Network and Other Updates from Digital Instruction and Information Services

01/24/17

As we start the spring 2017 semester I wanted to provide you with some updates from Digital Instruction and Information Services (DIIS).

Year 1 of IT Strategic Plan completed
We have completed the first year of the college’s first 5-year IT strategic plan.  Much of the efforts focused on our foundational technologies and laying the groundwork for a number of expanded initiatives in the coming years. Please view our December 2016 Strategic Plan Update for details.

Network Updates
We've doubled the bandwidth to the Internet! In addition, you will be working on a network with enhanced stability. Over the break we updated the campus connections to the Internet. Old technology was replaced, significantly improving our network reliability. We more than doubled the College’s Internet bandwidth, and the new connections have the ability to be expanded on demand to 5 times this level if needed. As part of this work, miles of new fiber optic cable were run to the campus, and we now have two totally separate paths to the Internet. Enjoy!

Expanded Service Desk Hours
More convenient access to support is available with our extended service desk hours.  During the academic year, you can stop by or call our Job Hall service desk Monday – Thursday, 8 AM – 8 PM, Friday 8 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday Noon – 8 PM. The Service Desk, located in 104 Job Hall, is staffed during extended hours by a full-time DIIS employee, as well as by student consultants, and offers email, telephone, and walk-in support. Please note that dispatch service is not available during extended hours; any issues that cannot be resolved by the on-duty analysts will be entered into our ticketing system for follow up during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm).

Coming in 2017 - we’re Working on a Number of Improvements to Our IT Services
We have many improvements underway.  Some of the things you can expect to see during 2017:

• New DIIS Web Site – with much easier to find information about our services, status updates, and information about our major projects and initiatives.
• New Service Request System – a new system for submitting IT-related service requests, including the ability to view status updates.
• New Project Management System – new tools and status reports for projects to provide you with better insight into their status, upcoming milestones, and timelines.
• Expanded Support for Teaching and Learning with Technology – In addition to several new learning technology applications, we’re in the process of hiring 2 instructional designers to assist faculty with leveraging technology to enhance their teaching.
• Better Office Productivity Tools – tools for creating online forms, and improved focus on the suite of Office 365 tools.

We’re Partnering with Offices Across the College to Update Applications and Services
We are working with departments across the college on projects to improve services to students, faculty and staff.  Some examples include:

• Web Overhaul – We’re partnering with the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications to develop an entirely new college web site (www.ithaca.edu) and underlying technology platform for the college.
• Upgraded Degree Audit (DegreeWorks) – We’re working with the Registrar’s office to upgrade the degree audit system for students and advisors.
• New Sakai Features – We’re continuing to work with others across campus to add features to Sakai and course sites.
• Alternative Methods for Testing – We’re working with Physical Therapy to provide an Exam testing application used by licensure boards in most states.
• New Enterprise Data Warehouse -  In partnership with the college’s new Chief Analytics Officer and the new Analytics and Institutional Research (AIR) department, we are undertaking a project to implement an enterprise data warehouse for the campus to significantly improve the college’s analytics capabilities.
• Improving Parnassus Functionality – We’re working closely with the Office of Human Resources to do a gap analysis of the HR functionality in Parnassus to improve overall use/functionality.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on at DIIS.  We’re excited about the changes and upgrades that we’re working on, and look forward to rolling these and others out during 2017. 

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