The next step in the University of Oregon’s information technology restructuring process, known as Transform IT, will be a campuswide survey of the university’s IT services. The review will guide further progress in the effort to improve IT services at the UO.
Jessie Minton, chief information officer and vice provost of Information Services, recently announced the planned service inventory, which underpins a shift in focus for Transform IT. She said consultations with other campus leaders and previous IT assessments, such as the report by consultant Harvey Blustain, support this approach.
“Previously, we had planned to focus on reworking employee reporting lines first, but as the Blustain report notes, we have IT staff who fill many roles and run multiple services,” Minton wrote. “After careful consideration of the options, I believe that by focusing on all IT services offered on campus, we can better manage service transitions and merge duplicative services where possible.”
Minton offered the example of computer labs. Under the recently completed IT charter, responsibilities for managing two computer labs will shift from UO Libraries to Information Services. Minton explains that she isn’t seeking to change that arrangement. Rather, before making any changes, she would like to review the support and management of computer labs in the university’s academic units as well and consider possible efficiency improvements.
Information Services and UO Libraries are the central units that lead, manage and provide major components of the university’s information technology infrastructure and services.
Before shifting the approach for Transform IT, Minton consulted leaders across campus, including Dean of Libraries Adriene Lim, the Office of the Provost and many of the university’s deans, vice provosts and vice presidents.
The inventory will document all IT services that are currently used and offered throughout the university. Minton plans to form a team of project managers and business analysts to conduct this work. She identified Information Services as the first department whose services would be surveyed, followed by UO Libraries.
Once the service analysis is complete, Transform IT will then reorganize employees and IT resources on a service-by-service basis.
“I am both eager and excited to launch into the next phase of Transform IT,” Minton wrote.
Until the service inventory is complete, Minton intends to maintain the status quo for IT services and employees, including for services that the IT charter specifies will ultimately move from one unit to another.
Minton’s announcement on July 20 was the first in a series of regular updates planned for the Transform IT website. Information Services plans to make additional updates every two weeks.
Anyone with questions or comments about Transform IT is invited to send an email to cio@uoregon.edu.