University Information Technology Services

UITSAn Update by the Assistant Provost and CIO

February 2007

Improving IT Services at UAEU

• Bringing an IT Service Culture to UAE University

• Consolidation of IT Services, Creation of University IT Services Help Desk

• Upgrade of Student Records System & New Integrated Business Information System

• Academic Network Technology Refresh and Student Hostels Network Upgrade

• Looking Ahead to New Campus Facilities

Introducing University Information Technology Service (UITS)

• December 2004: UITS Formed

• Three Service Silos Merged Into UITS

• Three New Central IT Groups: – Customer Support Center– Software Applications– Infrastructure (Networks and Servers)

• Most Important Step Was Creation of University IT Help Desk

Classroom IT Support

• Improved Service By Assigning Direct Responsibility for Customer Support

• Automated Customer Support Database

• 4 Year PC Replacement Cycle (2006-9)

• Cost Savings and Service Improvements in Re-Integration of UGRU IT Support Staff

Administrative & Support Programs: Student Information System (SIS)

• 2005 - Consolidation of IT Systems and Improvement of Vendor Relations

• April 2006 SIS Upgrade

• Deployed Standard Configurations: Majority of Custom Code Eliminated

• Instituted Process-Driven Development

Administrative & Support Programs: Student Information System (SIS)

• Service Improved With Systems Upgrade:

– Now More Than 800 Students Register Within One Hour

– Prior to the Upgrade, This Took Days

• Ongoing Plans for Student Records System Include Additional Process Improvements

Student Learning and Assessment : Student Evaluation of Teaching (Banner)

• With New Banner Evaluation System:

– Over 43,000 surveys completed

– Over 2500 sections surveyed

– Over 4000 surveys completed on first day

Faculty and Administrative Appointments: PeopleAdmin

• Consolidation of Recruiting Applications Into One System

• Serves All Job Categories, All Colleges and Administrative Units

• On-Line Status Update for Applicants

Administrative & Support Programs: IBIS Integrated Business Information System

• Putting the Customer in Control

• Integrated Business Information System Builds on Success of Student Upgrade

• IBIS Includes: Budget, Payroll, Online Purchase Requisition Processing, Online HR Processing (Including Position Control)

• Bottom Line: One Source of Data Powers Better Service and Metrics

Integrated Systems Innovations: Automating Official Documents

• Finance Implemented Software to Produce University Official Documents (Purchase Orders and Checks)

• Admissions and Registration Plan to Use These Tools to Automate Official Letters, Transcripts, Attestations, etc.

Student Learning and Assessment: e-Services

• Web Portal (Luminis) Builds on IBIS Success Enables Direct Student, Faculty and Staff Access to e-Services

• Operational Data Store (ODS) Centralizes User Access and Consolidates Database Support

• Enhanced Learning Opportunities and Robust Datasets for Assessment

Facilities 2005-6: Academic Network Refresh

• 2006 Completed Technology Refresh for Academic Network on Maqam Campus

• Built on Reliable Wired Network in Academic Spaces

• Proactively Maintaining High Quality Services to Colleges and Units

Legacy of Divided IT Services: Unreliable Hostels Network

• 2002-3 Inappropriate Technology Used to Connect Hostels to the UAEU Network

• Company Selected Went Bankrupt in 2006

• 2002-3, Student Affairs Used Phone Lines as a “Quick and Dirty” Solution to Support Wireless Inside the Hostel Buildings

• Result: Insufficient Hostels Wireless Coverage and Unhappy Students

Facilities 2007: “Quick Fixes”

• Extended Lab Hours

• Temporary Hostel Lab Pilots

• Maintenance Agreement For Equipment Manufactured by Defunct Company

Hostels Facilities Plan 2007-9: Phased Network Upgrades

• Phase I (MQM Campus) – Maqam 1,3,5

• Phase II (Remote Sites) – MQM 2, TWM, SBA, KWT

• Phase III (Increase Capacity and Security Levels)

Facilities: Campus Master Plan

• Ensure Funding Included for Active IT Components (Hardware and Software)

• Include Data Center Facilities in Master Plan