Hisle, W. Lee

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DigitalCommons@Connecticut College

Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College Information Services Strategic Plans Information Services 2021 Information Services Strategic Plan 2021-2024 W. Lee Hisle Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/stratplan This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Information Services at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Information Services Strategic Plans by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact bpancier@conncoll.edu. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. CONNECTICUT COLLEGEInformation ServicesStrategic Plan 2021 – 2024Version date: May 1, 2021Information Services Strategic Plan 2021-2024VISION:We envision Information Services as a rich collection of servicesand resources to optimize the student, faculty and staffexperience  with an excellent and innovative scholarly discovery,research, and  technical environment.MISSION:Keeping you CONNected:Partnering with the college community to provide innovative, reliable,and universal access to information resources in support of academicand administrative endeavors.*******************2Executive SummaryThe Information Services Strategic Plan 2021-2024 has five StrategicPriorities, each with supporting goals and objectives that will guidethe continuous improvement of Information Services in the comingyears.● Strategic Priority 1: Maintain strong relationships with the diversecampus community through excellent service, communication andcollaboration.● Strategic Priority 2: Enhance teaching and scholarship bydeveloping excellent research support and instruction services.● Strategic Priority 3: Sustain acquisition and maintenance of librarycollections, administrative applications and academic softwareresources.● Strategic Priority 4: Optimize campus information and technologyresources in a secure and sustainable environment.● Strategic Priority 5: Assess programs and develop staff to enable ISto support the College’s mission and deliver excellent services to thecampus community.3Strategic Priorities1. Strategic Priority: Maintain strong relationships with the diversecampus community through excellent service, communication andcollaboration.1.1 Goal: Identify and implement innovative technologies to enhance fullparticipation with easy access to services and to promote the division’s services andresources.Specific Actions:● Revitalize the IS website to provide up-to-date information and ease of use.● Improve efforts to inform campus of IS offerings, highlighting initiatives thatsupport the College mission and the Connections curriculum.● Formalize IS Communications Plan to encompass branded programming alerts,newsletters, reports, email blasts, and social media posts.● Cultivate relationships with key campus constituencies, including other Collegedivisions (DOF, DOC, DOS, etc.), as well as the Student GovernmentAssociation, Staff Council, iConn Steering Committee and the Faculty Steeringand Conference Committee.● Transform the Academic Computer Lab and academic software environment toprovide equitable, efficient and ubiquitous access across disciplines.1.2 Goal: Use the IS governance system and structures to ensure thatprogramming and initiatives are consistent with the needs of departmental partnersand the priorities of the College.Specific Actions:● Partner with the Information Services Committee, the Enterprise Systems  AdvisoryCommittee (ESAC), the iConn Steering Committee and SGA Executive  Board toclarify and strengthen their role in IS and College governance.● Implement Data Governance policies and procedures. Establish a DataStewardship Committee that will foster shared data ownership responsibilities.2. Strategic Priority: Enhance teaching and scholarship bydeveloping excellent research support and instruction services.2.1 Goal: Support innovative and inclusive teaching practices that leveragetechnology.Specific Actions:● Using lessons learned during the COVID era, and in concert with the Center for4Teaching and Learning, improve support for College online teaching and learningefforts.● Encourage, support, and build capacity for globally networked teaching acrossthe curriculum and co-curriculum.● Participate in campus full-participation efforts related to instructional technologyand accessibility of curricular technology and instructional software resources.● Promote and support the adoption and creation of open educational resources(OER), and lead efforts to address course materials affordability.● Support and promote the use of portfolios as an integral component of theConnections curriculum.● Promote the integration of digital scholarship (and use of Domain of One’s Own)into coursework to meet learning goals through digital and open pedagogy● Promote and support Open Pedagogy initiatives.2.2 Goal: Improve student research support and instruction services.Specific Actions:● Develop and offer a scaffolded information literacy instruction program thatincorporates critical pedagogy and media literacy skills across the curriculum.● Develop outreach and support strategies to meet the specific needs ofunderrepresented, first-generation, and international students.● Partner with the Academic Resource Center and the Writing Center to betteralign services and programming.2.3 Goal: Increase support of, and access to, faculty research and scholarship.Specific Actions:● Support and promote faculty scholarly and creative work, as well as sustainablescholarly communication practices.● Develop a program of faculty research support throughout the research lifecycle,including data management, storage and sharing plans.● Improve open access institutional repository services to include open textbooks,digital scholarship, and other non-traditional forms of scholarly output.● Strengthen communication of the Open Access Policy to encourage more facultyinvolvement.● Enhance the Digital Scholarship Program to include the provision ofprogrammer/developer services.3. Strategic Priority: Sustain acquisition and maintenance of librarycollections, administrative and academic software applications andinstructional software resources.53.1 Goal: Build library collections to support research and teaching activities.Specific Actions:● Collaborate with faculty on data-driven collections decisions and advocacy for thelibrary materials budget.● Develop and implement a strategy for the management of Shain, Greer and LearCenter physical library materials collections, to respond to identified needs forspace on campus.● Evaluate and reconfigure practices and policies for acquiring textbooks,academic software and other course materials to support full participation andcampus equity initiatives.● Work with CTW partners to strengthen the value of the consortium in a changingresources landscape. Develop shared workflows where possible; improvecollaborative provision of physical and digital resources; and provide mutuallybeneficial professional development opportunities.● Leverage additional consortial relationships, such as EAST, Rapid ILL andHathiTrust, to optimally manage print collections and resource sharing, and toimprove access to digital resources.● Investigate and implement emerging library discovery tools, e.g., Primo VE,browser plug-ins.3.2 Goal Provide academic and administrative software that is valuable, secureand effective.Specific Actions:● Using lessons from the COVID era, improve online access to administrative andacademic software and tools in support of College programs.● Create a sustainable funding and resource plan for the provision of academicand administrative software.● Implement a decision structure, involving campus stakeholders, regarding theacquisition and cancellation of academic software.3.3 Goal Improve Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives(SC&A) collections and services to enhance the scholarly reputation of theCollege.Specific Actions:● Work with campus partners to develop processes for managing born-digital files.● Improve access to under-utilized collections, process backlog of manuscript andarchival collections, and maintain currency going forward.● Publish finding aids for collections, and facilitate discovery and access throughpublic-facing tools.● Improve collection and retention of electronic records.● Implement a digital preservation program.● Deepen engagement with Connecticut Digital Archive (CTDA), including6contributing to collections and participating in the adoption of tools, potentiallyincluding digital preservation, institutional repositories, and digital assetmanagement systems.● Create new digital projects that highlight hidden collections of the College and  seekgrant opportunities to make sure projects are possible and accessible.● Involve stakeholders across the campus in the development and implementation  ofpolicies to manage and promote campus art collections.3.4 Goal: Evaluate and enhance library operations, instructional computing,curricular technology, and instructional spaces to better serve the needs ofstudents, faculty and staff.Specific Actions:● Continually evaluate Access Services operations, and find cost savings wherepossible through co-location of service points, automation of services anddigitization of physical resources.● Reconfigure Greer Music Library services, in collaboration with the MusicDepartment and the DOF Office, for an effective and more cost-efficient model● Evaluate and implement improved digitization services to increase access tocourse reserve materials and to promote full participation and greater equity.● Transform academic labs by assessing the computing resources and needs, andimplement innovative, equitable, accessible, and cost-efficient alternative solutions.● Lead classroom improvement programs to remodel classrooms and modernizeinstructional technologies, using the EDUCAUSE Learning Space Rating System tosupport current and future teaching modalities.4. Strategic Priority: Optimize campus information and technologyresources in a secure and sustainable environment.4.1 Goal: Actively seek and implement transformational cloud-based solutionsthat enable ubiquitous access, balance and control costs, provide stability andscalability, enhance security, and facilitate disaster recovery options.Specific Actions:● In partnership with the Office of Finance and Administration, plan, budget,  prepare andtransition the following systems from on-premise to cloud  environments.○ Banner ERP○ EMS Events Management System○ IBI WebFocus Reporting System○ College Public Web Site○ Moodle Learning Management System● Implement Live Whale Calendar System as a software as a service (SaaS)model.● Provide device and location independent access to desktop software and7computing power through Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology insupport of “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD), research and academic labs.● Migrate and maintain Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) as the college’scloud-based email, office applications and document storage product.● Investigate and implement modifications and policy to comply with GoogleWorkspace restrictions including Alumni services.4.2 Goal: Continue to follow best practices in information security, remainingvigilant to protect and maintain access to College data and resources.Specific Actions:● Complete a biennial external information security assessment and implementappropriate recommendations.● Implement new software, infrastructure and practices to take advantage of  improvedtechnologies and methods for information security.● Continue events and publications that heighten data security and responsibilityawareness.● Develop disaster recovery and incident response plans for information  technologyassets in consultation with administrative and academic areas.● Develop and implement College business continuity plans in partnership withadministrative and academic areas.● Implement Data Governance policy and procedures across the College.● Maintain engagement with InCommon for trusted access for education and  research;i.e., Federated Identity and EduRoam● Evaluate and implement Mobile Device Management (MDM) to secure mobile  devices(e.g., tablets, laptops) and protect the college network.● Collaborate with campus colleagues to develop and implement a process foronboarding, provisioning and deprovisioning technical services and terminatingCollege Contractors/Affiliates/Interns (i.e., non-payroll employees).4.3 Goal: Continuously plan and upgrade the College technical infrastructureand computing resources to provide sufficient productivity, connectivity andsecurity.Specific Actions:● Continue to implement the Network, Storage and Server Hardware Retention andReplacement Plan.● Secure ongoing budget support to maintain and replace information andinstructional technology equipment, and mitigate the impact of inflation due toannual software and hardware maintenance increases and budget reductions.● Provide sufficient connectivity, such as bandwidth and wireless access forresearch, learning and campus social engagements.● Research and plan the implementation of IPv6 to improve performance andincrease network security.84.4 Goal: Undertake information and academic technology projects thatenhance remote learning and administrative operations, add value, increaseproductivity, support diversity, enhance equity, improve quality, reduce costs,conserve resources, and increase revenues.Specific Actions:● Maintain Ellucian Banner ERP as the enterprise applications supporting FinancialAid, Student Records and Registration, Human Resources, Payroll and Finance.● Working with functional areas, implement Banner 9 Self-Service functionality.● In cooperation with the Office of Communications, research and implement a  newcloud-hosted website and content management system for better innovation,functionality and efficiency.● Collaborate with Advancement to maximize the benefits and efficiencies of theConnForce (i.e., Salesforce) system. Explore additional opportunities of the  College’sinvestment in Salesforce.● In cooperation with the Events Office, move the on-premise EMS system to acloud-hosted environment.● Explore ways to support virtual and hybrid (virtual and physical attendees) eventssponsored by the College.● Investigate options to improve network infrastructure and bandwidth to provide robustonline entertainment for the College.5. Strategic Priority: Assess programs and develop staff to enableIS to support the College’s mission and deliver excellent services tothe campus community.5.1 Goal: Support diversity and equity initiatives at the College.Specific Actions:● Support the College’s Equity and Inclusion Action Plan 2018-2025.● Provide support for Universal Design for Learning and Web accessibility.● Utilize Banner 9 functionality that reflects the needs of diverse populations,including preferred pronouns and nonbinary genders.● Develop and implement an IS Diversity Initiative with intention to increaserepresentation of underrepresented populations among IS staff.5.2 Goal: Assess IS services and operations systematically and makecontinuous improvement.Specific Actions:● Biennially assess division-wide services using the Measuring Information ServiceOutcomes (MISO) survey. Based on the survey’s results, work with campuspartners to improve operations.● Investigate combining service points to improve services while achieving cost9savings.● Review classrooms and labs against the EDUCAUSE Learning Space RatingSystem and develop/implement plans for improvement.● Plan and sponsor an external review of Information Services.● Review the IS service catalog and assess cost/value, add important newservices, and discontinue low-value services.● Participate in Oberlin Group and the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC)surveys, using peer reported data to assess our local environment.5.3 Goal: Develop organizational support that enables all staff members toreach their full potential in service to the College.Specific Actions:● Develop and implement a staff retention plan that reviews, creates and  articulatesa formal professional development and promotion path for IS staff.● Develop and fund staff training for improved skills, certification and/or education,as appropriate, tailored to each position.● Publicize and reward staff accomplishments.● Encourage and provide flexibility for staff to contribute to campus and localcommunity initiatives.● Work with Human Resources to ensure IS staff salaries are competitive with localemployers.10

Information Services Strategic Plan 2021-2024

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Information Services Strategic Plan 2021-2024

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