Infrastructure Matters. . .
Don
Harris
Vice Provost for Information Services and CIO
cio@uoregon.edu
Believe it or not, most information technology professionals do not
spend their weekends reading technical guides and operations manuals.
In my own case I've kept my reading list free of material that's
heavy in technical jargon, with one notable exception. For the past few
years I've enjoyed reading a periodical titled Innovation. Written
by engineers at one of the world's top auto manufacturers, Innovation gives focus to the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making the technological
advances that benefit many of us who drive automobiles.
I understand that many can't get excited about reading the engineering
specifics of "smart" airbags, infrared night vision systems, "active
steering," or twin-turbocharged engines. Many just want to get
in their cars, turn the key, and drive. Actually, I would have to confess
that I too am far more interested in driving than getting under the hood
of my own car. But I read this periodical to gain an appreciation of
just how much is going on when I do turn the key, and to appreciate the
quality engineering and the technical infrastructure necessary to support
my driving experience.
After my last reading of Innovation I couldn't help but think about
the role of information technology at the University of Oregon. The focus
of IT for most faculty, students, and staff is clearly on the applications,
not infrastructure. And it is for this reason that we have refocused
this periodical away from the technical to telling the story of how faculty
and students are using IT resources in their teaching/learning and research
work. Like so many automobile drivers, I'm quite sure many of these
individuals don't know much about the IT infrastructure that is
required to support their work. Yet it would be a mistake to minimize
the role of this technical infrastructure, and a shame to allow it to
lapse into something that could not support the needs of a top university.
In her comments to the Departmental Computing Group, Provost Linda Brady
talked about the importance of academic excellence to the future of the
university. She talked about this in relation to hiring and retaining
faculty and staff, reaching underserved populations, enhancing graduate
education and research, increasing international efforts, and engaging
a statewide community. She also emphasized the important role that information
technology will play in achieving each of the above goals. Quality IT
infrastructure, and the professional staff that support it, are very
much of that environment.
The engineers who do the work described in Innovation have but one
goal, excellence. They pursue this goal by working behind the scenes,
yet what they do is vital to the performance of the cars they produce.
Likewise, IT infrastructure and core services (e.g., voice and data
networks, administrative applications, systems and servers, and support
services) occupy the often unseen yet vital world which has become
a critical part of any major university, including the University
of Oregon. If we are to achieve the goal of excellence Provost Brady
described, we must invest not only in the visible, but in the often
unseen world of IT infrastructure, upon which everything else depends.