Campus IT: We're in it together
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The success of information technology at UW-Madison depends on a host of individual decisions about the range of IT services to provide and for whom, strategies to follow, fees to charge, vendors to select, whom to hold accountable for the results, and more.
Making those decisions requires a campuswide effort. While UW-Madison's Chief Information Officer is responsible for all centrally supported information technology functions (academic, administrative and infrastructure), he works in an environment of partnership and shared governance.
Shortly after being named campus CIO last summer, Ron Kraemer stressed the importance of shared decision making and accountability. Specifically, he pledged his efforts to foster:
- strategic alignment and partnered decision-making
- equitable and appropriate campus-wide IT funding models
- IT leadership at all campus levels
- mechanisms that encourage accountability and transparency
- the courage to establish priorities.
Helping the CIO achieve these goals are faculty, administrators, technologists and everyday users who provide input, advice, feedback and criticism. Several organized groups are important sources of this advice:
- Information Technology Committee (ITC) - Made up of faculty, academic staff and students, the ITC is a shared governance advisory body with a formal charge to provide policy and planning for IT. It meets monthly. ITC responsibilities include reviewing IT performance, monitoring technical developments, considering IT budget matters, recommending that the campus establish, abolish or merge IT services, and providing advice on the allocation of resources among major IT services and facilities. See the ITC Web site at itc.wisc.edu
- ComETS: Community of Educational Technology Support - ComETS is an instructional support community focused on collaborating and sharing expertise and resources. ComETS members are involved with teaching and learning with technology in any way - from consultations to user support. ComETS events feature technology, faculty engagement, instructional design, and other topics. ComETS goals include creating and sustaining shared professional development, congregating and collaborating, and sharing expertise and resources. See the ComETS Web site at comets.wisc.edu
- Madison Technical Advisory Group (MTAG) - In its monthly meetings with the CIO Office, the eight members of M-TAG address technical and implementation issues that affect IT units in campus departments and divisions. M-TAG also helps to evaluate products and services being considered for acquisition and/or implementation. See the M-TAG Web site at www.doit.wisc.edu/mtag
- Campus Technical Interest Group (CTIG) - This informal group is made up of 30-35 campus technical leaders, most of whom are mid-level IT specialists and high-level departmental system administrators. CTIG provides a forum for discussing technology on campus and the interplay of policy and technology issues. A few CTIG members serve on M-TAG. See the CTIG site at www.ctig.wisc.edu
- Primary Tech Partners - A Primary Tech Partner (PTP) is the designated technology person in each department who acts as a liaison with DoIT. About 250 people on campus serve as PTPs. They interact with other PTPs and with DoIT management on policy-level issues and are among the first notified of a campus IT emergency. See the PTP site at www.doit.wisc.edu/techpartners/primaries
Other groups provide advice, consultation and feedback in more specific areas of interest. They include the Identity Management Leadership Group, the Transforming Teaching & Learning Through Technology (T4) Faculty Advisory Group, and the Network Advisory Group (NAG).
For more information about these advisory groups, see www.doit.wisc.edu/about/advisory.asp