Draft IT Strategic Plan
Vision and Strategies
Vision
Achieve institutional expectations of value for IT investments through strong, transparent, collaborative governance and professional best practices.
Strategies
- Develop and encourage stronger governance & participation in it
- Ensure best practices are understood, evaluated, and implemented
Principles
- Support the University Planning Framework, the Strategic Research Plan, the Academic Plan, enVision>SFU, Sustainability, and other SFU strategies with IT strategies and resources
- Maintain the security and integrity of SFU data and systems
- Employ collaborative partnerships of relevant stakeholders in governance, planning, implementation, and service
- Make strategic, cost-effective investments in IT, including professional development of IT staff
- Plan and provide for timely update or replacement of systems; stay within vendor support windows
- Consolidate and emphasize common services to achieve economies of scale
- Provide comparable levels of core services across SFU
See Also
- Information Technology Services strategic statement, with mission, vision, strategy, and values.
- Presentation on ITS Technical Strategies (PDF)
IT Architecture
Physical View
Information technology takes many physical forms, and involves students, faculty, staff, and the public. People and the devices they use communicate through the SFU network, using voice, data, wireless ("WiFi"), and cellular media. Many of the SFU servers are located in the old Strand Hall data centre, and will be moving to the new Highlands Place data centre in 2011 and 2012.
The green check-marks (√) indicate strategic planning and implementation projects as of mid 2011.
Services View
Building on the network and physical infrastructure, most of SFU's information technology can be conceived as a rich set of services, contructed in multiple levels, ultimately supporting the primary goals of teaching ("student centred"), research ("research driven"), community engagement, and administration of the university.
More and more of our servers are organized into virtual-machine clusters, connected to virtual pools of storage, forming SFU's "private cloud." (The Westgrid research facility is similar.)
The cloud supports all the production software and services provided to our community, from the major Oracle-PeopleSoft enterprise systems and related applications (on the left), to various systems that provide rich electronic communication to the community.
Again, the green check-marks (√) indicate strategic planning and implementation projects as of mid 2011.
Physical View of SFU Information Technology. Green check-marks (√) indicate strategic planning and implementation projects as of mid 2011.
Services Provided by SFU's IT Infrastructure. Green check-marks (√) indicate strategic planning and implementation projects as of mid 2011.
Project Portfolio
Current Projects
Type |
Description |
Year |
Estimate |
Funded from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IT Infrastructure |
Clients: Continue emphasis on commoditization |
|
|
|
Data Centre & Communications |
Make WTB primary, reduce risk in SH: add CRAC, chiller, building controls, power distribution units, renovate for staff occupancy, also move CRAC from SH |
2011-12 |
900,000 |
SFU Contingency |
Data Centre & Communications |
Develop strategic plan for voice, data, core network & PBX |
2011-12 |
|
|
IT Infrastructure |
Web Content Management System rollout |
2011-12 |
220,000 |
UPF |
IT Infrastructure |
Web-first document strategy |
2011-12 |
|
|
IT Infrastructure |
Develop tiered storage strategy; issue RFP |
2011-12 |
|
|
IT Infrastructure |
Issue server RFP, plan for transition to private cloud |
2011-12 |
|
|
Major Administrative Systems |
HAP Upgrade |
2011-12 |
1,900,000 |
ITS app + UPF |
Major Administrative Systems |
"Business intelligence" initiative: Evaluate likely cost-benefit scenarios |
2011-12 |
|
|
Teaching & Research |
Images Theatre, basic AV in Woodwards + 10 classrooms; advanced prototyping |
2011-12 |
360,000 |
UPF |
Teaching & Research |
Strategy for WebCT evolution (relation to Web CMS) |
2011-12 |
||
Teaching & Research |
Research systems: Explore needs & possible solutions |
2011-12 |
||
IT Infrastructure |
Managed print services (RFP in progress) |
2011-16 |
3,000,000 |
Existing chargebacks |
IT Infrastructure |
Populate storage infrastructure |
2011-16 |
1,500,000 |
ITS operating |
IT Infrastructure |
Renew server infrastructure & private cloud |
2011-16 |
1,000,000 |
ITS operating |
Future Projects
Type |
Description |
Year |
Estimate |
Funded from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Data Centre & Communications |
Add chillers to return borrowed capacity to Westgrid |
2012-13 |
350,000 |
|
Teaching & Research |
Basic AV in remaining 40 central classrooms, advanced prototyping |
2012-13 |
360,000 |
UPF? |
Data Centre & Communications |
Renew telecommunications infrastructure |
2012-14 |
3,000,000 |
Telephones capital reserve |
IT Infrastructure |
Repository and digital archive |
2012-14 |
200,000 |
|
Major Administrative Systems |
SIMS Upgrade |
2012-14 |
2,500,000 |
ITS app + UPF? |
Data Centre & Communications |
Reduce operating costs by feeding electricity from campus substation |
2013-14 |
1,000,000 |
|
Teaching & Research |
Advanced collaboration technology prototypes: blended learning, multi-point video, immediate instructor feedback, multi-point recording |
2013-14 |
80,000 |
UPF? |
Data Centre & Communications |
Upgrade standby generator; replace roof |
2014-15 |
1,700,000 |
|
Past Projects
Type |
Description |
Year |
Estimate |
Funded from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Major Administrative Systems |
FINS Upgrade |
2010-11 |
1,435,000 |
ITS appropriation |
Sample Plans from Elsewhere
- BCIT: three-year rolling plan, 212 slides + notes, updated annually, "Year 3 Addendum" to the 3 Year Plan for IT for BCIT
- UVic, 2009, 20pp, University Systems Strategic Plan
- UBC, 2009-10, 10pp, UBC IT Strategic Plan
- UWaterloo, plans updated annually, detailed web-based plans across various areas
- EDUCAUSE