Strategic Plan for the Department of Information Technology
and Communication, University of Virginia

OVERVIEW
Version 96.7.1
[Version history]


In its strategic planning process, the Department of Information Technology and Communication (ITC) bases its long range planning in large part on future scenarios developed by its advisory committees. In the context of those scenarios, ITC develops planning assumptions, which include general environmental assumptions about the context in which ITC will work over the next five years as well as technology assumptions that will help us focus the tactical steps in support of the department's long-range goals. Based even more directly on the scenarios are ITC's goals for the next five years, which appear below. Each goal text line contains a link to a listing of the strategies ITC intends to adopt to accomplish the goal. The entire process takes place under the general guidance of the University of Virginia's overall Plan for the Year 2000. Specific guidance regarding information technologies can be found in the portion of the plan titled The Information Infrastructure.

Please note that the strategic plan, by its very nature, generally does not reflect what ITC does in continuing operations -- the normal, day-to-day process of keeping things running -- which consume the largest component of our daily efforts. It focuses instead on new ideas and projects, significant improvements, or changes in the way we do things.

This year's ITC planning process has followed a planning task schedule that led to completion of the strategic plan on July 1, 1996.

Definitions

Baseline activities
Information technology activities that are common to all members of the University community, regardless of their specific job responsibilities. Examples include word processing, communication using electronic mail, and a common electronic forms interface.
Primary support activities
Activities that provide direct help to members of the University community in their use of information technology. An important theme of this plan is that most primary support be provided by staff physically located in departments and other units.
Secondary support activities
Activities that assist those who are providing primary support to members of the University community in their use of information technology. An important theme of this plan is that ITC should shift its focus from providing primary support to secondary support by providing training and other effective resources for department-based support staff.
Infrastructure
The components that comprise the shared resources upon which many of the University's information technology activities are based. These components include shared computing capacity (for example, RS/6000s or the University's IBM mainframe computer); shared information storage capacity; the network backbone and related equipment that affect the available "bandwidth"; and the electronic mail and news systems.

Five-Year Departmental Goals

1. Serve the University as a principal resource for leadership, advocacy, planning, innovation, day-to-day practical guidance, and support in information technology.
2. Create a technology-assisted learning environment faculty and students can use with ease.
3. Provide specialized support and enhanced infrastructure for advanced research and scholarship.
4. Provide a computing and communications infrastructure that is easy to use and that is available to the widest possible range of members of the University community.
5. Enhance the information technology environment to enable greater user self-sufficiency.
6. Serve as a principal partner in building a University information environment that provides appropriate access to accurate and timely information that is secure.
7. Place into production a new generation of integrated, easy-to-use, cost-effective University applications that share data for the conduct of business.

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© 2008 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

The information contained on the University of Virginia’s Department of Information Technology and Communication (ITC) website is provided as a public service with the understanding that ITC makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of the information, including warrantees of title, non-infringement of copyright or patent rights of others. These pages are expected to represent the University of Virginia community and the State of Virginia in a professional manner in accordance with the University of Virginia’s Computing Policies.