Compact Plan 2007-10, Round OneInformation Technology Division

"Every time a manager allocates resources, the decision moves the company either into or out of alignment with its announced strategy." (“How Managers' Everyday Decisions Create-or Destroy-Your Company's Strategy," Harvard Business Review, February 2007, page 6)

Presented to Dr. Larry NielsenProvost and Executive Vice ChancellorFebruary 23, 2007

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Compact Plan, Round One– 2007-10Information Technology Division

1. Context for Planning

a. Key Findings from Recent Program Reviews and Evaluations

5-year (2001-2006) leadership and unit review ITD launched 18 major new services, and upgrades to support NC State’s missions and business processes. In real money, ITD’s funding decreased over this time Normal equipment replacement has been deferred, and staffing levels, especially for supporting critical

campus-wide IT systems, remain precariously low ITD's greatest strengths lie in the expertise, institutional knowledge and commitment of its staff.

Summary of Internal Audit and other IT security reviews Overall campus IT and information security weakened by split security functions across two central groups

and insufficient coordination among colleges Critical need for better backup and recovery storage services, especially related to research data Need to increase campus education/awareness of IT related policy, procedures and resources.

UPA biennial sophomore and graduating survey trends over the last six years (2000-2006) Overall satisfaction with technology services were consistently rated high Ratings for access to Internet were highest among all technology-related areas measured (peaked in 2002) Ratings for access to trained technology staff for help were among the lowest satisfaction ratings of any of

the academic services; these ratings have been trending up, however Ratings for extent to which NC State contributed to developing students’ computer skills have declined.

ResNet 2006 annual survey 92% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ResNet enhanced their ability to get course work done 74% used NC State-provided software for the required anti-virus computer protection (was 58% in 2002) Laptop usage on ResNet continued to increase: 61% used a laptop, 28% a desktop; 11% used both.

ComTech/University IT Infrastructure Subcommittee Survey (2006) 91% respondents said having access to campus computer labs was very or somewhat important Top reasons given for using computing labs: Access software so they didn’t have to buy it (62.5%); to kill

time between classes (62%); availability of Wolfprint (51%) 1.6% of students said they did not have access to a computer for their personal use.

ClassTech SurveysConsistently excellent reviews from faculty who use ClassTech supported rooms

Princeton Review/Forbes.com survey results (2006) NC State was named among the nation’s top 25 “most connected campuses” in January 2006 Ranking based in large part on the technology systems and services provided by ITD, ComTech, and

DELTA to NC State students and colleges. Survey emphasizes increasing importance of technology to students— and to the competitiveness of colleges and universities

Layer 8 Initiative (2004-ongoing) Called for a radical paradigm shift toward more integrated IT decision-making and implementation. Indications of progress include of HPC Partnership Program; growing campus participation in the Help

Desk/problem tracking systems; growing number of collaborative projects , e.g. move from SSN as campus identifier, SIS project, HR Orientation training, I AM identity/authentication project, NC State SAS Initiative, etc.

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b. Dashboard Measures 1. Responsiveness to emerging trends and realities; feedback, surveys (GPS navigation)

(See “Key Findings,” section 1a.)

2. Funding/staff/spending trends (fuel gauge) Funding in real dollars has gone down in last five years; services offered and usage has increased:

3. Infrastructure and service capacity and usage (speedometer) Network backbone 2006-07: Fiber optic, gigabit capacity; multi-link gigabit Ethernet mesh among five main distribution facilities. Supports ~50,000 data connections Wireless nomad network 2006-07: Can support 8750 simultaneous users; strong authenticationResNet: Students in on-campus housing with port/pillow network access: 100%; all ~7000 students Percent campus buildings with fiber optic connection to network backbone 2006-07: 97%; 100%classrooms have high-capacity network connectionsInternet usage 2006-07: Average peak monthly load - inbound - 315Mbps; outbound - 447 MbpsData Centers 2006:

4. Number accounts, clients served, grants supported (odometer) Unity accounts provisioned 2006-07: 49,234 provides authentication (login/access) services for administrative and academic data/resources accessUnity Labs 2006-07: number machines supported: 335; Kiosks-campus-wide: 20Number desktops using ITD-provided environment/kits:Windows (WolfPrep): ~1700; Mac: 760; Unix: 396; Linux: 865Email 2006: 24,181,181 average number messages handled/month (YTD12/06) WebMail used by up to 23,000 individuals a day.Data Centers: Mission-critical machines monitored 24 x 7 x 365: 2006~ 500 servers, 2 enterprise servers (Sun E25s), 1 mainframe; 2 data centers Average number “batch” processes monitored (financial, payroll, etc): ~650/dayFunded Research Supported: $70 Million with mid-range High Performance Computing services

5. Performance/uptime measures (tachometer) Network (wired) backbone uptime in 2006: 99.956% (1/06 - 11/06):Email - Unity IMAP Uptime 99.9 (1/06 - 11/06):Web hosting: www.ncsu.edu 2006: Between 2 and 4 million pages/day; 70 to 100 thousand visits/day

6. Security/compliance (safety locks, belt, airbag indicators and DMV)Policy/procedures enhanced: e.g. Anti-virus requirements, Password Standards, Data Management Reg. Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity measures: Data storage now mirrored in Data Centers I and II SPAM/hacker attacks in November 2006 put campus email relays at risk of crash

7. Training, communication, outreach (Drivers’ Ed. and DMV)New Student and Employee Orientations: 2006: ~4000 students attended NSO IT presentationsFree training for faculty, staff, and students: 177 classes; 1066 attendeesPublications: Fall 2006: 9000 copies “Computing@NC State” newsletter; award-winning web site

8. IT Accessibility (doors)National recognition (ATHENS; DoIT, etc.) for leadership in proactive accessibility solutions

9. Staff morale and professional development (temp gauge) Additional Full Staff meeting in 2006; high rate of participation in UNC CAUSE conferences; conferences attended as resources allow; 2 staff were recipients of Award for Excellence from Provost’s Office in 2006; general concern about CIO and reorganization.

10. Crisis events (check engine light) Tape Backup System reached capacity limits in November 2006 Storage Management system reached capacity in December 2006 Data Center II reaching limits of power and air conditioning for machine room Equipment replacement deferral due to budget cutsResearch and Graduate Studies withheld full HPC fund commitment in 2006

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c. Forecast Three critical trends that will impact ITD and IT at NC State:

1. The “second revolution in information technology”: New research, education imperatives

We are entering a second revolution in information technology, one that may well usher in a new technological age that will dwarf, in sheer transformational scope and power, anything we have yet experienced in the current information age . . . As cyberinfrastructure evolves, it will become an integral part of research and education across the board, including the humanities and the arts . . . leadership in cyberinfrastructure may well become the major determinant in measuring pre-eminence in higher education among nations.” (Arden L. Bement, director National Science Foundation Chronicle of Higher Education, January 5, 2007).

The second revolution is not just about hardware and infrastructure. Software systems such as SAS and GIS are transforming career fields as diverse as business analytics, criminology, environmental studies, history, urban planning, as well as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Central academic IT resources, staff time and expertise will be increasingly integral to NC State’s responses to these changes, as shown by ITD’s ongoing involvement in the development of the new Analytics Initiative program and the expanded use of GIS in various colleges.

2. UNC PACE

President Bowles' PACE study in 2006 was charged with finding operational and administrative efficiencies so that more money could be spent on the core missions of the University - education, research and public service. IT was targeted as an area for increased efficiency. In summary, PACE recommended - centralizing processes where possible- consolidating technology infrastructure - adopting more efficient policies and procedures. At NC State this would include more rational and equitable funding models for centralized IT functions and activities that benefit all colleges.

At the same time, President Bowles has emphasized the importance of enabling more North Carolinians to gain the sophisticated education needed for success in the global economy of the 21st century. IT, and especially distance education, is seen as a means of achieving this goal, minimizing the need for "bricks and mortar" facilities. This solution will require capacity increase of both infrastructure and staff, and significant solutions development to further scale foundational services. NC State’s Virtual Computing Lab, a collaboration of ITD’s HPC program and the College of Engineering, is an exciting response to these challenges.

3. Globalization

Globalization has changed the scope and scale of competition – and the breadth and complexity of thinking required for successful collaboration and partnerships. Everything we do to be successful must be considered in this outward-looking context.

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2. Office Goals for 2007-10: Align IT as an enabler, not inhibitor, of NC State’s Strategic Plan.

a. Solidify commitments to funding for existing services needed for top-ranked faculty and research (Investment Priorities 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10)

b. Expand and enhance core technology infrastructure and services so they are adequate to fulfill regulatory requirements, meet faculty, student and university needs, and enable ongoing competitiveness in global education, research and economic environments until 2010 and beyond (all Investment Priorities; additional funding requested)

c. Advance Layer 8 objectives of efficiency and effectiveness by focusing existing campus IT resources on achieving the next level of innovation and achievement in education, research and business processes (all Investment Priorities; no additional funding requested)

3. Action Itemsa. Action items to solidify commitments for funding for services needed for top-

ranked faculty and research (Investment Priorities 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10):

a1. Permanent funding for ClassTech services

Purpose and descriptionThis action item’s purpose is to obtain the university’s commitment to continuing funding for ClassTech services to support the approximately 60 classrooms built or renovated as a result of the 2000 Higher Education Bond. ClassTech has been asked to provide its high-quality standards-base AV management and support for these additional rooms, but there has been no formal commitment to permanent funding.

ClassTech currently supports 56 classrooms. Initial funding has been provided for ClassTech operations, but additional continuing will be necessary to continue to support these rooms and the additional classrooms coming online between 2007-2010. ClassTech has developed a formula for calculating the annual costs of providing these services, based on the economies of scale and the leveraging of the resources and administrative support of ITD. The amount of continuing funding provided should determine the number of classroom/learning spaces ClassTech undertakes to support. The annual cost for equipment and staff support for faculty and equipment is currently estimated to be $8,000/room.

Justification and Intended ImpactClassTech has been very successful in efficiently and economically providing consistent, standardized technology implementations, while raising the bar for faculty support in those classrooms. NC State's Classroom Environment Committee continues to strongly support ClassTech services and expresses the need for ongoing technical support and equipment replacement in classrooms. Along with leveraging existing resources, ITD has enabled ClassTech to establish a highly effective and efficient system that increases the level of service provided to most colleges and departments on campus. Even more importantly, surveys continue to show faculty are overwhelmingly pleased with, and dependent upon, the support they are receiving in these rooms. Permanent funding for ClassTech would make it possible for the NC State to continue this level of support.

Investing in up-to-date technology and support of classrooms helps advance the university Investment Priority of strengthening the university’s core infrastructure. It also plays a role in developing a high-quality faculty by providing a supportive and productive work environment that many instructors have come to expect.

Funding requirementsAn estimated $8,000 per room per year is needed to provide the support level that faculty expect for technology in each ClassTech classroom/learning space. (This does not include technology consultation, design and

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implementation costs.) State legislated maintenance and operations money has been appropriated for the recently built or renovated spaces and the remaining bond projects should receive the equivalent of about $4,500 per room in M&O funding. Additional continuing money is needed to cover the shortfall. ClassTech has an additional shortfall of $365,602 in permanent funding, as a result of one-time funding instead of permanent funding to support its current 56 rooms at $8,000 per room plus overhead. In FY09/10, $133,000 will be needed for the 38 new classrooms that will have come on-line since FY08 at $3500 per room. M&O funds will provide $4500 per room, which totals the $8,000 per room estimate. Permanent Funding requirements: FY07/08 $365,602 permanentFY09/10 $133,000 permanent

a2. Permanent funding for High Performance Computing

Purpose and descriptionThe purpose of this action item is to create a sustainable and rational funding model for NC State’s central High Performance Computing (HPC) resources and services.

The HPC program supports over $70 Million in funded research for NC State and has a shoe-string ongoing annual operating budget of less than $800,000. While the office of Research and Graduate Studies arguably benefits most from the HPC resources and services, it has refused to pay its agreed-upon 50% of these ongoing costs (the Office of the Provost pays the other 50%). To cover the shortfall last year, ITD had to take money that should have been used for equipment replacement for basic services such as antivirus servers and lab machines. ITD is seeking support to obtain a more \sustainable and equitable funding model.

Justification and Intended ImpactAccording to Vice Chancellor John Gilligan quoted in a recent issue of “Results,” “High-performance computing is an increasingly important tool to do any kind of science. . . . It’s matured to the point where it’s integrated into the discovery process.” In the same “Results,” ITD’s HPC services are the focus of praise for efficiency and effectiveness.” While praise is always welcome, it does not substitute for the promised ongoing funding.

Measured simply in terms of return on investment, ITD’s HPC program has served NC State exceptionally well in its 4 years of operation. In addition to the value of research supported, the innovation of HPC Partners Program as a way to maximize the benefits of HPC resources has been praised as a model by the Department of Defense and is being copied at peer institutions. The HPC program deserves the loyal and ongoing support of the university and especially Research. One way to monitor the impact would be to stop offering the services and repurpose the resources elsewhere. This action item most obviously supports the investment priority of building research and graduate programs in proven and emerging fields. It also strengthens the university’s core infrastructure, supports “faculty and staff of the highest quality.”

Funding requirementsPermanent funding instead of annual one-time funding from the Office of the Provost is requested for this action item. ITD also requests the support of the Office of the Provost to obtain the university’s and Research and Graduate Studies’ commitment for adequate ongoing funding for the High Performance and Grid Computing program in ITD.

a3. One-time funding for final National LambdaRail membership fee

Purpose and descriptionThe purpose of this action item is to confirm funding for the last installment of NC State’s fees for participation in National LambdaRail high performance research network.

In April 2003, NC State agreed to partner with the other members of the NCNI to enable regional participation in the new national high-speed fiber optic network cyber infrastructure to support leading edge research and experimental network facilities. The final installment of the agreed upon membership fees is now due. Given the change in NC State leadership since the NLR membership was agreed upon, there is now some debate about who is responsible for this obligation. . ITD is seeking support to find a solution to this problem.

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Justification and Intended ImpactThe primary justification and intended impact of this action item is to maintain NC State’s reputation regionally and nationally as a reliable partner in major cyberinfrastructure projects. This action item supports the investment priorities of building research and graduate programs in proven and emerging fields and strengthening the university’s core infrastructure.

Funding requirementsNC State’s portion of the NLR fees is $266,667

b. Action Items to expand and enhance core technology infrastructure and services so they are adequate to fulfill regulatory requirements, meet faculty, student and university needs, and enable ongoing competitiveness in global education, research and economic environments until 2010 and beyond. (All Investment Priorities; additional funding requested):

b1.The Campus Capital Loan Pilot Project: A new business model for financing major IT investments at NC State

Purpose and DescriptionThe purpose of the Campus Capital Loan Pilot Project is to develop and test an innovative new model for financing IT investments at NC State. The proposed business model would enable the university to invest in central IT infrastructure/capacity building projects needed by colleges and departments; better align IT investments with university strategies; recover a proportion of costs in an equitable way, enable the reinvestment of IT expenditures; and save NC State, as a whole, significant money in the long run.

Conceptually, the Campus Capital Loan model is similar to the familiar business or personal finance loan. For example, a businessperson with appropriate support presents a business plan to an investment banker and applies for a loan for capital needed for a major capacity–expanding project; as agreed upon, the loan is paid back as receipts from the expanded services from the project come in; the lender can then reinvest the capital. But like an old Farm Coop, in the Campus Capital Loan model, all the participants are members of the same community and benefit from the overall success and efficiency of the process.

ITD proposes to test the merits of this business model on our campus, with Finance and Business as the Lender, the Office of the Provost as the Underwriter, ITD as Borrower, and colleges, departments and units – and possibly some off-campus organizations- as the Customers. The Tape Backup and Storage Management System Capacity Increase (Action Item b2) is proposed as an initial IT investment for this Pilot Project.

Justification and Intended ImpactNC State’s current model for funding IT encourages IT silos on campus. The prevailing attitudes and practices inhibit a systems approach to IT investment that would enable the dollars spent and technology deployed to align most effectively with the university’s strategic priorities.

As discussed at length in the Layer 8 whitepaper, there is ample evidence that new ways of thinking about IT investments, new strategies, and new procedures are needed if technology is to be an enabler of NC State’s ambitions for leadership in the global education and economic environment of the 21st.century. The reluctance to invest in the expansion of campus file storage and backup s capacity illustrates 1, how IT investment practices inhibit NC State’s ability to meet existing and emerging education, research and regulatory requirements, and 2, why colleges and departments are encouraged to deploy uncoordinated solutions for pressing problems.

The success of the HPC Partners program shows that innovative win-win investment models are in fact possible on our campus. Funding the Tape Backup and Storage Management System Capacity Increase with a Campus Capital Loan will provide a clear way to evaluate this new business model. If successful, colleges will benefit from economical, efficiently run, centrally-provided storage and backup services. The campus will benefit from being able to grow its storage infrastructure capacity in and equitably-funded way. The loan repayment will provide another measure of success. The Campus Capital Loan model aligns with NC State’s Investment

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Priorities of effectiveness and efficiency and building core infrastructure. (Priorities 9 and 10). Funding RequirementsAs described in the Action Item b2, approximately $1 million is needed to fund the necessary expansion of storage management and backup infrastructure, systems and maintenance. ITD proposes that Finance and Business provided the investment capital for this expansion, with the expectation that money will be paid back over a period of three years, as colleges purchase the use of the services.

b2. Tape Backup and Storage Management Systems capacity increase

Purpose and description The purposes of this action item are to Expand of campus Tape Backup System (now operating at full capacity). Expand campus Storage Management System (now operating a full capacity) by 230 terabytes of space Offer high-quality, secure and backed-up data storage space services to colleges and departments for a

good price to meet growing data storage requirements. These include o Disaster recovery and Business Continuity mandates for data back up o UNC data retention and legal mandates for digital archival storage o Government requirements for secure retention of research data from research grants

This action item will enable the university to expand its centrally-supported tape backup and data storage capacities by purchasing and deploying the next increment of the Dell/EMC Clarion Storage Management System infrastructure. Although the basic infrastructure is shared by RMIS and ITD, the administrative and academic data and data storage services will continue to be separately maintained, as appropriate to the different legal requirements and user needs.

Justification and Intended Impact As noted in the “Dashboard measurements” section of this document, the university’s Tape Backup System reached capacity in November 2006, and the SMS reached full capacity of 96 terabytes in December. NC State’s needs for high-quality data storage and backup services have grown even faster than anticipated. Students and faculty now express frustration at the comparatively small amounts of storage automatically provided to computing accounts and say it is beginning to impact innovations in teaching and learning with technology.

Perhaps even more urgently, colleges and Research must meet mandated data storage and backup needs. ITD currently has requests totaling almost 10 terabytes from the colleges of Engineering, Design and Natural resources and expects to receive more requests for large amounts space. A survey of Academic IT Directors and others is being conducted to identify unmet demand and the various ways colleges and others are meeting their storage needs (attempting to run their own storage systems, contracting with outside vendors, etc.). ITD expects to receive more of the requests for large-scale data storage.

To determine the success of this major resource expansion project, storage use and costs recovered will be monitored. All the university’ investment priorities will benefit from the university being able to offer adequate data storage capacities. Meeting these IT demands in a coordinated, centralized manner enables the university as a whole to take advantage of economies of scale and ITD’s proven expertise in the successful operation of large-scale systems and services.

Funding requirements $400,000 (estimated) for Tape Backup System. Note: The Tape Backup System must be in place before the SMS can be further expanded.

$650,000.00 plus 3 years of maintenance to purchase the next incremental piece of SMS 20% of this cost in 4th year and future years Staff requirements: .An additional .5 FTE (ongoing) will be required for support of the expanded SMS systems and services to campus.

ITD estimates being able to offer single terabyte blocks of space at $1900 per year.

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b3. Data Center II power and cooling upgrade

Purpose and description The purpose of this core infrastructure upgrade is to expand high-quality machine room capacity enough to enable NC State to house and operate the rapidly growing number of administrative and academic servers and data storage systems for the next several years.

The proposed upgrade will expand Data Center II • Power - from 192 KW to 512 KW• Cooling – from 80 Ton AC to 140 Ton AC

The power and cooling systems of Data Center II are now operating at close to full capacity. After these upgrades, it is estimated that at the current rate of usage, Data Center II will reach full power, cooling and space capacity in about 2009. Additional Data Center space will be needed. The machine room in Cox Hall was recently suggested as a potential space for a third campus data center to meet these needs in 2009 and beyond. .

Justification and Intended Impact The Data Center II Power and Cooling Expansion action item implements the recommendations of the NC State Data Center Planning and Advisory Committee, which includes representation from RMIS, the College Academic IT Directors, Internal Audit and others. Data Center II provides secure 24x7x365 machine room operations for the university’s administrative and academic servers and data storage. The university’s core IT functions – from Registration and Records to advanced research-depend upon the university’s data centers. If the power and cooling capacities of Data Center II are not expanded, the growth and functionality of programs and processes supported by information technology at NC State will be impacted.

This action item contributes to the university’s core infrastructure investment priority and is a necessary to the success of numerous other strategic goals. Data Center Planning and Advisory Committee is committed to monitoring the efficient and effective use of these facilities.

Funding requirementsDesign Fee: $ 30,000One 300-kVA UPS with power distribution through DCII: $390,000Two additional 30-ton AC units: $79,000Ongoing Maintenance: $8,000/yearContribution toward Data Center III: $359,000 in 2009

b4. NC State Identity and Access Management (I AM Initiative)-Next Steps

Purpose and DescriptionThis action item will enable ITD in partnership with RMIS to execute the next stages of the university’s Identity and Access Management Initiative, which was established by the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business to improve and streamline NC State’s Identity Management related processes There have been a number of successful projects under the I AM umbrella during the past 12 months, including major changes to authentication to campus services, leadership in business process changes needed for the SIS implementation, and policy development. However, in order for the I AM Initiative to move forward, additional staff are needed.

Identity Management provides the infrastructure (policy, governance and technology) that is essential for members of the NC State campus community to securely and efficiently access online services within the campus, as well as among other institutions and organizations. This action item highlights two specific projects that ITD proposes to undertake

Implement Shibboleth Authentication services: This open source middleware software enables Web Single SignOn (SSO) across or within organizational boundaries. It enables appropriate secure access of protected online resources.

Membership and participation in InCommon Federation: This group of higher education institutions and partnering agencies has established a common framework of exchange of identity information to facilitate collaboration and sharing of online resources of education and research.

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Justification and Intended ImpactIdentity Management is now a critical infrastructure service for the university’s business and academic activities. There is increased need for compliance with government authentication requirements, improving security of access to online resources, and preserving privacy of individuals’ personal information. Additionally, there is a need to improve and streamline access to online resources.. Identity Management initiatives in higher education require a large investment of staff time, with the vast majority of the time spent on business process and governance issues. Over the past 12 – 15 months, ITD has contributed a minimum of 1 FTE on an ongoing basis to this initiative, with periods of higher commitment (1.5-2 FTE). Many of these activities are essential for the implementation of the Student Information System (SIS) project and therefore we see little relief on staffing resource needs. ITD has provided this staffing resource with no additional staff or release time. Additional staff is required to move forward on this project. Funding RequirementsBusiness and Technology Applications Specialist base salary: $80,000 (not including benefits)Technology Support Specialist, base salary $62,000 (not including benefits) (From RMIS?)Staff Development and education funding for existing ITD staff involved in the I AM initiative, ongoing: $10,000/year for minimum 3 yearsEquipment for Shibboleth service implementation: FY), 3 year replacement cycle, replicated servers: $8000InCommon Registration fee, one time, paid in FY 07-08: $700.InCommon Ongoing membership fee, first paid in FY 07-08: $1000/year.

b5. Expand and enhance Campus Linux Services Purpose and DescriptionThis action item will enable ITD to more efficiently and effectively provide support for the growing use of Linux operating systems on our campus. It will also help NC State maintain its active role in the global Linux open source development community. To do this, ITD proposes to Centralize the funding for NC State’s single Linux Initiative staff person under ITD (this position is now

jointly funded by ITD, PAMS and COE) Create an additional Linux Operations & Systems Specialist position (.5 FTE) to enable the growth of this

important initiative campus-wide.

Justification and Intended Impact Linux Initiative services are currently used by ITD and several colleges to provide server and desktop functionality to students, faculty, and staff. ITD and the Colleges of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering currently fund this position jointly (45%, 40%, and 15% respectively). However the joint funding model in place for this position involves job responsibilities in the colleges that are not directly related to the Campus Linux Initiative. This is a waste of scarce Linux operations and systems expertise. Furthermore, ITD is already very thinly staffed for Systems support, and other ITD staff do not have the level of Linux expertise needed to maintain and meet the anticipated growth of Linux at NC State. While it is appropriate and necessary for PAMS and CoE to provide funding for Linux services on campus, since they are at this time the biggest users of Linux among the colleges. However, the current funding model is not adequate or workable.

Funding requirements Full funding for existing Linux Operations & Systems Specialist position: $44,273 salary (.5 of FTE) Additional Linux Operations & Systems Specialist position (.5FTE): $40,000 (excluding benefits)

b6. Unity 2010—Adapting to meet students’ changing computing needs

Purpose and descriptionThe Unity 2010 action item is aimed at modernizing NC State’s academic computing environment and adapting it to meet changing student computing needs and expectations. This ambitious and leading-edge initiative will restructure and expand the existing Unity computing environment, its associated services and capacities.

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Initial Unity 2010 projects will give the highest priority to current student demands for integrating existing Unity services with student-owned systems:

EPOC (Expansion to Personally Owned Computing) will enable students to access services such as WolfCopy printing and Unity software from their own computers;

SAFE (Simplified Access to File systems across Environments), a major enhancement of campus network filesystems to provide simpler, faster access to the university's data storage system from personally-owned computers;

VCLtools, a project to simplify Virtual Computing Lab login and enhance image creation and delivery.

Justification and Intended ImpactThe face of technology has already fundamentally changed. Students approach technology in new ways and come with different expectations and skills. Mobile devices and wireless networking are the foundation of the new paradigm. In 1998, less than 6% of residence hall students came to campus with a laptop computer. In 2006, that number was greater than 60%. Students are requesting access to Unity services on their own computers that are currently only available through computer labs, such as printing and access to application software. Our service delivery model must change in order to integrate student-owned computers and mobile devices into the fabric of the Unity environment. We must retool to remain competitive and to meet the needs of students, faculty, and researchers. We have delivered successive iterations of the Unity computing environment using essentially the same service delivery model since 1994. It's time for a change.

While the Unity 2010 is focused on student success, all NC State faculty and staff also receive Unity accounts, and will benefit from the modernization and improved convenience of the Unity 2010 environment. This action item supports the Investment Priorities of strengthening core infrastructure, undergraduate education, and faculty and staff resources. (Priorities 10, 4 and 1).

Funding requirementsSince ITD will continue to provide existing Unity services even as these services are redesigned, an Operations & Systems Specialist position is required to design and implement EPOC, SAFE, VCLtools, and additional projects. Operations & Systems Specialist position $75,000 (excluding benefits) Recurring systems software: $7000

b7. Meeting increasing costs of essential software

Purpose and descriptionThis action item will enable ITD to keep up with the rising costs software applications required campus wide.

Justification and Intended ImpactOver the last 3 years the annual cost of site licenses for Antivirus/Antispam Sophos Software and the annual Oracle Collaborative Suite maintenance have increased over $175, 000! These expenses are eating away at ITD’s already dwindling operating budget, further jeopardizing standard equipment replacement and other ordinary costs of doing IT. Not purchasing this software would compromise the university’s network and data security, email functioning, etc. put the university’s computing

Funding requirementsFY08/09 continuing: $144,934; FY09/10: $30,000

b8. Virtual Computing Lab support

Purpose and descriptionThis action item will provide continuing funding for a 50% of a VCL support position that is currently being paid for by the College of Engineering. ITD is currently paying 50% of this position, and will continue to do so out of existing funding.

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Justification and Intended ImpactThe VCL began as a project of the College of Engineering in partnership with the ITD HPC program. As the VCL is rolled out to all NC State students and for all colleges, it is appropriate that this position be funding centrally. The College of Engineering has committed to funding this position until 2008/09. This position is responsible for assisting the ongoing research, development and support of this important technology innovation. Funding requirementsPermanent funding FY08/-09: $46,869 (.5 FTE)

c. Action items to advance Layer 8 objectives of efficiency and effectiveness by focusing existing campus IT resources on achieving the next level of innovation and achievement in education, research and business processes (All Investment Priorities; no additional funding requested):

c1. Technology services management and coordination for Provost’s Unit

Purpose and descriptionThe purpose of this action item is to offer the Office of the Provost more efficient and effective methods for providing and managing technology services within the various Provost units. ITD proposes to offer the Office of the Provost IT Management and Coordination Services for the various Provost units that do not (like DELTA and ITD) have major IT staff and resources. Funding for IT staff and special projects would go to the units; ITD would act as a service provider, as needed, on a cost recovery basis.

Justification and Intended ImpactThe Provost’s unit comprises a number of units with specific business needs. Often, these units need assistance in assessing their technology needs, identifying strategies for solutions, and implementing these solutions. Often, a unit will request that an IT position be established within the department to provide these functions, however a number of issues may arise: The unit may not have staff/expertise in hiring and overseeing an IT professional. Oversight can be critical

to ensure that technology decisions are consistent with overall campus strategies. If the unit hires a person on a temporary basis, they will be left without support when that person moves on

and may have to deal with poor technology decisions. A unit may not need a full position; however, it can be cumbersome for multiple units to share a position.

An alternative strategy would be to have ITD be responsible for the position’s hiring, and ongoing supervision. ITD would provide feedback to the Provost on a regular basis regarding project status and deliverables. The Provost could allocate and re-allocate the position’s resources as needed. This arrangement offers a number of advantages, including the more efficient utilization of staffing. ITD is well-equipped to recruit, hire and supervise IT staff, and can provide the necessary oversight to ensure that solutions are compliant with campus directions. This action item supports the Investment Priority of efficiently strengthening the university’s – and the Office of the Provost’s – resource base.

Funding requirementsThis is a process change: funding for IT staff and special projects would go to the Provost’s participating units.

c2. Next generation learning spaces

Purpose and DescriptionThis action item’s overall purpose is to improve student learning in the context of the evolution of pedagogy and increased access to mobile technology. Fours ways we want to help facilitate and capitalize on this evolution are to: 1) transform some of the traditional Unity computer labs into spaces that foster collaboration and changing modes of operation; 2) provide a low-cost method to capture classroom content that allows easy, accessible retrieval of the material; 3) implement a campus-wide standard for classroom student response systems; 4) assess

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and change with campus partners the way learning spaces are conceived, designed and built, to focus on learning outcomes.

Justification and Intended ImpactNC State must continue to develop its classrooms and computer labs to adapt to changing pedagogy and advances in technology. Each of these actions items for next generation learning spaces contribute to the university’s investment priority to strengthen its core infrastructure, but also to engage students in a technology-rich environment.

Student surveys show continued high usage of computer labs, even as more students own laptops. Growing numbers are requesting space to work collaboratively. Converting the Laundry Unity Lab to a modular student-centered technology-enabled space will allow for a variety of functions, including individual and group work, training and support.

A growing number of faculty are asking for a method to easily record and distribute the content of their classes. Currently-available commercial systems are cost-prohibitive to implement on more than a very limited scale. New technology allows the audio and content being projected to be stored, encoded and delivered for re-use and review to enhance student understanding. This is a growing trend, particularly with NetGen learners, as more courses are taught as a hybrid of face-to-face and online.

Popularity of classroom clicker systems has increased, particularly for larger class sizes where student interaction and engagement is more difficult to achieve. Demand has grown for a broadly-supported solution rather than continue with individual competing implementations. A cross-functional group is working to test systems and develop a campus solution. A short-term solution is to actively pilot the product that appears to be more flexible and better meet accessibility needs. Longer-term plans would be to require students to have a portable web-enabled device they could use, e.g. laptop or cell phone with data plan that could then be used for web-based feedback and interaction.

Current regulations and design processes propagate standardized spaces. It is important to first consider the desired learning objectives and how best to achieve them. Learning spaces need to be designed around the functions of the room based on those objectives rather than force the functions to fit into a predefined space formula. The end goal is to develop a process that empowers faculty and students to create learning spaces that meet their needs.

Funding RequirementsInitial resources for this action item will be derived from within ITD. ITD is pursuing partnerships with colleges to renovate the Laundry facility; one-time funding of approximately $187,500 would be split among partners. Ongoing technology upfits would be derived from existing ETF allocations. Support resources of $46,000 for trained part-time staff would be needed. Equipment needed for encoding, compressing and delivering the content for 20 classes per semester is $53,500.Pilot implementation of a clicker system in 2007-08 would require an estimated $20,000. Development of a long-term web-based solution would require an initial cost of $45,000 and ongoing support costs of approximately $10,000. However, implementation of a long-term solution assumes students all have mobile web-capable devices.

c3. Next generation IT education and training for students

Purpose and Description:ITD envisions a campus model that ensures students have a standard level of IT knowledge, including basic productivity tools and the ability to support themselves and their computers.

To achieve this ITD would like to explore partnerships with one or more colleges to develop a campus-wide IT Fluency Program, taking best practices of the self-support model from Engineering’s E115 class. Initial suggestions for how a collaborative partnership might work are:

1. A one hour credit course on IT Fluency; available on the web or as a regular in-class course; students could test out if they have the knowledge.

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2. “Course” would need to be defined. Is it a 6 week course; part of another introductory course (e.g., CALS ALS) or something else? What current college models are working?

3. ITD’s role could be the central unit that develops the materials that colleges use and trains the trainer (e.g., TA’s). Material development would be for basic training and support of students’ own computer, including security issues, ethics, email etiquette, etc.

4. The basic skill set would be developed in partnership with other Colleges. 5. Colleges could customize the remainder of the course for their discipline-specific needs.6. Include information on training for faculty so they have this skill set too.

To be successful, this initiative must be driven by the colleges.

Justification and Intended ImpactThere continues to be concern about the technology and information fluency of students on campus. While students arrive on campus with their own computers (> 90% in 2005), NC State has no central, coordinated effort to provide training to students. As the 2006 ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology reports, “While younger students can boast an arsenal of IT skills to underpin their social lives and recreational lives, they are less skilled or confident users of instrumentally useful technologies.”

By collaborating with one or more colleges, student IT knowledge becomes more standardized and faculty can count on students knowing the basics. Ideally, this then frees up class time to focus on specific class material. ITD becomes more efficient because we are reaching a broader group of students; especially those who may need this additional support. On the college level, efficiency is improved because we can eliminate some duplication of effort for basic IT skills.

Evidence of impact will be determined with partners, but would likely come through participation or testing out to show successful attainment of course objectives. This action item will contribute to the university’s investment priority in enriching undergraduates’ educational experience through active engagement in a technology-rich learning environment.

Funding requirements Primary ITD collaboration work would at least initially come through a shift in existing student

education/outreach resources.

c4. Online course captioning and other multimedia accessibility issues (DELTA, OEO and ITD action item)

Purpose and descriptionThe purpose of this action item is to find the most equitable, efficient, and effective campus-wide solutions to the problems being encountered with accommodating the needs of students with disabilities in distance education or in courses with online multimedia content. Text transcription and captioning for the increasing number of videos, podcasts and other multimedia are particularly problematic because they are typically done after the event, and they are expensive and time consuming.

As recommended by the CCART committee three years ago, ITD proposes that the issues of responsibility and funding for accessibility accommodations (such as transcribing/captioning distance education course content) be frankly discussed and clearly decided at the Provost and Vice Provost level. Additionally, ITD offers to work with DELTA and others to research and test the most cost effective way to obtain or provide transcription and captioning services for campus. However, ITD will not provide production services for the campus.

Justification and Intended ImpactThe old models of providing “on demand” accommodations to students with disabilities in conventional classrooms do not necessarily work in the new world of distance education and online teaching and learning. The use of multimedia video and audio in classes is growing explosively, and students may be accessing course materials in the middle of the night. These alternate modes of presenting materials are often excellent for enabling students with a wide diversity of learning needs to succeed. However, alternate formats may be required to accommodate students with visual impairments and NC State’s Web Page Accessibility Regulation has made it clear that providing accessible content is a shared responsibility. However, unlike coding web pages

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according to accessibility standards, captioning video or providing text transcripts is not easy or cheap to do. Several colleges (e.g. CVM, Textiles) have found cost-effective ways to routinely and quickly caption online content, but there is no agreed-upon campus-wide model that could take advantage of economies of scale.

Currently, DSO receives all ETF funding allocated for accommodating student with accessible content, but does captioning only on demand, may require weeks to do the work, and typically does not serve students in distance education classes. No other resources are allocated for captioning or text transcriptions on campus, and who is responsible for meeting mandated requirements for distance education and online course content remains subject to debate. This action item will clarify procedures, funding and responsibilities related to captioning and other accommodations for multimedia in distance education or courses with online content. Another outcome will be to determine the most efficient and cost-effective source of transcription and captioning services for the campus.

This action item supports the investment priorities of strengthening the university’s resource base by effectively and efficiently using resources. Accessible content also benefits ESL readers and so helps support integration of global perspectives into programs and functions.

Funding RequirementsNo new funding is requested for this action item.

4. Resources a. Progress Report on 2000-07 Compact Plan Initiatives

Thanks to significant funding for the Enhanced Cyber Security Compact Plan initiative from the Office of the Provost over the last four years, there is now a well functioning, stand-alone IT Security Services department within ITD. The group has three staff positions devoted to security issues. The two new positions have improved the robustness and efficiency of campus security systems. One measure of this is the reduced turn-around times from incident report/detection to analysis and hand off to department for resolution. This used to average about a day and now is typically handled within two hours.

Most security functions in ITD are now handled by security staff; other ITD staff are only called on with major incidents or a problem with server/services they support. The IT Security Services team has been able to provide proactive guidance for campus and has led efforts to develop policy and procedures. Working with the UITC Security Subcommittee and RMIS security staff, several security policy initiatives have been approved; notably REG 08.00.10 Anti-Virus Software Requirements in 2004 and revised REG 08.00.3 Data Management Procedures in 2006. Work is also progressing on a new Password Standard for campus, and on developing technical standards and educational material to support the new DMP Regulation.

To enhance campus awareness, IT Security staff helped ITD Education and Training develop courses and enhance training materials on IT security topics. The ITD Education and Training group now provides a 30-minute computer awareness session as part of new employee orientation, which includes computer security topics. They also offer a new 90 minute Basic Computer Security course to students. These complement the continuing efforts of computer awareness sessions at New Student Orientation, the Computing@NCState newsletter, Help! CD, and the Computing Essentials website.

b. Budget Review See spreadsheet 4b).

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c. Recent Efficiency Improvements and d. Future Efficiency Improvements

Over the past 5 years, funding for ITD has declined by 4% in real dollars (see chart for 4c. During this time ITD has implemented 18 major projects and new services:

New NC State University Help Desk; ComTech merger; Wireless Nomad network production roll-out; High Performance and Grid Computing services; Enterprise Storage Management System; new Microcomputer Systems Unit for Windows services; new ITD Security Services department; new Data Center II secondary site opened; installed massive new backup-generators and UPS systems, expanded Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity systems for ITD and campus; Oracle Calendar roll-out; expanded student and employee education and outreach services; launched new Computing@NC State publication; new Web design/media services for campus; developed (with CoE) new Virtual Computing Lab; early participation and ongoing support for LITRE; launched ClassTech; early technology consultation and support for new Friday Institute for Education Innovation; early participation and ongoing support for new SAS and NC State Analytics Initiative

Although this is not a sustainable model, this list is a clear indicator of ITD’s efficiency and staff productivity. See also chart for 4c.

e. Summary of Action Items requiring new resourcesSee spreadsheet 4e.

5. Planning process This Compact Plan is based upon consultation, recommendations and specific Action Item proposals from ITD directors and senior staff.

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