web Advisory Council (EWAC)

November 3 • Agenda • Summary

• Barb Iannucci, associate director for USS Content Management & Usability, gave an update on the replacement search for the Google Search Appliance (GSA), which Google is retiring soon. She recapped options the task force has considered, along with the pros and cons for each option, and facilitated a discussion with the council on the best direction moving forward. Ultimately, the council agreed to recommend implementing the Google Custom Search Engine as a stopgap solution, with an ongoing effort to find a more permanent solution over the next couple of years. The decision will be taken to Chief Information Officer Steve Hess and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Bill Warren, co-sponsors of this initiative, for final approval.
• Pat Hanna, professor of linguistics, gave an update on the revision to Policy 4-003, World Wide Web Resources.
• Lori McDonald, dean of students, gave an overview of an accessibility webinar she attended recently, and facilitated a discussion about how that information can be shared on a broader basis, primarily to people who design websites at the U.
• Due to the November and December meetings falling on holidays, McDonald recommended meeting just once before the end of the year, and the council agreed on December 1 for this meeting.
• Nathan Tanner, director of marketing and sales for Interactive Marketing & Web, suggested the overall topic of content management systems be added to the next EWAC agenda, and there was general agreement from the council on this.

Architecture and New Technology Committee (ANTC)

• There was no ANTC meeting this month. The next meeting will be held on Monday, January 22, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Eccles Broadcast Center, Dumke Room.

Strategic Information Technology Committee (SITC)

November 28 • Agenda

• Barb Iannucci, associate director for USS Content Management & Usability, gave an update on the replacement search for the Google Search Appliance (GSA), which Google is retiring soon. She recapped options the task force has considered, along with the pros and cons for each option, and facilitated a discussion with the committee on the best way to move forward. After discussion, the committee voted to approve paying to extend the GSA unless the FAR and UHealth teams indicate that they do not want the extension.
  
• Cory Stokes, UOnline director and associate dean for Undergraduate Studies, led a discussion about software procurement at the U, and walked through the suggested process of how software should be procured. There was general agreement in the room on the proposed process, and it was suggested that it be brought to the deans for their approval before creating an official policy.
• Steve Hess, Chief Information Officer, led a discussion on whether or not a problem exists within the University wherein departments are hiring outside/third-party desktop support and, if so, whether or not a policy should be created to govern that. The Information Security Office was then asked to study this and come back to SITC with ideas and/or a proposal to move forward.
• Hess led a discussion on University-wide IT training and the gaps that exist, largely due to budget constraints, across various departments, colleges, and offices at the U. UIT is working on a plan to assess what the current training gaps are, and will then create a proposal to address how IT training can be better provided across campus.
• Hess showed an updated version of the campus IT strategic plan, which has been edited to include the discussion points from the SWOT analysis performed in the September SITC meeting. The committee voted to approve the changes to the plan.
  
• Scott Sherman, special assistant to the CIO, facilitated a discussion about effective targeted messaging at the U. The issue had been brought up in a previous Teaching & Learing Portfolio meeting, with one member noting the difficulty in reaching faculty about specific training seminars. The group discussed the various ways and tools the U provides to communicate, and the reasons DMail is no longer used (except in situations of life / safety, compliance, and presidential messages). Stokes suggested putting together a group to work on this issue, and there was general agreement from the room on this.
• Stokes briefly presented on everything his group does, including UOnline and compliance, curriculum services, and Teaching & Learning Technologies. He reviewed various statistics, including how many students have enrolled in at least one online class, the adoption rate of Canvas, and number of help tickets TLT resolved at the beginning of Fall semester.
• Hess reviewed the 2017 Gartner Symposium, which a number of UIT employees attended this year, and the various themes and ideas he took away from the conference.
• Ken Pink, Deputy CIO, explained that EWAC has created a new sub-committee that will begin to look at content management systems being used at the U and attempt to decide on a single tool that will satisfy the needs of all groups on campus. Any ideas, recommendations, or decisions will be brought to SITC for approval.

 

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