IT Governance
Why we have a governance process:
Technology is in a constant state of change. It is impossible for our university to anticipate every shift of technology
in time to properly evaluate the impact of changes to existing university processes and infrastructure and to adequately
prepare to fund these proposed changes. The governance process allows for the dynamic allocation of university resources and
the evaluation of the overall impact of proposals on the university while assuring these proposals fall within the framework
of the university's strategic plan. The governance process also strives to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of
university resources among those requesting them.
IT Governance at a Glance:
It is critical for the future success of The University of Southern Mississippi that technology is strategically
developed as an integrated information environment. This initiative must be broadly inclusive of and supported by student,
faculty, staff, and constituencies throughout the university.
The CIO will be accountable to and governed by the President, The Vice Presidents and The Information Technology [IT]
Board of Directors. The IT Board of Directors will be the governance body to Southern Miss' technology priorities,
resources, and timelines, identifying the funding source for new initiatives and projects.
Obviously, the initiative involves a broad spectrum of technical issues. Therefore, we have formed an IT Advisory Council
comprised of Faculty and Staff that represent the various constituencies throughout Southern Miss including members from the
Office of the President, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, Chief Financial Officer, VP for Research and Academic Affairs,
VP for Student Affairs, Faculty Representatives, and Student Representatives.
This group is responsible for providing technical and managerial expertise on technology issues, such as the development
of policies and standards, technical solutions, recruitment and retention of technology staff, training, and operations. In
addition to their core responsibilities they are available to assist the IT Board of Directors and other workgroups as
necessary. Membership of the IT Advisory Council comes from the President and Vice-Presidents of the University.
The IT Advisory Council provides the IT Board of Directors a strategic perspective and coordination for the overall
technology initiative. In addition to these broadly focused councils, topic specific workgroups have been formed to focus
initially on the following priority areas:
- Information Technology Programs for Students, Faculty, and Staff
- Technology Assisted Learning, IVN, Enhanced Classrooms, Distance Learning
- Security, Policy, and Compliance
- The University's Web Site
- Integrated Data and Access to IT Services and Resources
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