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Boston College Information Technology ServicesStrategic Plan
Version 1.0, Fall 2013
Boston College Information Technology Services
Strategic Plan
Version 1.0, Fall 2013
Letter from Vice President, Information Technology Services Information Technology Services is pleased to present Version 1.0 of our strategic plan for information technology in support of the University’s mission and goals. The planning process is part of our efforts to align ITS priorities and to optimize our resources in ways that best support the outstanding teaching, learning, research, service and student formation activities at Boston College.
The plan is the product of impressive collaboration among many people across the Boston College community and ITS. Every step of the way, we found enthusiasm and willingness to help ITS become more effective. With such a broad range of perspectives represented, we are confident this plan will enable us to enhance our delivery of technology solutions and services.
Our ITS team is committed to the values of collaboration, service, continuous improvement and innovation. The planning process and the work emanating from the process demonstrate these commitments. We look forward to delivering on the action items outlined and reporting on our progress on an annual basis. We will also be working to continuously revisit and update the plan to incorporate any changes in priorities or technologies.
On behalf of the entire ITS team of dedicated professionals, thank you for your interest and support!
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Approach
3 Vision, Mission and Values
5 Key Strategic Initiatives
5 Learning and Teaching
7 Research
9 Customer Service
11 Administrative Applications
13 Security
15 Infrastructure
17 Moving Forward
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Key Initiatives Timeline
Goals, Objectives & Action Items
27 Acknowledgements Z
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Introduction Information technology plays an ever-‐increasing role in the delivery of teaching, learning and research in higher education today. Boston College students, faculty, alumni and staff continue to adopt technology in innovative and creative ways. Technology is pervasive on campus and in the world in which we live. It is no longer solely the domain of an Information Technology department.
It has been nearly twenty years since the last ITS strategic planning effort was completed. Technology has changed dramatically since then, but so too has the ITS organization. As part of this current planning process, ITS worked internally to develop vision and mission statements to clearly define our purpose. We also documented our core values which help to guide us as we serve the University community.
Information Technology Services is committed to the continuous evolution and improvement of our services and support for the University community. As the demand for technology-‐enabled services continues to grow, economic
challenges and realities drive the need to realize efficiencies and optimize the use of all available University resources.
Our recently-‐instituted ITS planning and governance structures support and facilitate the thoughtful investment and allocation of resources. Our Executive Steering Committee, which includes Deans and Vice Presidents, sets the direction for our project governance model. The inclusion of a Project Review
Committee (PRC), comprised of representatives from academic and administrative areas across campus, ensures transparency, accountability and equity while also providing the flexibility to adapt to changing needs. The PRC and internal ITS management groups review and help prioritize and approve the selection and implementation of projects ensuring alignment with University goals and objectives.
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Approach This strategic planning process was designed to be a collaborative exercise engaging members across all areas of Boston College in a transparent set of activities aimed at collecting and synthesizing creative and innovative ideas requiring technology support. The ITS Strategic Plan is meant to serve as a roadmap, to be reviewed regularly, and its goals and objectives are intended to ensure alignment of technology initiatives with the broader University Mission and Strategic Plan. The goals identified serve as longer lasting strategies achieved through the implementation of supporting objectives and action items. These objectives and action items will be adapted and changed to reflect any changes to strategic priorities.
The ITS Strategic Plan is focused on six key areas:
1. Learning and Teaching2. Research3. Customer Service4. Administrative Applications5. Security6. Infrastructure
A large number of ITS professionals, faculty and staff participated on six teams reviewing the current state of technology, assessing strengths and weaknesses and developing goals and initiatives for each of the six key areas. Two thirds of the working teams came from department representatives outside of ITS, fulfilling a key objective of collaboration and engagement with the BC community. In addition to the work of these teams, we have also surveyed faculty, researchers, students and staff and engaged with over 150 members of the University community in individual meetings, group meetings and focus groups. These activities and conversations, in addition to action items from Administrative Program Reviews, have informed and influenced every aspect of our planning process.
This document sets forth a plan for information technology at Boston College drawn primarily from the work of the six groups and informed by feedback from these individual interviews, focus groups, workshops and surveys. Some of the work identified and included in our plan has already started and is being completed in parallel with our planning process.
It is our objective, therefore, that this level of collaboration and communication continue and that this plan be regularly revisited and updated to reflect any changes to the current environment, new University strategic priorities as well as acknowledge accomplishments.
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Information Technology Services Vision, Mission and Values Vision Statement Information Technology Services will be recognized as a high performance team providing technology excellence that advances learning, teaching, research and student formation in alignment with Boston College’s mission and goals.
Mission Statement Information Technology Services provides secure, reliable and integrated technology solutions in alignment with academic and administrative goals, while delivering excellence in customer service. In support of this mission, we will:
• Partner with the University community to understandthe information technology needs of faculty, staff andstudents.
• Provide leadership and planning for the effective andstrategic use of emerging technologies.
• Demonstrate technical and operational excellencethrough a commitment to professionalism andcontinuous improvement.
Boston College ITS Core Values Our Core Values drive and guide us as we serve the University community. As members of ITS, we are committed to:
• Collaboration: We are dedicated to a constructive, team-‐oriented environment, gathering varied perspectives,sharing knowledge and building effective partnershipswith key stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement: We strive for operationalexcellence through the on-‐going development of the staffand the organization as a whole.
• Innovation: We encourage creative and critical thinking inthe development of technology services and solutions.
• People: We listen to, respect and care for faculty, staff,students and one another, both professionally andpersonally.
• Service: We strive to provide excellent service by beingconsistent, agile, reliable and accessible to all.
• Transparency: We leverage open communications andthoughtful business processes to be accountable in ourinteractions and our work.
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Learning and Teaching Promoting innovative and collaborative opportunities for scholarship
Boston College, in its efforts to foster and grow an academic environment which promotes innovation and scholarship, continues to explore and implement innovative and collaborative educational opportunities. Our recent partnership with Semester Online (2U), to offer online undergraduate courses, and our association with the Kuali Foundation reflects our commitment to providing the best academic opportunities for our students. These new approaches, in conjunction with the implementation of new technologies and tools, will greatly enhance the learning experience of our students. Specific strategies include the following:
Learning Management System (LMS)
A robust LMS is the infrastructure that delivers and manages instructional content, supports faculty and student online interactions and supports multiple scholarship modes.
In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, ITS will work to provide a
modern Learning Management System and collaborative instructional tools that encourage teaching and learning transformations in and out of the classroom. The implementation of the Canvas Learning Management System will bring additional functionality and capabilities to the student learning experience. Over the summer, we partnered with the Office of the Provost to implement a Canvas LMS pilot. We will increase faculty participation in the Canvas LMS to 150 in January 2014, and by May 2014, we will integrate Canvas with other applications and design and implement a local business continuity model. In September 2014, we will complete the conversion of all faculty into the Canvas environment.
Teaching Assistant Program
Support for faculty in the adoption and integration of technology in the curriculum is central to the success of our efforts to provide the best academic experiences for our students.
In partnership with the Office of the Provost, we will investigate and develop a program that will enhance the adoption of new teaching tools. This initiative seeks to create a new program called, “Teaching Technology Assistants.” It will assist faculty in the creative adoption of new teaching tools and increase the capacity of one-‐on-‐one technology adoption assistance available to faculty members. The students selected to participate in this program will be trained by Instructional Design and eTeaching Services (IDeS). In addition, as part of the Academic Technology Innovation Programs, we will provide assistance where needed to Academic Technology Representatives who recommend projects for implementation in the Academic Year 2014-‐2015.
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Student Information Systems
The integration and combination of several student-‐related applications (Enrollment Management, Student Accounts, etc.) will provide technologies and support processes that can facilitate BC’s position at the forefront of technology and enhance the learning experience of our students.
In partnership with the Office of the Provost and the Kuali Foundation, we will implement a modern Student Information System (SIS) that provides next generation software in support of our core student processes. In addition to the Kuali Student modules, best of breed vendor solutions for Financial Aid and Degree Audit will be implemented. This mixed approach will best meet the full range of requirements for the new SIS at Boston College.
Key to our application development and implementation will be our commitment to Universal Design. We
will utilize a universal design for learning framework to ensure all members of the BC community (students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and visitors), including individuals with disabilities, are able to engage and derive benefit from the instructional and technological resources BC offers.
Collaboration and Teaching Tools
The application of technology can enrich the faculty and student scholarship experience. Emerging collaboration tools and mobile applications enhance faculty and student communication and interaction.
In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, we will work to identify the opportunities where technology can support faculty and student interaction. ITS will assist in the implementation of several projects sponsored by the Academic Technology Advisory Board and the University Council on Teaching. This assistance may include server setup
for a competency-‐based learning project, development of attendance mechanisms for out-‐of-‐classroom assignments, social media integration for distance and hybrid learning and Technology Consultant support to faculty members on several projects. Implementation of these projects will span the 2013-‐2014 and 2014-‐2015 academic years.
Learning & Teaching Spaces
In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, we will provide technology-‐enhanced, innovative and flexible spaces for teaching and learning that would include classrooms and meeting spaces for student collaboration.
The Classroom Technology group will work with Space Management to review existing Facilities/Space Planning processes to ensure the inclusion of technology requirements in the design/modification of teaching and learning spaces.
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ResearchSupporting excellence in academic inquiry
Boston College continues to recognize the value and success of research efforts across the campus. ITS presently provides a high performance computing cluster (a Linux cluster) in support of academic research pursuits. The current environment consists of 64 compute nodes (1024 cores), and a high-‐performance file system with 40 TB of disk. The cluster is used by, but not limited to, Economics, Finance, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Institute for Scientific Research, Geology and Geophysics, Psychology, Lynch School of Education, Carroll School of Management, Theology, Graduate School of Social Work, Information Systems, Sociology and Accounting. Currently users of the Academic Research Cluster have access to over 30 software packages on the cluster. ITS will continue to provide focused support and resources for researchers’ needs. Additional strategies include the following:
Enhance High-‐Performance Computational Resources
The computing demands of our research community at Boston College continue to grow. With the future of research moving towards a more data centric and computational model, the demands on our high performance Linux cluster are projected to grow.
ITS will work to create and support resources for research computing that foster community among researchers and provide a vehicle to deliver shared computing resources and
services in a manner that is easily accessed by all faculty research groups. We will continue to enhance our high performance computational resources such as the Linux cluster and web and database servers. We will purchase and install additional nodes and disk storage for the Research Linux Cluster.
Research Community Service and Support
ITS Research Services currently provides a variety of services and statistical support to researchers on campus.
We are committed to providing and developing a staff of research computing professionals to support and assist researchers. ITS Research Services staff members work very closely with research groups. From this foundation, and by attending conferences and external training, staff members stay current on, and learn, new research methods and tools. As staff members learn new methods and tools, they will enhance support, and develop and offer updated tutorials and workshops. ITS will expand the Research Services tutorials offered to include more topics in statistics, qualitative methods, GIS, and other topics. ITS research staff will stay current on scientific computing technologies, including parallel computing, and software tools such as Matlab.
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Grants Management Support
The ability to identify, apply for, receive and manage grants in support of research initiatives requires collaboration and support across many departments at Boston College.
ITS Research Services will work with the Vice-‐Provost for Research and with faculty members to integrate technology staff members into grants, where appropriate. This includes assistance with developing grant proposals, consulting work on accepted grants
and being a named researcher on a grant with a guaranteed time commitment to the grant. We will also provide assistance to the Office of Sponsored Programs by collaborating with the Office of the Provost in providing application support services for grant management from pre-‐award through post-‐award including purchase management.
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Customer Service Creating a culture of service excellence
Changes in the many applications of technology across our campus have led to increasing demands from users expecting a responsive and knowledgeable support organization. The ability to provide quality service in a seamless manner across academic and administrative areas requires continued focus and organization. Our Customer Service initiatives will build a culture of service excellence within the ITS organization that will optimize our delivery of support services to the community. Specific strategies include the following:
An Integrated, Customer-‐Centric and Intuitive Experience
Technology support is offered to members of the BC community from a number of departments and locations across campus. The quality and consistency of that support is difficult to maintain and can be confusing to the user. A support environment (physical and virtual) that includes a “technology concierge”, where members of the BC community enjoy a support experience that is customer-‐focused, personalized and intuitive, is a key initiative.
In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, Library and IDeS, we will work to create physical spaces for research, support and the provisioning of technology in support of pedagogy. These will provide areas of contact for technology-‐related support that will greatly improve the quality of support provided. ITS will continue to develop and deliver a Catalog of Services which will provide an intuitive, customer-‐centric self-‐service tool for all ITS services.
Continuous Service Improvement
High performing service organizations benefit from the existence of a service culture that promotes continuous review and improvement. ITS will work to create, and continually improve, a culture of service and support within the organization.
We will develop and implement well-‐articulated service and support protocols based on industry standards. We will review existing service and support procedures against the ITIL framework, perform a gap analysis and define specific plans for improvement. (Information Technology Infrastructure Library -‐ ITIL is a set of concepts and best practices for the management, delivery and continuous improvement of information technology services.) We will create ITS collaboration teams for the purpose of generating actionable improvements in the areas of Customer Relationship Management, Customer Intelligence and Analytics, Continual Service Improvement and Research & Development. We will create ongoing customer service training programs for both support personnel and key ITS partners. We will look to secure yearly benchmarking activities with key partners in higher education as well as vertical industries such as hospitality and healthcare.
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Service Excellence
The ability to provide and sustain excellence in service delivery requires considerable attention to detail. ITS will modify and improve its existing support infrastructure through a combination of skills development, process improvements and technology integration.
We will develop a service framework by which ITS will actively listen to and interpret the voice of the customer through personal connections, data collection and analysis. We will develop regular internal training opportunities for the purpose of creating a consistent approach to service excellence. ITS will also charter a group of customer service professionals to develop a customer relationship program relevant to our higher education environment and culture.
Computer Lifecycle Management
Our ability to provide lifecycle management and support of computers across campus is critical to understanding and meeting the needs of our users.
We will review, collect and rationalize existing policies and procedures for computer asset management. In addition, we will review existing technologies for campus-‐wide computer asset management, perform gap analysis and define specific plans for improvement. ITS will develop a plan to maximize participation in desktop asset management technologies across BC.
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Administrative Applications Providing tools for organizational effectiveness and alignment
Administrative applications support all members of the Boston College community. These applications support business processes, automation for services such as document management, provide tools that support analysis and decision making and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. ITS, in partnership with the user community will continue to enhance these applications to improve functionality, accessibility and service delivery. Specific strategies include the following:
Business Intelligence & Enterprise Reporting
Decision making at all levels across the University requires access to information. While data from many departments is available, the need exists to transform this data into information that can be used to support decision making across the campus.
ITS will develop an Enterprise Reporting Strategy with appropriate security standards in collaboration with
Institutional Research and leadership from key administrative areas. We will continue to design and develop the data architecture to support cross-‐departmental requirements and integrated reporting while maintaining security requirements. We will also develop and implement education and communication plans that support enterprise reporting. It will also be critical that we communicate effectively about enterprise reporting solutions and best practices to improve the adoption and awareness of enterprise tools and reporting processes. In addition, ITS will review existing reporting
frameworks and tools (strategic and operational) and clearly define operational reporting standards. We will also investigate and recommend alternative frameworks for the management of supplemental department data.
Evolve ITS Application Environment
Application development and delivery has become more complex given the myriad of platforms and services available to our users. The demand for applications to be available on all devices and the growth of SaaS (Software as a Service) introduces new challenges for ITS.
To position Boston College to take advantage of these new opportunities, we will look to expand the use of SaaS options, where appropriate, under a University applications architecture framework. ITS will define and document SaaS guidelines and architecture framework. We will review industry standards and best practices for application development and delivery. We will develop an application development architecture roadmap and identify the appropriate standards and practices to implement at Boston College. ITS will improve its capability to explore, implement, and train on new innovations and technologies from implementation and throughout the lifecycle. We will also develop roadmaps for adoption of technical solutions and the required staff development.
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Collaborative Relationships
The need to create partnerships and collaborative working relationships with our users across the Boston College campus is central to our vision and mission and a requirement for us to be successful.
ITS will work to identify and foster opportunities for synergistic and collaborative relationships around technology internally
among the University’s administrative units and externally among regional institutions. We will create a process supported by the appropriate collaboration tools to facilitate the collection, submission and sharing of ideas. To provide the appropriate support for collaboration, we will investigate and provide opportunities and tools for sharing of ideas, problems, solutions and knowledge among administrative groups at BC and with peer institutions. ITS will also look to conduct a yearly technology forum for Administrative Applications.
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Security Managing risk with people, process and technology
Securing Boston College information technology resources requires focus across several key areas including, but not limited to, data, network infrastructure and information policies. ITS continues to work towards ensuring the University’s information resources are protected using industry standards and practices. Our security initiatives focus on ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of these resources while increasing the level of security awareness and education of our user community. Specific strategies include:
Security Infrastructure
The quality and the integrity of data are important attributes that have a direct impact on the organization’s ability to carry out its mission. Specifically, the University faces substantial challenges including compliance, financial and reputational risks if appropriate procedures are not adhered to on a continuous basis. Hence, following widely accepted practices and standards would benefit all stakeholders in the process.
ITS will work to advance the Boston College information security infrastructure and management practices using industry standards (ISO27002) in support of the specific needs of the University. We will look to position Boston College as a leader in security education and awareness as a means of minimizing the associated risks to the University community. We will document and communicate the Security Architecture roadmap and provide clear communications of the security architecture.
Data Security
The commitment to data security and integrity is strongly supported by University senior management. Data is a strategic asset. Protection or stewardship of data is the responsibility of all members of the Boston College community.
ITS will work to strengthen the overall data security posture by enhancing Boston College business practices to ensure consistent data security practices are in place throughout the community. We will design and implement an ongoing data security awareness campaign for all levels of the University community. In collaboration with other key groups (Data Security Officers), we will continue to focus on mandatory data security training while introducing additional content as appropriate.
ITS will work to ensure compliance with the Data Security policy via training and awareness. We will create end user environments that encourage safe storage of data, including a review of any elements that could be automated. We will work to improve the granular definition of user roles so additional security layers for oversight and prevention can be introduced for those who access sensitive data. In addition, we will also refine the implementation of the governance model outlined in the University Data Security Policy to improve data security at Boston College and work to classify University Data in accordance with the Data Security Policy.
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Security Education and Awareness
ITS has made significant progress in raising the awareness of members of the Boston College community regarding security and the protection of information assets. We are committed to continuing this education and awareness.
We will work to develop a culture of security awareness at all levels within the community. To support this, we will design and implement security awareness and education programs across the campus. ITS will continue to operationalize security functions as appropriate and develop procedures to facilitate decentralization of security operations.
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Infrastructure Ensuring current and future computing requirements are realized
The technology infrastructure is the foundation upon which ITS delivers services to the Boston College community. The reliability, scalability, performance and flexibility of our infrastructure will help us to better meet user needs and support University goals. Our infrastructure initiatives will position us for greater adaptability and capacity as we incorporate many of the transformational technologies being introduced on campus. ITS selects projects for investment that protect the integrity of our infrastructure while also looking to anticipate the future technology needs of the Boston College community. Specific strategies include the following:
Mobile Infrastructure
The demand for access to applications and information on mobile devices has dramatically increased. The use of mobile devices in all facets of University life is becoming the new “norm”.
To support this, ITS will work to define and develop a mobile application strategy and architecture that will empower the mobile workforce (anytime, anywhere and securely). We will investigate and analyze the increased use of smart devices across the University. In building out this mobile environment, we will look to implement a trust-‐based mechanism (2-‐factor) to ensure secure mobile access to University information.
Federated Identity Services
The need for users to securely and seamlessly access data or systems across multiple domains/locations has driven our effort to implement Federated Services.
We will work to implement and leverage federated identity services to enable and support secure collaboration with colleagues at other institutions. ITS will develop and implement an Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy and architecture for Boston College. IAM refers to the policies, processes and technologies that establish user identities
and enforce rules about access to digital resources. It is a critical piece of an organization’s infrastructure and its purpose is to ensure that the right people access the right services while protecting online resources and user privacy as well as enabling ease of use. We will also select and implement a new IAM vendor solution, focusing on IAM Administration services. In addition, we will join InCommon and Eduroam which provide a secure world-‐wide roaming access service with a common privacy-‐preserving framework for shared access management to online resources developed specifically for the international research and education community.
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Virtualization & Cloud-‐Based Technologies
Several new technologies, including virtualization and cloud-‐based computing, have been introduced that provide opportunities for organizations to optimize resources and improve service delivery.
We will look to achieve efficiencies in providing IT services leveraging virtualization and cloud-‐based technologies where and when appropriate. We will implement an internal cloud pilot to evaluate the viability of such an option, and continue to expand the use of virtual servers as appropriate in the Data Center.
Capacity Planning and Continuous Improvement
The continued variety and growth of applications and services supported by ITS requires ongoing investment in our infrastructure. A thoughtful review of, and measured planning effort for, infrastructure investments will ensure a reliable and scalable technology infrastructure.
We will continue to implement practical solutions to minimize cabling infrastructure. ITS will maintain and enhance the disk storage infrastructure. We will work to improve the wireless infrastructure including bandwidth and coverage, and identify outdoor spaces for coverage. We will develop a roadmap and plan for transition to IPv6 and integration with IPv4. ITS will also review long-‐standing network access control methods and determine how they can be improved.
Enterprise Infrastructure Applications
Enterprise applications such as email, MyFiles, bc.edu and the Agora portal are provided to the Boston College community as infrastructure services by ITS. These applications provide additional support for core business functions and require continued review and modernization.
ITS will work to continue to provide enterprise applications that support the University's business and information needs through an array of collaboration tools, both on-‐site and via SaaS (software-‐as-‐a-‐service). In collaboration with the user community, we will work to ensure the usability, accessibility and adoption of these enterprise applications. We have migrated students to Google Apps and are evaluating faculty and staff migration. ITS will advise faculty, staff and students on the appropriate choice and use of consumer-‐oriented collaboration tools (e.g. DropBox, Box.net, Social Text etc.). We will also work to replace aging enterprise tools such as MyFiles, with more modern tools.
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Moving ForwardThis plan identifies the priorities for the ITS organization in its support of the Boston College community over the next several years. Indeed, there is much work to be done. The work presented here includes many short-‐term and long-‐term initiatives.
We look forward to working with our colleagues across the campus to bring this plan and its goals to fruition.
We will continue to update this plan to reflect any changes to our current environment, new University priorities and communicate regularly on our progress.
Please visit our web site www.bc.edu/its/strategicplan for more information or contact Denis Walsh, Associate Director, ITS Planning & Portfolio Governance at [email protected].
Please vistit our website ww.bc.edu/its-plan for more information or contact Denis Walsh, Associate Director,
Key Initiatives Timeline
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Goals, Objectives & Action Items Learning & Teaching
GOAL I Create and sustain an academic environment which promotes innovation and scholarship and through collaboration encourages the exploration and adoption of new teaching tools.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, provide technologyenhanced innovative and flexible spaces for teaching and learning that would include classrooms and meeting spaces for student collaboration.
• Review existing Facilities/Space Planning processes to ensurethe inclusion of technology requirements in thedesign/modification of teaching and learning spaces.
2. In collaboration with the Office of the Provost evaluate thepotential for a new program for Teaching Technology Assistants that would assist faculty in the creative adoption of new teaching tools.
• Investigate the requirements and feasibility for a facultysupport program and provide a recommendation to ATAB andthe Office of the Provost.
3. Enrich faculty and student scholarship and teaching using emergingtechnologies (e.g., eBooks, Collaboration tools, Mobile) and streamlined processes.
• Collaborate with the Office of the Provost to identifyopportunities where technology can support faculty andstudent interaction.
GOAL II Provide technologies and processes that facilitate BC’s position at the forefront of teaching technology and enhances the learning experience of students.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Provide a modern Learning Management System and collaborativeinstructional tools that encourage teaching and learning transformations in and out of the classroom
• Implement a new Learning Management System.
2. Implement a modern Student Information System including KualiStudent Modules that provides next generation software in support of our core student processes.
• Implement Student Information System applications.• Implement Kuali Student Modules.
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Research
GOAL I Implement required services and technologies that support the University’s research community.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Expand the Research Services tutorials to include more topics instatistics, qualitative methods, GIS, and other topics.
• Evolve the tutorial offerings each semester.• Train research staff to offer a broader range of tutorial topics.
2. Provide statistical support for grants. • Work with the Vice-‐Provost for Research to include ResearchServices in grants when requested by faculty.
3. Enhance Web and database support. • Learn new technologies such as Wordpress, Ruby on Rails etc.
4. Foster awareness and consideration of technologies available toentire research community. • Expand support for research applications and tools.
GOAL IICreate and support resources for research computing that foster community among researchers and provide a vehicle to deliver shared computing resources and services in a manner that is easily accessed by faculty research groups.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS 1. Continue to enhance high performance computational resourcessuch as the Linux cluster and web and database servers. • Implement annual updates to hardware and software.
2. Continue to provide and develop a staff of research computingprofessionals to support and assist researchers.
• Stay current on scientific computing technologies, includingparallel computing, and software tools such as Matlab.
GOAL III Facilitate the business processes of grant and purchase management.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS 1. Provide assistance to the Office of Sponsored Programs byproviding application support services for grant management from pre-‐award through post-‐award including purchase management.
• Evaluate available applications software that supports thegrants management process.
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Customer Service
GOAL I Working within ITS and with our Boston College partners, transform the existing support model to one that is integrated, customer-‐centric and intuitive.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Create a support environment (physical and virtual) that includes a“technology concierge” where members of the BC community enjoy a support experience that is customer focused, personalized and intuitive.
• Create ongoing customer service training programs for bothsupport personnel and key ITS partners.
• Secure yearly benchmarking activities with key partners inhigher education as well as vertical industries such ashospitality and healthcare.
• Continue developing the ITS Service Catalog to provide anintuitive, customer-‐centric self-‐service tool for all ITS services.
• Continue work with the Office of the Provost, Library and IDeSto create physical spaces for research, support and theprovisioning of technology in support of pedagogy.
GOAL II Create and continually improve a culture of service and support within the ITS organization.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS 1. Develop and implement well-‐articulated service and supportprotocols based on industry standards.
• Review existing service and support procedures against theITIL framework, perform gap analysis and define specific plansfor improvement.
2. Develop internal collaboration for the purposes of serviceimprovement.
• Create collaboration teams for the purpose of generatingactionable improvements in the areas of CustomerRelationship Management, Customer Intelligence andAnalytics, Continual Service Improvement and Research &Development.
3. Improve both ITS-‐internal and external communication. • Create a strategic communications plan for ITS.
4. Improve ITS service culture.• Develop regular internal training opportunities for the
purpose of creating a consistent approach to serviceexcellence.
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Administrative Applications
GOAL I Develop and implement a robust strategy and framework to ensure that Boston College administrative data is reliable and supportive of improved administrative operations campus wide. OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Develop an Enterprise Reporting Strategy with appropriate securitystandards in collaboration with Institutional Research and leadership from key administrative areas.
• Review existing reporting frameworks (strategic andoperational), including tools and define operational reportingstandards.
• Develop and implement education and communication plansthat support enterprise reporting.
2. Investigate and recommend alternative frameworks for managingsupplemental departmental data.
• Define functional requirements and review technical optionsavailable.
GOAL II Evolve Boston College’s administrative applications development environments to leverage common industry standards and practices to provide the best solutions to meet University needs. OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Expand the use of SaaS (Software as a Service) options, whereappropriate, under a University applications architecture framework. • Define and document SaaS policy and architecture framework.
2. Identify the appropriate standards and practices to implement at BostonCollege.
• Review industry standards and best practices for applicationdevelopment and delivery and develop applicationdevelopment architecture plan.
GOAL III Identify and foster opportunities for synergistic and collaborative relationships around technology internally among the University’s administrative units and externally amongst regional institutions.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS 1. Establish a process for departments and individuals to submit ideas fornew technology and improvements.
• Create a process supported by the appropriate technology tofacilitate the collection and submission of ideas and requests.
2. Improve ITS capability to explore, implement, and train on newinnovations and technologies from implementation and throughout the lifecycle.
• Work with ITS chief technologist to develop roadmaps foradoption of technical solutions & required staff development.
3. Investigate and provide opportunities and tools for collaboration ofideas, problems, solutions and knowledge among administrative groups at Boston College and with peer institutions who support similar applications and technologies.
• Conduct a yearly technology forum for Administrative Apps.• Create an environment supported by collaboration tools to
support communication and sharing of ideas.
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Security
GOAL I Advance the Boston College information security infrastructure and management practices using industry standards (ISO27002) in support of the specifics needs of the University.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Position Boston College as a leader in security education andawareness as a means of minimizing the associated risks to the University community.
• Design and implement an ongoing data security awarenesscampaign for all levels of the University community.
• Continue focus on mandatory data security training whileintroducing additional content as appropriate.
• Encourage compliance with the Data Security policy via training orawareness.
2. Strengthen the overall data security posture by enhancingBoston College business practices to ensure consistent data security practices are in place throughout the community.
• Create end user environments that encourage safe storage ofdata, including a review of elements that could be automated.
• Improve the granularity of user roles so additional security layersfor oversight and prevention can be introduced for those whoaccess sensitive data.
• Define physical assets that access University data which should bemanaged and implement automated tools to manage defineddevices.
• Develop ITS security checklists that outline best practices andallow self-‐certification on a regular basis as a means of ongoingrisk mitigation.
3. Refine the implementation of the governance model outlinedin the University Data Security Policy to improve data security at Boston College.
• Classify University Data in accordance with the Data SecurityPolicy.
• Reassess the roles and compliance requirements defined in theData Security Policy and propose practical recommendations forthe operating environment.
• Encourage compliance with the Data Security Policy.
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Security
GOAL II Provide technologies and processes that facilitate adoption of security initiatives.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Provide a clear articulation of the security architecture. • Document and communicate the security architecture roadmap.
2. Develop a culture of security awareness at all levels within thecommunity.
• Design and implement security awareness and educationprograms across the campus.
3. Continue to operationalize security functions as appropriate. • Develop procedures to facilitate decentralization of securityoperations (e.g. EPO).
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Infrastructure
GOAL I Transform Boston College's ITS infrastructure and application services to better meet user needs and support University goals through identification, testing and adoption of new information technology that will support the University’s mission.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Implement and leverage federated identity services to enable andsupport secure collaboration with colleagues at other institutions.
• Implement Identity and Access Management (IAM).• Join InCommon. Implement Eduroam.
2. Achieve efficiencies in providing IT services leveragingvirtualization and cloud based technologies where and when appropriate.
• Continue and expand use of virtual servers where and whenappropriate in the Data Center.
• Evaluate use of terminals (i.e., thin-‐client terminals) to replacepublic workstations.
3. Empower the mobile workforce (anytime, anywhere and securely).
• Investigate and analyze increased use of smart devices acrossthe University.
• Implement a trust-‐based mechanism for secure mobile accessto University information (e.g. 2-‐factor).
• Define and develop a mobile application strategy andarchitecture.
4. Provide efficient and effective access to enterprise information.
• Provide and provision a Master Data Management solutioncomprising of an enterprise data warehouse, an operationaldata store, data marts and cubes (for analytics) and anenterprise reporting system.
• Create a well-‐defined governance process for efficient andeffective access to enterprise information.
• Continue to modernize the University’s data architecture andinfrastructure to ensure quality authoritative informationmanagement.
5. Provide enterprise applications that support the University'sbusiness and information needs through an array of collaboration tools, both on-‐site and via SaaS (software-‐as-‐a-‐service).
• Migrate students and potentially other audiences to GoogleApps.
• Advise faculty, staff and students on the appropriate choiceand use of consumer-‐oriented collaboration tools (e.g.DropBox, Box.net, Social Text, et al).
• Replace aging enterprise tools such as MyFiles, with moremodern tools.
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Infrastructure
GOAL II Provide enterprise resources and processes that foster continuous improvement and organizational effectiveness.
OBJECTIVES ACTION ITEMS
1. Develop effective architectural blueprints that reflect futurerequirements and provide a means for effective management in identifying and selecting new information technology.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate the University targetarchitecture and transition plan.
• Develop and implement an ITS portfolio optimization plan forthe implementation, migration, or replacement of ITStechnology services.
• Develop a framework and methodology for the identificationof innovative and new technologies and solutions thatimprove ITS service delivery and efficiency.
• Analyze common ITS services and create technology templatesto facilitate provisioning, configuration and access control.
2. Continue to improve enterprise best practices for governance,capital planning, and ITS project portfolio management that are participative and transparent.
• Evaluate existing processes to ensure that they result inenhanced productivity, efficiency and agility.
• Explore methods to improve two-‐way communication, opendiscussion and cultivation/exchange of ideas.
• Promote and foster skills in ITS that allow the department tokeep pace with rapid technological advances while changingthe culture from “maintain and operate” to “innovate,operate and maintain.”
3. Practice capacity planning and continuous improvement forservers, storage and network (wired & wireless).
• Continue to implement practical solutions to minimize cablinginfrastructure.
• Maintain and enhance the storage infrastructure.• Improve wireless infrastructure including bandwidth, coverage
and identifying outdoor spaces for coverage.• Develop a roadmap and plan for transition to IPv6 and
integration with IPv4.• Review long standing network access control methods and
determine if they can be improved upon.
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Acknowledgements A successful strategic planning process cannot be done in a vacuum. This Strategic Planning document represents the efforts of many members of the Boston College community. The entire process from the planning stages, the kick-‐off meeting, the many team lead and team member meetings, advisory group reviews to meetings with Deans and Vice Presidents, not only demonstrates the level of participation but also highlights the partnership that exists between ITS and the entire Boston College community.
Guiding this process from its initial stages to the completion of this first version has been a most rewarding challenge and experience. The process has been transformational in the way it has focused the ITS organization and reinforced our commitment to partnership and collaboration.
We would like to express our thanks to everyone who helped us along the way. In particular we would like to thank:
Kelli Armstrong, Mike Pimental and Meg Ryan from IRPA.
Deans and Vice Presidents for their direction, support and access to resources.
Dean Andy Boynton for his facilitation of our Customer Service Deep Dive.
Our hard working Team Leads and Team Members.
The Academic Groups who provided support and assistance along the way:
The Academic Technology Advisory Board (ATAB), Faculty Tech Contacts (FTC), University Research Council and Instructional Design and eTeaching Services (IDeS).
Our ITS Strategic Planning Academic and Administrative groups who provided valuable support and guidance at key points during our planning process.
Boston College Boston College Information Technology Services 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
Phone: (617) 552-‐6060 www.bc.edu/its
© 2013 Boston College Information Technology Services. All rights reserved.
This publication is available online at: www.bc.edu/its-‐plan
No portion of this document may be excerpted, copied, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Boston College.
Phone: (617) 552-6060www.bc.edu/its
