INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA

Information Technology Committee Meeting Notes

Date: October 24, 2000

Time: 9:30-11:30

Location: McHenry Library – Room 325

1. Welcome and introductions - Larry Merkley

The committee introduced themselves to each other, and Merkley proceeded to provide a detailed background description of the events that led to the creation of the ITC and his appointment as the ITC chair.

Those present were:

Larry Merkley, CIO - Provosts Office: larry.merkley@adm.ucsc.edu, 9-4906

Scott Brookie, Computing Dir. - Div.of Arts: scotty@cats.ucsc.edu, 9-4776

Mark Cianca, Dir.Com.& Sys.Dev. - Student Affairs: piobair@cats.ucsc.edu, 9-4116

Kathleen Dettman, Dir.Acad.Plng.& Anal.- Planning & Budget: dettman@cats.ucsc.edu, 9-2081

William Hyder, Dir.Sys.& Operations - Social Sci.Div: bill@zzyx.ucsc.edu, 9-2658

Patrick LeCuyer, Assistant Vice Chancellor – CATS: plecuyer@cats.ucsc.edu, 9-2435

Charles McDowell, Professor - Engineering: charlie@cs.ucsc.edu, 9-4772

Terry Schalk, Assoc.Dean Comp.& Nat Sci Div.: tas@scipp.ucsc.edu, 9-2996

Robert White, Planning & Technology – Library: rlwhite@cats.ucsc.edu, 9-2076

Staff: Stephen Hull, Admin. Analyst - Planning & Budget: stephen.hull@adm.ucsc.edu, 9-5083

Guest: John Simpson, Executive Vice Chancellor

2. Expectations and Background -- John Simpson

§ The committee members introduced themselves to the Executive Vice Chancellor.

§ Simpson outlined the fundamental basis for the committee structure he is forming.

o Simpson’s aim is to “Build the Best Institution We Can.”

o The committee structure is not designed as a representative form of governance.

o The committees are to provide Simpson advice which focus on the best interests of the campus from an institution-wide perspective.

o The new committee structure was discussed with particular emphasis on the recent history and structure of UCSC Information Technology committees, and the basis for Larry Merkley’s appointment as the campus CIO, and chair of the ITC.

o The role of the Information Technology Committee (ITC) is to advise Simpson and the Provost Advisory Committee (PAC) regarding Information Technology Policy and Resource decisions including:

§ All Information technology issues whether originating from Academic, Instructional, or Administrative initiatives.

§ Information technology critical to the future of the campus.

§ Strategic and tactical advice regarding large to moderate information technology issues.

o As a part of adopting a campus-wide perspective the ITC is expected to converse, consult, and recruit other individuals, committees, divisions and organizational units from within the campus and elsewhere to inform issues.

o Simpson suggested that the scope of the committees deliberations might include:

§ Large Near Term issues such the Planning and Implementation of the Academic Information System; and

§ Longer Term issues such as the development of a formal Campus IT Strategic Plan.

o Simpson concluded by stating that the ITC is considered a critical part of the university’s future and there is currently a great deal of interest in adding more representatives. He prefers to hold off making more appointments for the time being.

3. ITC Objective – Larry Merkley

Merkley proposed that the committee consider as it’s initial objective to: “Ensure that the campus investment in information technology meets the evolving information needs of the campus community.” There was general consensus from the group that this objective was consistent with the charge that Simpson had delivered and was also modest and flexible enough to provide some initial focus to committee activities.

4. ITC task categories - Larry Merkley

Merkley identified and discussed several categories of tasks which the committee should consider:

Strategic analysis and planning: The committee’s response to this task might result in a large formal strategic planning document, or a well defined planning process.
Integration with other Planning Committees: Discussion identified shared interests with the Advisory Committee for Facilities and the Academic Planning Committee, and it was acknowledged that some issues are likely to require collaboration with these groups.
IT Service Reviews: Regularly conducting service reviews of existing IT Systems from the campus strategic and productivity perspectives. Committee discussion affirmed the need for such a process and the analogy of the academic self-study review was suggested as a model. Such reviews might address the following questions:

§ What are the baseline requirements for the system?

§ Are these baseline requirements being met?

§ Is the funding adequate to satisfy these baseline requirements?

§ Are people getting what they need from the system?

Committee discussion also identified the following perspectives:

§ Service reviews should be conducted in the context of the campus strategic planning process.

§ Service reviews should be viewed from the campus perspective rather than only where the current funding for the service resides.

Annual funding priorities: The ITC is expected to review IT issues and initiatives during the campus annual funding allocation process, and to advise the PAC and the EVC. The committee will need to establish a process by which it balances the questions of immediate urgency and long-term benefit.
IT Issues and opportunities: There are numerous IT issues, initiatives, and opportunities that the campus is experiencing. The committee is likely to identify many more of these than they will be able to effectively review throughout the year. Merkley indicated that in the short time he has been on campus he has been informed of many such items.

Action: Merkley agreed to organize and distribute a list of these items to committee members in order to establish the range of issues, and encourage a process for committee consideration.

IT governance structure: The ITC will need to provide the university advice regarding continuance of the CIO position, and the reporting relationships of various IT units. In order to establish a realistic timetable for this process Merkley suggested that it should begin a year from now (Fall 2001).

5. ITC Task Management Approaches - Larry Merkley

Merkley reviewed a list of management approaches which he proposed be used initially. These included:

Provide the campus with a high level, strategic overview
Make use of ad hoc committees for each specific task
Use past situations as lessons learned, like “case law” to guide principles and policy
Be an action-oriented group dedicated to accomplishing identifiable results
Regularly make recommendations to the EVC and PAC
Hold retreats as needed (e.g. to review strategic plan data when ready)
Conduct two scheduled monthly meetings to be convened on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of each month to June 2001.

6. ITC Values - Larry Merkley

Merkley introduced a set of values that could be used in guiding committee processes. His presentation and subsequent committee discussion established the following:

The campus interests should remain our common overriding focus.
Constructive, critical thought is an asset. We should respect the views of others. We should value contrary views.
Process honesty – all issues should come to the group as a whole at meetings.
Participation – Members should make their best efforts to be present at all ITC meetings and activities.
Two additional items were raised during this discussion:

§ Is there a place for regular student representation on the ITC? It was agreed that student representation would add a valuable perspective, it was agreed that this question would be followed-up on.

Action: Larry Merkley indicated he would explore the possibility of adding a student perspective to the ITC membership.

§ How should members represent their role on the ITC to their constituents, and how do members represent the views and experience of their constituents to the committee? It was concluded that although the ITC membership must fulfill their charge to provide a strategic campus-wide perspective, each member in fact represents a particular functional part of the campus IT system and brings their own personal expertise as well as their relationship to their colleagues to bear on these issues.

7. Activities to Date - Larry Merkley

Merkley provided a brief update on some recent IT activities.

Data Warehouse Review – The Data Warehouse System team under the direction of Linda Kittle have already approached Merkley regarding a Service Review process her group has recently initiated.

Action: Stephen Hull agreed to send the Data Warehouse Review guidelines to the ITC committee.

FIS Review - The FIS System owner has also been approached about conducting an IT Service Review of their system and they have agreed in principle, with the caveat that the process includes an external review perspective.

Wireless Pilot Study – This is a new technology that may eventually have significant implications for IT, and even now presents a challenge of the existing rate base review. A small pilot has been established on campus but this technology should be carefully reviewed and monitored. Group discussion suggested that such technologies are promising as solutions to some but not all campus information distribution needs at this time, and will require careful strategic review

Citrix Review – The adoption of this technology by several campus systems has significant implications for central administration system coordination. It raises the issue of what is the role of CATS in the emerging IT environment? Is there a gateway solution that better serves campus users?

A new Large Administrative System Owner group (LASO), and the Campus Coordinator Group have already convened and been informed of the ITC and the vital role each of them are expected to play in the ITC’s efforts.

Support Staff - Administrative Analyst, Stephen Hull has been appointed to serve the committee in a communication facilitation and analytical research role. A search is under way to identify a Financial Analyst who can provide the committee with fiscal analysis expertise as required.

§ A document was distributed (Appendix 2) which provided a conceptual model for a financial assessment of campus IT systems.

8. Getting Started - Larry Merkley - Background information

The following documents were listed as valuable background material that should be viewed as a means of identifying key principles:

"CATS Assessment Report, 1998" - Read for principles - system owner, IT service, accountability, coordinating process.

Campus planning process – Committee Structure

"Insights - CATS Budget Deficit Review, 1999" – A summary of key principles from this document is under development.

Action: Stephen Hull and Larry Merkley will develop a set of principles from this document and distribute to the committee.

o "University of California, Santa Cruz Academic Information System: Final Report and Recommendation of the AIS Project Team" – Provided by Mark Cianca.

o Several additional items were identified during committee discussion. These included:

o The E-Berkeley Document: E-Berkeley Task force background and report:

§ http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Apr_May2000/gen.eberk.html

§ http://campus.chance.berkeley.edu/eberkeley/e-business-96.pdf

and now the E-Berkeley Implementation Task Force:

§ http://campus.chance.berkeley.edu/itf/itf.html

Of note is the "Building e-Berkeley" report

§ http://campus.chance.berkeley.edu/itf/building_eberkeley.html

and the Policy Working Group pages (note recently released report):

§ http://socrates.berkeley.edu:7015/EBITF_PWG/

o UCOP IT Documents: http://www.ucop.edu/irc/reports.html - Including links to:

§ Authentication Workgroup Report

§ Deloitte & Touche Review of Corporate Information Systems

§ Employee Systems Task Force Report

§ Future Directions for the Corporate Information Systems

§ UC whITe PAPERS on Information Technologies

o Further effort should be spent in surveying other possible documents and strategic models.

9. Issues to discuss:

Throughout the meeting specific campus IT issues were raised which have direct relevance to the scope of the ITC. These include:

The AIS review and selection process

Action: Mark Cianca agreed to prepare a presentation to the committee at the 11/14 meeting to provide a 30 minute overview of the AIS Selection Process, Lessons Learned, and Plans for System Implementation.

“Corporate Time” – Merkley introduced the question of identifying “campus standards” by describing the current campus discussion regarding Corporate Time, a calendaring system. Discussion around this issue was able to identify the following issues:

This might be a precedent for establishing a calendaring standard for the campus but it would also be an excellent method for establishing a campus process for other such issues.

Any review by the ITC should include a review of strategic consequences.

The designation of a sub-group or a task force would be essential in accomplishing such a review.

While long-term IT speculations are unlikely to provide much certainty, both long-term and short-term considerations should be included in the review.

Data Warehouse Service Review

Wireless Pilot Project

Strategic Planning Process -- begin discussion -- purpose of review, how to proceed.

“Citrix” - lessons learned

Email - the rate base?

“Gradebook” – Adopting instructional software?

A broader view of the User Interface

The Campus Web Presence – Who “owns” it?

The committee will have a web page with posted agendas and past meeting notes. The website will also provide links to various documents and IT strategic planning resources whenever possible.

Action: Stephen Hull will notify the committee of the URL of the current draft of the committee webpage.

Minutes will be drafted by Stephen Hull and reviewed by Larry Merkley prior to electronic distribution to the committee and posting on the ITC website.

Action: Stephen Hull will draft the meeting notes and insure they are distributed to Merkley and the committee.

10. Next Meeting:

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, 11/14, from 12:00-2:00 PM, in McHenry Library, Room 481.

Agenda Items planned include:

AIS Review – Mark Cianca
Corporate Time Review – Janine Roeth
Campus Web Presence – Liz Irwin and Jim Burns
Strategic Planning – ITC

Action: Larry Merkley agreed to contact Janine Roeth, Liz Irwin, and Jim Burns and confirm their availability for presentations at the 11/14 meeting.

Maintained by Stephen Hull, Office of Planning and Budget

Last modified on 11/14/00.