University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Information Technology Plan

Submitted to:
Office of Learning & Information Technology
UW System Administration
May 23, 2001

This UW Oshkosh 2001 IT Plan consists of four sections:

	I.	A narrative section describing ongoing and anticipated UW Oshkosh activities as they relate to the five strategic directions outlined in the UW System 2001 IT Plan.
	II.	A section identifying UW Oshkosh's three major IT projects for 2001-2003.
	III.	A section providing updates on the IT projects contained in the UW Oshkosh 1999 IT Plan.
z	IV.	A section providing information on new or continuing UW Oshkosh IT projects for 2001-2003.

This plan has been developed by the Information Technology Division and reviewed by the Academic Computing Users Group and the Provost's Administrative Staff. An initial draft was also available on the web for campus-wide review and comment.

At the outset it should be noted that, under Chancellor Richard Wells, the University will be engaged in a comprehensive strategic and operational planning process during 2001-2002. The outcome of that process may add to, delete from, or otherwise revise the specific IT projects listed in this Plan.

Section I: UW System Strategic Directions-UW Oshkosh Supportive Directions

A. Network Infrastructure

Network Growth and Bandwidth Increase. Like other institutions of higher education, UW Oshkosh has experienced significant increases in network traffic over the past several years. Several factors contribute to the increased network traffic including: growth of the ResNet (Residence Hall student Internet access); implementation of enterprise business systems (PeopleSoft Student Administration system, Endeavor library system) that utilize the network for transactions; development of web and web-enhanced courses; and increased reliance on the network for instruction, research, and service. Responding to this demand for bandwidth, a catalyst 6509 switch was purchased for the center of campus and the links to major buildings are being upgraded to Gigabit speeds. UW Oshkosh expanded its Internet network access from 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps (full duplex) in Summer 2000

WiscNet/ResNet. ResNet traffic currently accounts for at least 50% of all network traffic (probably higher), and this pattern is likely to continue. As a consequence, total Internet traffic is projected by WiscNet to double every year. Analysis of UW Oshkosh traffic over the past two years confirms this projection. This increased traffic will generate much larger WiscNet charges beginning in 2001-2002. One consequence will be that the costs for WiscNet will need to be shared between the IT Division (representing the academic and research network usage) and Residence Life (representing Residence Life student network usage). IT is engaged in continuing discussions with Residence Life about approaches to managing and shaping ResNet traffic. IT also has taken steps to communicate directly to students about the impact of peer-to-peer file sharing programs (like Napster) on campus Internet traffic, and the costs of that traffic.

Wireless. There are currently half a dozen wireless pilot projects in place at UW Oshkosh; these include both academic and administrative office pilots. During Spring 2001, the Academic Computing Users Group (ACUG) reviewed policy and procedural questions related to expanded wireless applications on campus. The IT Division has prepared a "Position Statement on Wireless Technologies" which has been supported by ACUG and the Provost's Administrative Staff.

Firewall. The University currently has in place a firewall to protect data within the PeopleSoft Student Administration system. Additional firewalls will need to be explored and, where appropriate, installed, to provide required security of data and information.

VLANs. During the coming biennium the University plans to acquire network technologies and network management solutions to divide the campus network into "Virtual LANs" (VLANs). The primary purpose of VLANs is to control the large number of broadcasts affecting performance on all networked devices. VLANs will also provide Network Management staff with enhanced abilities to monitor campus network traffic and restrict the impact of network problems to only a portion of the overall campus network. As an initial first step, the University hopes to make the ResNet network a VLAN in Summer 2001.

VPNs. During the coming biennium the University will also explore the provision of "Virtual Private Networks" (VPNs) to support faculty and staff off-campus access to resources on the campus network.

QoS (Quality of Service). As network and Internet bandwidth usage doubles each year, the University will invest in QoS (Quality of Service) network management hardware and software. An advanced Cisco 6509 switch with QoS capabilities has been purchased and QoS software from Packeteer has also been acquired. With these products network management staff are better able to review network traffic. The QoS products can also assign higher priority to traffic that supports the core mission of the University and lower priority to recreational traffic.

B. E-Learning

Blackboard. The University has selected Blackboard as the campus standard for web courseware. Blackboard is used by faculty and academic staff both for completely asynchronous online courses and for web-enhancing traditional on-campus courses. More than 180 faculty and staff have received Blackboard training and more than 300 courses, workshops, and training modules using Blackboard have been developed. The University provides a full-time Instructional Developer to assist faculty and staff in using Blackboard to adapt their courses or create new courses and workshops.

IDEA Lab. The Instructional Development and Authoring (IDEA) lab is the University's Learning Technology Development Center (LTDC). It serves the dual purpose in providing group training to faculty and staff in the use of standard software applications (word processing, spreadsheet, database, e-mail) and the development of instructional multimedia, web materials and courses. Additional staff have been assigned to the IDEA Lab to accommodate demand for training and course development. Hardware and software in the Lab have been continually upgraded since the Lab's creation in 1996, using a combination of Curricular Redesign, IT operating budget funds, and one-time salary savings.

C. E-Business

E-business has been defined as "the transformation of key business processes through the use of Internet technologies." The AACSB defines e-business as "any process that a business organization conducts over a computer-mediated network." The order in these definitions is important. The focus of e-business is business processes. Technology is the facilitator of e-business, but it is not e-business.

E-business is crucial for UW Oshkosh to advance in several key areas.

Recruiting new students. Prospective students increasingly expect to complete all applications and admissions transactions over the web. They expect to learn everything they need to know about the university's programs and services online. They expect to interact online with current students, faculty, and staff. To remain competitive, UW Oshkosh must provide these e-business services to potential students.

Serving current students. National surveys indicate that 90 percent of college students are regularly online. The web is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. UW Oshkosh academic and administrative offices have fixed and limited hours. Providing e-business services from key offices (Registration, Admissions, Financial Aid, the Graduate School, Student Financials, Cashier's Office, Parking, Residence Life, Housing, and others) will allow students to complete transactions at times of their choosing and convenience, not times when offices happen to be open. Studies suggest that fully 75 to 90 percent of student transactions currently done manually and on paper could be done online and without the intervention of a staff member.

Serving distance education students. While all current students expect to be able to conduct key business processes online, this is especially true for distance education students. The University's ability not only to deliver educational content online but also to provide concomitant administrative processes (such as registration, advising, and grades) online is crucial to remaining an active provider of distance learning opportunities.

Promoting administrative and business efficiencies. Putting key internal business processes relating to purchasing, requisitions, and personnel on the web will speed up processes and reduce paperwork.

Cultivating alumni. Through a portal, the University can provide timely information and new services to its alumni, thus increasing their connection to the University and improving the likelihood of their continuing involvement.

A small number of e-business processes are currently available from selected UW Oshkosh offices:

Library: Library users can access their personal library accounts in the Endeavor web library catalog (these accounts show items checked out, due dates, any fines or holds assessed). Materials checked out can be renewed online. The Library provides web forms for requesting interlibrary loan items (books and journal articles), library instruction sessions, and placing library-owned materials on reserve. Library users can conduct a significant amount of their research remotely online through the use of full-text periodical databases and electronic books. Also, they can ask reference questions online through InfoDesk.

Academic Computing: Faculty and staff can submit work order requests via a web form. Faculty, staff, and students can submit suggestions concerning the General Access computer labs via an online suggestion form.

Bookstore: Faculty can submit textbook requests via a web form. Students, faculty, staff, and community members can order clothing online.

Reeve Union: Faculty and staff can reserve rooms through a web form.

Undergraduate Admissions: Prospective students can submit an electronic application form.

Financial Aid: Beginning in spring 2001 Stafford Loan awards were provided to students via EFT (electronic funds transfer).

Facilities Management: Staff can submit a Work Order Request online.

Many additional e-business services could be provided by UW Oshkosh. Basically, any transaction currently requiring submission of a paper form could be delivered over the web. Likewise, all transactions requiring payment could be provided over the web. The following are some examples of fundamental e-business processes that should be available to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. These are listed only as examples.

Library: The Library should provide electronic reserves (e-reserves) and "universal borrowing" (in which users can request materials online directly from other UW libraries without the intervention of a library staff member). Users should also be able to recall items over the web.

Training & User Support: Faculty and staff should be able to register for IT training classes over the web.

Registration: Students should be able to register for courses, add/drop courses, view and print their class schedule, look up their grades, and view their academic progress. All these will be available through TITAN WEB (PeopleSoft's "HTML Access" product) which is scheduled for deployment during May-August 2001.

Financial Aid: Students should be able to apply for financial aid online. All Financial Aid awards should be transferred electronically into student accounts.

Cashier's Office: Students should have the option to pay tuition and fees online.

Human Resources: Faculty and staff should be able to access, complete, and submit personnel forms online.

Parking: Faculty, staff, and students should be able to purchase parking permits, pay fines, and file parking appeals online.

Purchasing: Staff should be able to place orders, browse supplier catalogs, and track deliveries on the web.

The University faces many challenges to implement this broad range of e-business services:

Culture change. Perhaps the greatest challenge the University faces is achieving a basic change in the campus culture. UW Oshkosh must become more student-centered and less rules-centered. A significant portion of staff time is currently spent certifying students so that they can perform certain transactions. Such certification, like the business processes themselves, can be done online. The University must be prepared to allow greater self-selection and self-certification by students if e-business is to make a meaningful impact.

Organizational change. A successful e-business strategy will require offices and units within the University to work with each other beyond current practices. For example, there is growing consensus on campus that many current web pages must be redesigned to better market our programs to current students. This will require offices such as Admissions (Undergraduate and Graduate), Registration, Colleges and Departments, University Publications, and Information Technology to work together. None of these units independently can address the problem.

Infrastructure. The University will need to continually budget to maintain an appropriate network and technical infrastructure. Computers in student labs and on faculty/staff desktops will need to be regularly refreshed. As more and more crucial business transactions are conducted online, network performance will be key. In addition, network security and user authentication will become increasingly important. Continual training for departmental staff who develop and maintain web sites must be provided.

Staffing. To successfully pursue an e-business strategy the University must provide appropriate staffing. Skill sets not currently available must be acquired, either through hiring new staff, training existing staff, or outsourcing. In its "Updated Staffing Plan" (October 2000), IT has identified several new staff FTE related to supporting e-business. A successful e-business strategy will also depend on new skill sets within key academic and administrative offices. No single unit can be asked to deliver or support an e-business process.

D. Major Administrative and Academic Systems

PeopleSoft Student Administration. The University licensed PeopleSoft's Student Administration (SA) system in March 1997. SA went into production in July 1999. Over the past two years significant steps have been taken to complete the implementation of PeopleSoft's SA. However, significant additional steps need to be taken over the next two years to further enhance the implementation; these steps are more fully described later in this Plan.

PeopleSoft Shared Financials. The University is currently implementing PeopleSoft's Shared Financials system, which will go into production on July 1, 2001. When implemented this system will replace the CUFS/Advantage system currently being used. After the July 1 go-live date, additional programming will be required to link internal University budget processes and programs to the new PeopleSoft general ledger.

Lawson APBS. UW Oshkosh, with the other UW institutions, will participate in a multi-year implementation of the new Lawson Appointment, Payroll, and Benefits System (APBS). Given the delay in finalizing the contract with Lawson, it is not clear when a System-wide implementation plan will be finalized. It does not seem likely that the Lawson system will be implemented at UW Oshkosh, even in a pilot mode, during the 2001-2003 biennium. As a consequence, the University will continue to use its legacy mainframe HR system. The consequences of this are detailed later in this Plan.

Novell. In 2000 the University entered a three-year license with Novell for network and additional software. This license allows IT and other campus units to use the current versions of Novell products.

Endeavor. UW Oshkosh currently uses all available modules of Endeavor's Voyager library system. New services such as online renewal have been developed. During the 2001-2003 biennium the University will upgrade to the latest release of the Endeavor software and implement new services, including electronic reserves and universal borrowing.

E-mail. During 2000-2001 the University took significant steps to expand the use of e-mail for communication with faculty, staff, and students. E-mail lists for all employees, all faculty, all academic staff, all "instructional" staff, and all classified staff were established; the Chancellor and Chancellor's staff use these lists for delivering messages relevant to these categories of employees. In addition, another "all employees" list was created that allows employees to send University-related e-mail messages to the entire group. A web mail service was also introduced in April 2001. Finally, a major upgrade to the e-mail Alpha server was funded in May 2001; this upgrade was required due to the expanded use of the all-employees list, as well as more regular e-mailings to all students.

E. Web Accessibility

Disabilities/Technology ADA Subcommittee. In spring 2001 the University's ADA Committee established a Subcommittee on "Access to Technology for Individuals with Disabilities." Members of the Subcommittee represent IT, academic departments, administrative offices, and students. The Subcommittee will review the current status of disability access to computer labs, enterprise systems, classrooms, and Internet resources and will recommend appropriate actions.

Web page access: President Katharine Lyall has asked all UW institutions to:

> Subscribe minimally to the Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines, Priority 1 Standards.

> Incorporate into their IT Plan a blueprint or explanation of how they intend to assure that their web materials are accessible to all customers.

Meeting President Lyall's directive will be a substantial effort. There are more than 16,000 web pages in the uwosh.edu domain, and probably hundreds if not thousands more on departmental web servers. To review and fix these pages must be a University-wide project.

Basically, compliance with Priority 1 Standards is achieved by providing alternative representations of non-textual content and avoiding frames. Many of our current pages are already in compliance. Of those that are not, probably 90% can be brought to compliance with the addition of alt. tags to their images. To fix a page could take from an hour to several days, depending on the complexity of the page.

UW Oshkosh will meet President Lyall's directive as follows:

The Information Technology (IT) Division will make the top level University pages, and those pages that IT staff have created for other units, conform to the Priority 1 standards.

All other units are responsible for reviewing their web pages and making those changes necessary to bring their pages into compliance with the Priority 1 Standards

IT will provide the following assistance to the campus:
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>	Provide the Priority 1 Standards to all units.
>	Offer training workshops.
>	Make available electronic tools that will assist in this effort.

The UW Oshkosh "Web Policy" will be revised to include reference to compliance with the Priority 1 Standards as a minimum requirement for new pages. This will require concurrence by the governance groups.

The target for campus completion of the web page review and revisions (so that all pages are compliant) is June 2002.

Prior to this date, departments and units will be required to submit preliminary reports on the status of work on their web pages. These preliminary reports are due September 1, 2001 and January 1, 2002, and will be sent to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Information Technology.

The IT Division has created a web page (www.uwosh.edu/programs/accessibility) to assist the campus in this project. This page provides links to key System documents, the W3C guidelines, the campus plan, training workshops, and examples of good pages. In addition, links are provided to electronic tools that can be used to review and adapt current web pages.

Section II: UW Oshkosh Three Major IT Projects for 2001-2003

PeopleSoft Student Administration: Continuing the Implementation: The University went into production with PeopleSoft's Student Administration (SA) in July 1999. Because this "go live" date was mandated by the looming Y2K deadline, significant work was required over the next eighteen months to bring the system up to basic functionality. This work included completing data conversion and migration, system stabilization, and numerous work-arounds for such services as registration, transcripts, and academic standing. During 2001-2003, the University will continue the implementation of PeopleSoft SA by implementing the Financial Aid module, rolling out TITAN WEB (HTML Access) for web registration and self-service, and fully achieving a Data Warehouse for campus information and reporting needs.

Network Upgrade: UW Oshkosh will continue its multi-year network upgrade by moving to Gigabyte Ethernet. A Cisco Catalyst 6509 switch will be installed in summer 2001, and Cisco and Packeteer network management software will be acquired, providing QoS (Quality of Service). These tools will allow for better management of the campus network and for management and shaping of Internet traffic.

3.	E-Business: The University will implement and expand key e-business services for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This will include the deployment of portals for students and alumni.

Section III: Update on IT Projects Listed in 1999 IT Plan

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's 1999 Information Technology Plan identified fifteen (15) specific IT projects for the 1999-2001 biennium; these projects were selected to address the long-range IT needs and opportunities of the campus. This Section provides updates on the status of these projects. Some of the projects are completed; others are ongoing and will extend into the 2001-2003 Planning Period.

1.	Human Resources

Through the System-wide APBS process, Lawson Software was selected as the common system for HR. A System-wide implementation plan for the UW institutions has not yet been determined. Given the current state of contract negotiations, it is not expected that UW Oshkosh will migrate to the Lawson product during the 2001-2003 biennium.

2.	PeopleSoft Shared Financials
	UW Oshkosh will put the PeopleSoft Shared Financials system into production on July 1, 2001.

Faculty/Staff Computers

A three-year funding model for unclassified staff (faculty and academic staff) computer replacement was adopted by the Provost's Administrative Staff in fall 1999. This model combines "central" funds with unit matches; allocations to colleges and academic support units are based on unclassified FTE. Year One of this funding model was implemented in 1999-2000; more than $400,000 total was provided. These funds purchased more than 200 new computers for faculty and academic staff. Year Two will be implemented in 2000-2001; final data on total funds provided and number of new computers purchased will be available after June 30th. It is imperative that the University continues to implement this funding model in 2001-2002 and in subsequent years.

Enhance and Expand Library Reference "Open Lab"

The Library replaced all 32 public access computers in the "open lab" configuration in the Reference department with new workstations that met or exceeded campus standards. It replaced its workstation for students with visual disabilities and added appropriate voice (reads web text out loud) and text enlargement software. It also replaced two of its three laser printers in the room with two new laser printers that do duplex printing (front/back printing). It also replaced its printer workstation with a new computer and a larger monitor. The upgraded equipment allowed the Library to provide effective access to its web-based catalog and web resources, which include a wide range of full-text periodical articles from numerous sources and e-books from netLibrary. This upgrade was done in two phases. Student Technology Fee grants, which totaled $46,000, paid for the majority of the new computers and the two new printers. Library funds of approximately $14,000 paid for the remainder of the upgrades. Library Information and Instructional Services staff recommended that expanding the number of workstations in the room was a low priority.

General Access Computer Labs

As part of the Halsey Science capital project, a new general access computer lab was opened in January 2001. This new lab contains a 32-station Linux Lab, a 42-station PC-based Teaching Lab, and an open lab with 54 PCs and 6 Macintosh computers. With the addition of this new lab, the total number of computers available to students in the general access labs is 472, which exceeds the goal of 450 computers (the goal of the University since the 1980s). During summer 2001 all 79 computers in the Clow general access lab will be replaced with new technology. In addition, the Student Technology Fee will fund another 37 new PCs to replace older machines in several GCA labs.

PeopleSoft Data Warehouse

After participating in a UW System-sponsored pilot project, UW Oshkosh began using the InfoAccess Data Warehouse at UW Madison for Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions reporting. Currently all Undergraduate Admissions operational reports are made from this Data Warehouse. A Student Records data view was implemented during 2000-2001 and training provided to a limited number of users in functional offices. The University hopes to utilize Informatica for subsequent Data Warehouse development.

Voyager Implementation: Public and Staff Workstations

The Library successfully implemented the Voyager integrated library system in December 1999/January 2000. It replaced all sub-standard workstations for staff and the public. With two grants, the Student Technology Fee funded $40,000 for public workstation replacements. Library funds were used for the remainder of the upgraded and new equipment needed by staff. The Library anticipated that it would need to use a loan from UW System to upgrade necessary workstations and equipment. This proved not to be necessary. The new library web-based catalog has been well received by the campus. Online renewal was made available to the campus in December 2000 and electronic books were added to the catalog in February 2001. The implementation of Voyager at all UW campuses has laid the groundwork for "Universal Borrowing" and implementing the "One system, one library" concept regarding UW System libraries.

Web Based Learning Systems Support

In 1999 an ACUG task force identified Blackboard CourseInfo as the University's second standard for web course development (Web Course in a Box had earlier been identified as the initial standard). Subsequently Web Course in a Box was acquired by Blackboard with the intention of phasing it out. The University has focused all its efforts in using Blackboard and it has become the single standard for the campus. To date 186 instructors have received Blackboard training and 331 courses have been hosted. There are 112 active Blackboard courses in spring 2001. Use by faculty is increasing dramatically. In spring 2001 the Blackboard server received about a peak of 17,000 hits per day and minimum of 6,000 hits daily, compared to fall 2000 peaks of 10,000 and minimum of 2,000 hits daily. An Instructional Developer was hired in fall 1999 utilizing Curricular Redesign funds. She has conducted 46 training sessions on basic and advanced topics in Blackboard as well as assisting faculty one-on-one in developing courses. She also administers the University's instance of Blackboard and provides day-to-day support to instructors.

IDEA Lab

The IDEA Lab continues to be the primary site for training faculty and staff in the use of computer technologies. In 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 upgrades to the Lab were made utilizing Curricular Redesign funds. With two staff members funded by Curricular Redesign now on board for the entire fiscal year, funds available for updating hardware and software in the Lab are now fixed and will need to be supplemented with additional funds, such as one-time salary savings. In a typical semester 30-40 training workshops are offered in the IDEA Lab. Two series of lunchtime "brown bag" seminars were begun, one on general multimedia topics and a second on special topics in Blackboard. The Instructional Resources Center was reorganized in 2000 and the Multimedia Designer now has overall responsibility for management of the IDEA Lab.

10.	Web Server Farm
	For the past several years the University's web pages resided on a Sun network. These web pages now reside on a dedicated web "server farm" consisting of three dedicated Linux/Intel computers. This computer redundancy should help provide greater stability to the University web environment and maximize server uptime.

11.

Help Desk

An Academic Computing Help Desk was established in September 1999. Since then the Help Desk has provided a centralized point for reporting all Academic Computing-related problems and work requests. The Help Desk is staffed primarily with student employees who serve as the first service level of support. Problems that cannot be solved by Help Desk staff are assigned to Academic Computing permanent staff. A new web-based Help Desk support software package will be implemented during 2001.

12.

Voyager Hub

In spring 1999 UW Oshkosh formed the Library Hub Consortium (LHC) with UW Green Bay, UW Platteville, and UW Superior to share the costs of Voyager hardware, licensing, and maintenance. The LHC entered into an agreement with UW Madison's Division of Information Technology (DoIT) to setup, monitor, and troubleshoot hardware and operational software. Each member maintains a separate database on the shared servers. In the interest of making this work, UW System financially supported the LHC for the first year. Housing the server at DoIT has several advantages over depending on Library staff for all hardware and software maintenance:

	>	A project coordinator with expertise in the hardware and the operating system
	>	Operator staff available 7x24x365
	>	Routine backups
	>	The installation of timely upgrades and patches to the software
	>	Increased security

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In addition to the saving of staff time, the LHC arrangement has saved dollars for the Library. UW Oshkosh's share of the costs for DoIT service, Endeavor software maintenance, and Sun hardware maintenance will be approximately $47,500 for 2000-2001. During the last full year of the NOTIS system (1988-1999), comparable costs were over $76,000. The members of the LHC meet at least once a year to review the previous year and make any changes or decisions for the next year. All members agree that this arrangement has been an unqualified success.

13.

Mandatory Student Computer Ownership/Leasing

The campus has not in a comprehensive manner reviewed issues related to possible mandatory student computer ownership or leasing. Fundamental issues to consider are whether the campus has the necessary infrastructure to provide significant numbers of students with portable access to the campus network and the extent to which faculty have infused technology across the curriculum. Student computer ownership may be considered on a campus-wide basis or discipline-specific. If a mandatory laptop program should emerge from the upcoming strategic and operational planning program, a task force containing faculty, students, and IT staff should be formed to study the network infrastructure needs and possible methods of providing computers to students (purchase or lease). Partnerships with the private sector should also be explored.

14.

Mainframe and Operating System Upgrade

The University implemented PeopleSoft's Student Administration in July 1999 in a distributed (client/server) environment. Since going live in July 1999 the systems programming and applications programming staffs have been working to reduce an enormous backlog of requests for hardware and software improvements for the PeopleSoft environment. The one remaining IBM systems programmer was also asked to support Windows/NT servers, Cypress document management software, and the Citrix remote access hardware and software for the PeopleSoft environment. There are thus no human resources available to upgrade the current mainframe to an advanced Intel machine running the most current IBM operating system software. In October 2001 the University's sole IBM systems programmer will retire. At that point the University will no longer have the in-house expertise to do a major hardware and software upgrade to its legacy system. The University's reliance on the IBM mainframe will decrease each year. However, the legacy system is needed until the Human Resources system is converted to a common software solution. Lawson Software was selected as the APBS vendor. However, contract negotiations are behind schedule, thus delaying a planning pilot site implementation originally scheduled for January 2003. Depending on contract negotiations and the University's rotation as an implementing campus, the Human Resources legacy system could be needed for another 3-5 years. The limited and decreasing reliance on the legacy system, the continued backlog of work for the applications programming staff, and the lack of in-house systems programming staff to do a legacy system upgrade make the continued reliance on the existing legacy hardware and software the only viable option. The consequence of using the aging legacy system hardware for 3-5 more years is more frequent hardware failures. The pending retirement of the University's sole IBM systems programmer means recovery from both hardware and software failures will take longer. Since experienced IBM mainframe systems programmers are almost non-existent in the labor market, the situation is not likely to improve.

15.

Library Proxy Server

During fall 2000, through a joint project between the Library and Academic Computing, Polk Library established a proxy server (EZProxy) that allows UW Oshkosh faculty, staff, and students to access most full-text, article databases off campus using a single logon and password. This service marks an important enhancement in the way people can access article databases off campus. In the past, multiple usernames and passwords were required for off campus access to individual databases. In addition, with this new system in place, there is an easy off campus access to several databases that previously were not accessible off campus. Student and faculty reaction to this enhanced off campus access has been very positive.

Section IV. New or Continuing IT Projects for 2001-2003

PeopleSoft Student Administration

The University will continue its implementation of PeopleSoft's Student Administration system during 2001-2003. Key milestones will be the successful deployment of web registration and self service (TITAN WEB) in summer 2001, implementation of the Financial Aid module (2003), and broad access to a Data Warehouse. The University will also begin planning for migration to Student Administration 8.0, currently projected for summer 2003.

2.	APBS
	UW Oshkosh will participate in the System-wide implementation of the APBS system from Lawson software. Since the contract with Lawson is still being finalized, it is not possible at this time to precisely say what dimensions this implementation will take, nor when UW Oshkosh will move from its legacy HR system to Lawson.

E-Business

The University will take significant steps to provide e-business services to students, faculty, and staff. Important milestones will be the complete provision of all Financial Aid awards through EFT (electronic funds transfer); the implementation of eAwards, which will allow students and parents to receive Financial Aid award information on the web; and initial deployment of TITAN WEB to support online web registration and web access to personal information for students. Additional e-business processes are identified earlier in this Plan and may be identified as priorities during the campus strategic and operational planning process during 2001-2002. A student portal will be deployed, conveniently bringing together e-business services for students.

Campus Network Infrastructure

The University will implement VLANs (virtual local area networks), providing network management staff with the ability to segment the campus network to better monitor network traffic and minimize the impact of network problems. QoS (Quality of Service) hardware and software will be acquired, with the goal of assigning higher priority to mission-critical network traffic and lower priority to recreational (non-mission-critical) traffic.

GCA Labs

The long-standing campus goal of providing 450 computers in the General Computer Access (GCA) labs was exceeded in 2001. There are now 472 computers in the GCA labs. The challenge for the University now is to keep the hardware in the labs current and to provide an appropriate array of general-access software. Additional resources will be required if a 3-year replacement cycle for GCA computers is to be realized, since current funds available (General Computer Access and Student Technology Fee) are not sufficient to fund a 3-year replacement cycle. Also, as recommended in the February 2001 Computer Labs consultants' report, each fall and spring a review of GCA software will occur, providing Colleges and departments with a process that allows for the nomination and review of proposed new software in the GCA labs, as well as the removal of software no longer required by academic units.

6.	Discipline-Specific Computer Labs
	The UW Milwaukee Consultants' Report (February 2001) provides a good framework for the relationship between GCA and DS (discipline-specific) computer labs. IT will continue to work with the Colleges and departments, following the division of responsibilities described in the "Position Statement on Discipline-Specific Computer Labs" adopted in 1999.

7.	Web-Based Programs and Courses
	The University will continue to use the "utility" at UW Milwaukee for support of web courses developed with Blackboard. Additional Blackboard training sessions for faculty and students will be provided (students are trained in the Instructional Resources Center's Self-Production Lab).

8.	IDEA Lab
	IT will continue to provide funding to upgrade hardware and software in the IDEA lab. An appropriate array of technology training workshops will continue to be offered to faculty and staff.

IT Staffing

In 1997 the Information Technology Division prepared a division-wide Staffing Plan. That Plan identified twelve (12) new positions required to deliver needed support and services to UW Oshkosh faculty, staff, and students. In the three years since that Plan was issued, six of these positions have been addressed (through internal reallocation of FTE and through additional FTE and salary dollars coming to the Division through new UW System budget initiatives).

The IT infrastructure and IT priorities at UW Oshkosh have changed significantly over the past three years. There are new challenges that warrant a comprehensive reexamination of the Division's staffing needs. Among these challenges are:

>	Supporting third-party ERP systems that deliver the University's key business processes (PeopleSoft Student Administration, PeopleSoft Shared Financials).
>	Supporting new web-based library systems and information resources (Endeavor) and library activities such as electronic reserves that will deliver services especially aimed at distance education students.
>	Supporting new database management, desktop productivity, and operating system tools (Oracle, Linux, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Office 2000).
>	Supporting new and expanded instructional multimedia.
>	Supporting an expanded campus network.
>	Supporting an expanded Learning Technology Development Center (IDEA Lab) and increased faculty development of Internet and web-based courses through Blackboard.
>	Supporting student training and instruction in electronic information resources and basic computer applications.
>	Supporting development of a student portal and e-business for the University's customers.

To meet these challenges, the IT Division has identified the need for ten (10) additional positions. When current IT positions become vacant due to retirements or resignations, they will be reviewed to see if they can be reassigned or reallocated to address the areas of critical need described in this Plan. However, it is clear that reassignment and/or reallocation of positions within IT alone will not fully address IT's total staffing needs.

The IT Division has established the following priority for the additional needed positions.

One (1) additional network management staff. With the introduction of client-server and web-based business systems (Blackboard, PeopleSoft Student Administration, PeopleSoft Shared Financials, Endeavor), the University is dependent on network availability and performance. The University currently has one staff member assigned to network management. Two student assistants assigned to this area currently meet workload demands. The complex network planning issues facing the University are increasing and these issues are not appropriate for student assistants. The current network manager has no fulltime back up. If this position is not filled the University runs the serious risk of network degradation or a major network failure. The University will also not be able to assign sufficient staff time to network security, thus jeopardizing the delivery of key e-business services to students, faculty, staff, and alumni over the web.

One (1) fulltime web designer. Use of the world wide web for communicating to the University's many internal and external audiences continues to grow, and will only expand as the University addresses e-business. At the same time, there is growing campus concern about both the appearance and effectiveness of many departmental web sites. Media Services receives many requests to develop departmental and special project web sites. Currently only one Media Services staff can address these requests, and his primary responsibilities are to support faculty use of instructional multimedia and to train faculty. In addition, a key component of designing web sites is to train departmental staff to do continuous maintenance once the initial page is created. A new fulltime web designer is required to develop a regular service of designing and supporting departmental web pages. If this position is not filled, many departmental web pages will continue to be poorly designed with out-of-date information.

One (1) fulltime webmaster. This position was identified in the original 1997 IT Staffing Plan. Currently an Academic Computing staff member devotes a portion of his time to webmaster responsibilities. The increase in web applications over the past three years, and the need to support current and new web applications (including e-business), require a fulltime webmaster position. If this position is not filled, IT's ability to support e-business and other web applications will be restricted

One (1) additional media technician. Currently Media Services has two technicians who install, repair, and maintain all audiovisual and media equipment on campus. This includes the extensive inventory of media distributed to classrooms, departmental media equipment inventories, and special departmental labs. Media Services also has responsibility for ordering, installing, and maintaining all equipment obtained through Classroom Modernization. Consultation with other University staff on effective inclusion of media technology in classroom design is also a responsibility of the media technicians. The technicians are also responsible for maintaining and supporting two full-motion video distance education classrooms and managing and scheduling the University's satellite downlink and cable television network. If this position is not filled, the University will continue to experience significant delays in the installation, repair, and maintenance of audiovisual and media equipment in classrooms and labs.

One (1) additional reference, instruction, and student training librarian (Electronic Access). This librarian would provide professional library services in the areas of reference and library instruction, and would also provide specialized training for University course sessions that need basic information on web page development, how to use email, searching the Internet, and other electronic resources. The library has had to turn down faculty requests to teach students these skills. This additional librarian would allow the library to begin meeting this need and to help students develop basic information/computer competencies. If this position is not filled the library will continue to be unable to respond to faculty requests for training students in basic computer competencies. The library currently provides general reference services 80 hours a week and annually teaches more than 230 library instruction classes to 5,200 students. Without this position the library's overall ability to respond to faculty instructional requests and to staff the library's help desk (Reference Desk) will be limited and compromised.

One (1) additional instructional developer for online education. The demand for online course enhancement and complete online course delivery is increasing at a rapid rate. In spring 2001 Media Services is hosting more than 100 courses (both web-enhanced and completely web-based). The College of Business Administration, which for several years has offered online courses on their own (using LearningSpace), will be moving its courses to Blackboard. As faculty experience the special nature of online courses they increasingly seek support to assist them improve course effectiveness. Media Services currently has one instructional developer dedicated to supporting online courses. The increasing demand for support requires the addition of a second instructional developer. Initiatives at the University and System level to improve access to adult learners will only increase the demand for such support. If this position is not filled, new requests by faculty for support in developing online courses will go unmet.

One (1) additional audiovisual services assistant. Media Services currently has three audiovisual services assistants who support three service points (in Clow, Halsey, and Polk) that deliver instructional media equipment to classrooms. In addition, equipment is stored in four other academic buildings to facilitate classroom delivery. Two of the three service centers have evening or weekend hours that are currently covered only by student employees. Over the past several years, increasingly complex multiple media and public address classroom installations have been made, requiring faculty training and troubleshooting by expert staff. An additional staff member would provide needed continuity of expert service. If this position is not filled, faculty will experience greater delays in obtaining classroom audiovisual services. There will also be more frequent periods when one of the three audiovisual service points is unstaffed or staffed only by student employees.

One (1) library services assistant in Access Services (Circulation/ Electronic Reserves) and Technical Services (Cataloging/Processing). This position would allow the library to move forward with providing electronic reserves for faculty, a service currently offered by six other UW libraries. E-reserves would improve library services to all faculty and students, especially those involved in distance education. This position would also provide support for cataloging and processing library materials. Within the past five years Technical Services has lost 1.5 FTE (transferred to other IT units). This has been manageable with a static library materials budget; however, the materials budget has received a real increase of 16% for 2000-2001 that will result in the acquisition of substantial new library resources. If this position is not filled, the library will continue to experience delays in deploying e-reserves. In addition, there will be delays in making new library acquisitions available to students, faculty, and staff.

One (1) additional media specialist to support the campus cable television system. By fall 2000 Media Services acquired the capacity to route programming in a variety of video formats to approximately 130 designated classrooms and other locations in ten buildings. In addition, programming can be routed simultaneously to every Residence Hall room via four dedicated channels. Staffing for this service includes several staff and marginal to significant amounts of time, depending on the nature of the request. In order to make effective use of this new instructional delivery format, an additional staff member is needed. If this position is not filled, the University will not make effective use of its substantial investment in the campus cable television system.

10.

One (1) archives assistant. The University Archives has been revitalized within the past two years and has become highly visible on campus and throughout the state. With the new library capital project the Archives will become even more visible on campus and within the community. The archives assistant would make it possible for the University Archivist to continue campus and community outreach and provide statewide leadership without reducing hours and services. If this position is not filled, the library will have to choose between restricting the University Archivist's campus and community outreach efforts or reducing Archives' hours and services.

The FTE and salary dollars for these positions must come either through new initiatives within the UW System budget or through University-wide reallocation.

The Information Technology Division recognizes that reallocation of FTE and salary dollars is a very serious proposal. Without these additional resources, however, IT cannot deliver to the campus the support and services the campus needs and deserves.

10.

Faculty/Staff/Student E-mail Distribution Lists

Multiple faculty/staff e-mail distribution lists were created in spring 2001. Separate e-mail lists for all employees, all faculty, all academic staff, and all classified staff were created; use of these lists is limited to the Chancellor and his immediate staff. Faculty and staff may not remove themselves from these lists. At the same time, another "all employees" e-mail list was created. This second list is used by employees to send messages to the entire University community. If they choose, employees may remove themselves from this list. The University will monitor use of these new communications tools and make appropriate revisions if required. E-mails, once a relatively rare phenomenon, became more frequent in 2000-2001. In addition, potential use of e-mail to send students important information or documents (such as grade reports or degree audit reports) suggests that e-mails to all students will become more frequent over the next biennium. The increased use of e-mail for mass communication required a recent upgrade to the University's e-mail server, and similar upgrades are likely to be required over the next biennium. In addition, the e-mail addresses of students, faculty, and staff need to be regularly loaded into administrative databases for campus units that plan to conduct e-business transactions.

11.	Off-Campus Network Access
	The University will investigate providing VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to facilitate faculty and staff access from home to their office software and files.

12.

Faculty/Staff Computers

In 1999-2000 Year One of a 3-Year desktop replacement model for faculty and academic staff was implemented; more than $400,000 was provided, resulting in more than 200 faculty and academic staff receiving new computers. Year Two was implemented in 2000-2001. It is crucial that the University continues to implement this 3-Year model and establishes ongoing funding (central funds matched by unit funds) so that unclassified staff have access to current desktop hardware and software.

13.	Wireless Technologies
	The IT Division will continue to support wireless projects, as appropriate. If funding, policy, and technical support issues can be resolved, initial wireless deployments in public areas (student union, library) may be implemented during 2001-2003.

14.

Portals for Students and Alumni

It is anticipated that the Alumni Association will secure a portal (zUniversity) for alumni prior to July 1, 2001. During the upcoming biennium the University plans to deploy a student portal. The portal will be selected and deployed within the context of System-wide portal planning and deployment. The portal will provide students role-based access to key e-business services and personal information and services.

15.	Polk Library Projects
	During 2001-2003 Polk Library anticipates implementing electronic reserves, upgrading the Library's teaching lab, starting a "wireless" project in an area or areas within the Library, implementing "Universal Borrowing," and developing a program statement for a 21st Century Library Building.

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