University's information technology resources evolve

Information Services new name for IT organization

JULY. 24, 2006—After an extensive review process, the University of Oregon's information technology resources will be reorganized to better address the needs of the campus community, said Don Harris, the university's vice provost for information services and chief information officer.

Harris documented conversations about information technology with faculty, administrators, staff and students in the document "Prelude to an IT Strategic Plan".

Input both before and after the plan's publication helped guide the reorganization, Harris said. After completing the review process, three areas warranted immediate attention, he said.

IT organization renamed Information services
The name of the information technology organization needed to be changed to better reflect the service orientation in addressing the needs of the university. While Information Services will be used to describe units that were once part of the Computer Center, the label will also be used to describe the broader university information technology community. Using the name Information Services to describe this information technology community is part of a deliberate effort emphasizing that everybody must work together for the good of the university.

Systems administration resources to expand
As resources come available, Harris said he will add them to the system administration group to create a team that is larger and has the skills required to support large projects. The current systems administration group is not adequately staffed for what the university requires, let alone for what faculty and administrators desire. Harris, however, said he is confident additions in staff and resources will make the department better able to grow with the demands of the university.

Academic Services unit to be formed
Academic Services will be a new unit within Information Services. The unit will focus on services that support academic quality, a recent point of emphasis in the campus community. Harris said he envisions a collaborative effort among personnel within schools as well as other academic support areas. A new director will be sought to lead this new unit. Members of this team will be chosen only if they have demonstrated their ability to work with campus information technology leaders, as well as with faculty and students. The new director will work closely with the schools and colleges, libraries and other support units. To free up resources for the new unit, User Services and Network Applications will be decommissioned. In coming months, Harris will work with personnel from this group to see if suitable roles can be found in the expanded systems group or new Academic Services unit.