Summer 2009 marked the transition to the third of four phases in the IT strategic planning process. Ten work teams, led by faculty and staff across campus, convened from June through August to identify what it would take to bring roughly 50 strategic initiatives to fruition. The activities are divided into 5 categories:

Teaching and Learning

Research Service

Outreach and Public Service

Campus Services

Information Technology Infrastructure

A few of the activities or projects that are gaining momentum include:

Teaching and Learning: Teams are looking at new approaches for using technologies in the classroom or for collaboration and learning outside the classroom. Better support for faculty and instructors, classroom design and support for mobile devices were also high on the list.

Research Services: Teams are investigating how we better prepare graduate students to support research and how faculty and staff members can use new collaboration tools as they apply for grants and conduct their research activities.

Outreach and Public Service: Teams collaborated with faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners to identify approaches and technologies that could be applied to better support the Wisconsin Idea and the Wisconsin Experience. Learning opportunities at UW-Madison traverse the globe and technology is integral to our myriad delivery strategies.

Campus Services: Activities are underway to roll out new digital imaging services to streamline admissions and registration, save paper and other natural resources, and better serve students. We are also poised to implement improved email services, expanded wireless capabilities and better access to technology and support across campus.

Information Technology Infrastructure: Infrastructure is usually invisible to our faculty, staff and students, but upgrades to our network, data centers, collaborative learning spaces, computer labs and help desk ensure that UW-Madison can deliver some of the finest technology-based services in the country.

Regardless of how many of these new IT service initiatives we can implement in the coming year, the process of IT strategic planning will continue.

For more information about the IT strategic plan, see www.cio.wisc.edu/plan