1. Decentralization in a Centralized IT Environment
Co-Presenters:
Todd Cunningham
Lloyd Onyett

2. Copyright Copyright Todd Cunningham 2009
This work is intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate or to republish requires written permission from the author.

3. About IUP 14,310 students; 1,700 employees
Largest Member of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)
1 Main campus; 3 Branches
Degree Programs offered:
145 undergraduate programs
61 master’s programs
10 doctoral programs

4. Discussion Items Technology Background at IUP
Technology Questions to be answered
Planning the IT Environment
Creating the IT Environment
College Technology Managers
Division Technology personnel
Committee Structure
How We Encourage Emerging Technologies
Examples of the Process
Summary
Q & A

5. Technology Background
Innovative Faculty
“Grass Roots” efforts
Emerging Technologies

6. Technology Questions
How do we address and/or support “grass roots” technology efforts?
When is it determined if the “grass root” technology ideas are appropriate to pursue?
How do we as technologists encourage faculty to be innovative?

7. Planning the IT Environment
Must maintain Core Technology
Network Infrastructure, Enterprise Services ( , Web, Storage, ID Management, Security, etc.), Administrative Information Systems (ERP, Student System), Academic Services, Personal Computing Support, etc., etc.
Encourage Faculty Innovation
Keep “on top” of Emerging Technologies (grass roots efforts)

8. Creating the IT Environment
Centralized Computing Environment
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Services
IT Support Center (User Services) – front door to Central Organization
Instructional and Research Technologies (IRT)
Technical Services
Application Development
IT Administration

9. Creating the IT Environment (cont)
Decentralized Computing Environment
College Technology Managers
one in each of the six colleges and the Library
Additional support staff and student tech workers in each college
Division technology personnel
Student Affairs, University Relations, and Administrative Finance

10. Creating the IT Environment (cont)
Committee Structure to “tie it all together”
Academic Computing Policy Advisory Committee (ACPAC)
Consists mainly of faculty; recommends policy related to technology in support of the academic mission
Technology Operations Team (TOT)
Senior members of Central IT Services, seven CTMs and Division Technology Personnel

11. College Technology Managers (CTMs)
Encourage “grass roots” efforts
Support “college specific” technology
Support all college systems “to the network jack”
Provide first/second level computing support
Receive some escalations from IT Support Center
Provide additional support for some core centralized technology services.

12. Division Technology Personnel
Serve as escalation for technology related to functional processes
Lead Division Technology Teams to assist in prioritizing projects for IT Services
Assist users within the Division with Ad-hoc reporting
Liaison between Division and IT Services related to technology

13. Committee Structure ACPAC is the technology voice of the faculty
Encourages “grass roots” services becoming core centralized services
Creates “action teams” to research ideas/directions/concerns (Ex. Emerging Technologies Committee)
TOT brings all the technology personnel together
fosters “shared decisions” on university wide technology matters
Above groups make recommendations to Deans Council (including CIO)
Deans Council prioritizes technology projects accordingly for IT Services

14. How we Encourage Emerging Technologies
Innovative faculty create an idea or identify a need
Idea MAY go to ACPAC Emerging Technologies Committee
CTM encourages the idea by providing “college specific support”
The idea becomes more wide spread including faculty across colleges
CTM/Faculty/Emerging Technology Committee via TOT/ACPAC makes recommendation that the “idea” become a centralized service to benefit all faculty
Idea becomes prioritized project for Central IT Services
Idea becomes an Enterprise Service

15. Emerging Technologies
Central IT Support/Resolution
Dean’s Council
ACPAC
Idea/need from Faculty
TOT
Idea/need from CTM
Emerging Technologies subcommittee of ACPAC (or other subcommittee)

16. Examples of Results from this Process
Initial LMS (WebCT) many years ago
Blogging
Streaming Service
Personal Response Systems (“clickers”)
Second Life
online course “testing” system
Next Generation LMS at IUP

17. Summary Innovative Faculty
Technology Environment to encourage Faculty and/or Emerging Technologies
Must continue to maintain Core Centralized Technology
Must still be a process in order to have a centralized enterprise service
Priority

18. Question & Answer Session

19. Decentralization in a Centralized IT Environment
Co-Presenters:
Todd Cunningham; Executive Director, IT Services
Lloyd Onyett; Assistant Dean for Technology, College of Education and Educational Technology