Initiatives

Integrated Systems Project (ISP)
The Integrated Systems Project is a major, University-wide five-year initiative to replace obsolete core technology and business systems in the areas of financial, human resources and student services with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This state-of-the-art group of integrated software applications will significantly enhance support for the core missions of the University and improve service for all the University's customers.

The University's strategic vision cannot be met with current administrative systems or processes. In 1994 the University began modifying its processes, policies and procedures as part of its new Process Simplification initiative. This effort has been hampered b the current technology base, which cannot accommodate the technological requirements of many of today's best business practices. In 1996, a three-year process was begun through which the University community determined that the University should purchase and implement a group of integrated software applications and solicited proposals from software and consulting companies. Oracle has been awarded a contract for the software applications, and KPMG Consulting was awarded a contract for assistance with project implementation.

Project objectives include improved customer access and service, increased efficiencies, and better ability to adapt to growth, change, and new ways for interacting with customers. The underlying strategy is to implement the ERP system in conjunction with modifications and simplifications in the University's administrative processes. This will occur in three phases over a five-year period.

Student web portal
The University has initiated a major project to implement state-of-the-art personalized student access to University information and services. While the University web site has a main entry point, or portal, oriented to current students, this project will combine authentication with dynamic web page generation to enable students to customize the information they receive and the format in which it is displayed. The University will be able to deliver content most appropriate for each student. For example, at the start of each semester, student pages could automatically display links to registered courses. The initial phase of this project will concentrate on developing the portal framework, authentication mechanism, and entry points for delivery of tailored information.

Credit card infrastructure
To promote use of the web for department e-commerce, the University is developing a credit card processing infrastructure. This infrastructure will link department web pages with a University contracted credit card processing firm. Departments will be able to easily accept credit card payment for items such as workshop registration, research reports, or multimedia instructional materials. The infrastructure, which is scheduled to be in place by the start of the school year in August 2000, will insure proper transmission of credit card information and recording of the transaction for department records.

Digital Signatures
Anticipating that public key infrastructure (PKI) will prove to be an important supporting structure for the electronic commerce environment at the University and in state government, UVa has been among state and national leaders in the development of PKI on three fronts. First, technical staff at the University have been testing PKI concepts and products for several years to evaluate their potential for useful deployment within the UVa environment. Second, UVa has volunteered to serve as the research-and-development site for a PKI "bridge" mechanism for simplified cross-certification between certification authorities (CAs) in Virginia government. This project is part of a digital signature initiative of the Commonwealth's Council on Technology Services, which reports to Secretary of Technology Don Upson. Finally, UVa business and technology specialists have been working together on the financial/legal/audit issues related to digital signatures in a team led by the UVa internal audit director. In addition to the benefits of all of this work for continued development of state public key infrastructure, these projects also aim toward PKI as a central security element in the University's new integrated system (see ISP, above), scheduled to come into production in phases over the next four to six years.