A program designed to assess the available technology at Ohio State and plan for the future begins this week.
The project’s objective is to define and implement a strategic plan that utilizes the best technology possible to improve the quality of teaching, learning, research and operating support.
The biggest challenge will be designing a practical plan, said Cathy Bindewald, director of technology, communications, marketing and planning for the CIO office. In times of decreasing budget allowances, departments around the university are taking stock in all their resources.
PlanIT will not only work to support the business of higher education, but will also work toward the goals of the academic plan. Portions of the academic plan emphasize the importance of information technology to the university.
“We need to make sure we’re spending the money as efficiently as possible to reach the goals of the academic plan,” she said.
The project also studied other schools facing budget cuts and found schools redirecting expenses to eliminate repeat services.
“For instance, some services, like e-mail, are provided by individual colleges and departments but also centrally through us,” Bindewald said. “At one time, those services within an individual department may have been necessary. We need to find out if they are still necessary.”
Bindewald understands the role customer service is going to play in developing these strategies.
“We need to make sure people feel comfortable with our central services before they will trust us with their information technology needs,” she said.
“The process is just as important as the product,” said Ilee Rhimes, CIO, to his staff.
“If we do a good job, people will know it,” Bindewald said.
According to a letter sent to the four advisory groups to PlanIT, Rhimes wants to make sure the office is looking at information technology from the student, faculty and administrative point of view.
Susan Metros, deputy chief information officer and executive director for education technology and distributed education, came to OSU three months ago from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to help with OSU PlanIT. She also joined the College of Arts faculty as a professor of industrial, interior and visual communication design.
There is one question she needs to ask, Metros said.
“What potential is there rather than just what we need,” she said.
Part of the first stage of the project will be to gather information on the technology skills of employees throughout campus.
“I believe we can make better use of the skilled people we have employed across campus,” Bindewald said.
Metros will also be reaching out to the community surrounding campus.
They need to find out what higher education’s role will be in discovering how technology will affect K-12 education, she said.
Metros will also be working on technology days, which will include lectures and demonstrations from experts in information technology.
“If we’re talking about the future, we want to show the future of technology to campus, students and faculty alike,” Metros said.
The presentations will cover topics such as research computing, distance learning, information management, wireless technology, and more.
Technology Days will allow the CIO office to measure feedback from the campus community and develop strategic priorities.
By August, the CIO office hopes to gain more feedback after the release of its initial report. The office then expects to implement the initiative in January 2003.
Invitations for Thursday’s ceremony were sent to various advisory groups, but the public is encouraged to attend.
The kickoff ceremony for OSU PlanIT, headed by the office of the chief information officer, is from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Baker Systems in room 120. A second presentation will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Feb. 25 at Baker Systems room 120.
“We really want to engage the university community in the process,” said Cathy Bindewald, director of technology, communications, marketing and planning for the CIO office.
