JMU Information Technology

Objectives Update

FY 2003-2004

ALL AREAS

• Objective: Provide professional development opportunities for staff in Information Technology.
  • Update: Information Technology staff again has taken advantage of a variety of training and professional development opportunities both on- and off-campus. On-campus included eleven staff members completing the Supervisor Training Leadership Series through Human Resources. They were: Debby Boyle, Becky Helmick and Jean Petersen from Computing Support ; Vanessa Breeden, Alvin Chao, Pete DeSmit, Theresa Garrison, Lisa Kiracofe, Doug Mathews, and David Garrison from Information Systems ; and Brad Saul from Network Services. Drew Davis completed the IMPACT3 Leadership Development Program. Off-campus, staff from Information Systems attended a number of PeopleSoft training classes and several attended the Higher Education Users Group Conference hosted by PeopleSoft. Computing Support staff attained a total of twelve certifications and utilized over $4,400 of H1-B funded training opportunities. Technical Services identified key needs in the areas of EMC, Network Routing, Windows/Linux Server/Netware Administration, Security, and Backup/Storage. Training was provided to appropriate staff in these areas. Staff from Technical Services and Computing Support attended Novell's Brainshare Conference. Other major areas of training focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia's new Project Management Standards and Computer Incident Response.
  
  
  
• Objective: Develop a policy and supporting procedures on how to handle information security and computer misuse incidents, including file sharing and copyright issues.
  • Update: An incident response procedure was created and is being used and a new process for handling DMCA complaints is in use.
  
  
  
• Objective: Update Contingency Management Plan for Central Computing and Telecommunications.
  • Update: The list of critical systems and functions was updated. Necessary resources and process for improving IT's preparedness have been identified and are under way through Technical Services.
  
  
  
• Objective: Develop a university Best Practice related to analyzing, selecting and managing technology projects.
  • Update: A best practice has been developed and discussed with Administration and Finance senior management. Final implementation and communication remain.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

• Objective: HR Employee Self-Service.
  • Update: Two phases of J-Ess (JMU Employee Self-Service) have been made available to university employees. Phase I included pay advice, leave, compensation and training summaries. Phase II included updates of addresses, phone numbers, emergency contact information and publication privacy restrictions. The third phase is in the process of being determined through seeking input from stakeholders. A proposal will be made to management by the end of the fiscal year.
  
  
  
• Objective: Support implementation of Viking web module.
  • Update: This has been completed and is available to nearly 40 users of the Viking system. The access is predominantly view only. Additional functionality is being developed by the vendor.
  
  
  
• Objective: Create service level agreements for support of all non-central applications to standardize and validate service offerings.
  • Update: Work in support of creating service level agreements has been on-going all year. All areas of IT have been involved. To date, information sharing sessions have been held with Parking, Card Services, University Recreation, Residence Life, Undergraduate Admissions (applicant inquiry system,) University Health Center, Payroll (Imaging project), University Advancement, Facilities Management, and Institutional Research. Additional sessions are being scheduled and supporting documents will be formulated.
  
  
  
• Objective: Support the implementation/upgrade and interfaces for non-centralized systems.
  • Update: All were completed on schedule.
  
  
  
• Objective: Complete upgrade to Version 8 - Student Administration/e-campus.
  • Update: Complete.
  
  
  
• Objective: Integration of id, biographic and demographic data between Student Administration and Human Resources systems to provide enhanced service for students, faculty, and staff .
  • Update: Analysis has begun and is pending further discussion once we're able to fully clarify PeopleSoft's direction for the products. A strategy group has been formed and we've targeted late summer for the final decision on JMU's direction.
  
  
  
• Objective: Determine phase out of usage of SSN and other key data and ensure systems can handle the requirements.
  • Update: Many uses of SSN have been eliminated and analysis continues. An enhancement to the student system was added to mask either part or all of the SSN field as added protection. The work is on-going as interfaces and external systems are evaluated.
  
  
  
• Objective: Expand access to e-campus and/or e-mail to other key JMU contacts -- alumni, applicants, and prospects.
  • Update: This took a back-seat to other projects and will be re-submitted as an objective for 2004-2005.
  
  
  
• Objective: Enhance functionality for supporting faculty grading.
  • Update: After several semesters of successfully piloting e-grading, it was made the only method for grade submissions for Spring 2004. A method for uploading grades in mass was piloted and will be available to all faculty for Summer 2004.
  
  
  
• Objective: Analyze options and viability of providing eVa campus-wide.
  • Update: A phased roll-out of eVa has begun and is being evaluated by a steering committee represented by Finance, Procurement and Information Systems. eVa security administrators have been determined and a security plan was submitted to the Department of General Services for approval. Issues have been identified and are being addressed. The roll-out will continue in a phased manner due to on-going changes in the system.
  
  
  
• Objective: Reimplementation of People Soft Financials to version 8.8.
  • Update: Reimplementation has begun and a June 2005 go-live is targeted to support a fiscal year transition.
  
  
  
• Objective: Support changes in the Commonwealth's central systems.
  • Update: We continue to monitor the status of the state's system initiatives and have made some minor modifications in support of them to date. The major initiatives predicted have not occurred as quickly as the state predicted.

COMPUTING SUPPORT

• Objective: Provide opportunities both on-line and in the classroom for faculty and staff to improve computing skills.
  • Update: Coordinated with Registrar, HR and IS regarding training needs for SA 8, and J-ESS; created and delivered training. Office XP curriculum will be abandoned in favor of Office 2003; training to begin summer, 2004. Combined General and IS training programs. Moved into combined in June, 2004. Survey on training program is developed and will be distributed in May, 2004. Online tutorials and self-help continue to be developed to meet needs.
  
  
  
• Objective: Improve internal and external support processes.
  • Update: All Remedy activities are accessible from the web. Crystal Reports have been integrated to enhance Remedy reporting capability. Warranty repair processes continue to be refined. A white paper on support for personally-owned computers accepted and implemented in August, 2003, and will be reviewed this summer. Technical support for on-campus students has been increased to include virus, spyware, Windows updates, and patch issues. HelpDesk support and services are defined and posted. Created or updated all relevant Service and Operations Level Agreements.
  
  
  
• Objective: Leverage student equipment investments.
  • Update: A student survey was conducted in April, 2004. Results are being compiled and recommendations are forthcoming.

TECHNICAL SERVICES

• Objective: Provide 100mb to the desktop across campus.
  • Update: The following buildings have been rewired and upgraded to 100mb connections: Roop Hall, Frye Building, Warren 3rd, 4th, 5th Floors, Wilson 3rd, 4th and 5th floors, Wellington, Smith, Smith-Annex, Med Arts South, Court Square, Warren Hall - Old Bookstore Offices, Moody, Wampler Hall IT Staff, Varner Hall, Media Resources, and South Main Warehouses. Rewired and installed 100mb access in computer labs in Hillside, Miller G40, Ashby, Burruss, Maury and Carrier Library.
  
  
  
• Objectives: Begin to build routing dependency into the Campus Network.
  • Update: Due to power issues, research, dependencies and other projects this goal was not met. It will be one of our objectives for the 2004-2005 year.
  
  
  
• Objectives: Continue to deploy wireless access.
  • Update: Installed or improved wireless network access in Showker Hall, HHS, Godwin, Convocation Center, Wilson-Telecom, Roop, Taylor Hall, Sheldon, Burruss, Miller, CISAT Modular, Hoffman, Moody, Duke, College Center, and 1598 South Main. Also installed wireless in two houses in Washington, DC to support JMU students during their participation in the Washington Semester Program.