Strategic Governance
University-wide IT governance is strategic, focusing on the demand for value delivered and supported by IT services. IT demand governance (what IT should work on) is the process by which organizations ensure the effective evaluation, selection, prioritization, and funding of competing IT investments and resources; oversee their implementation, and extract (measurable) business benefits.
Operational Governance
Strategic IT governance is not concerned with operations. IT operational governance is a parallel process, focusing on delivering and supporting services to stakeholders. It is concerned with ensuring that the IT organization operates in an effective, efficient, and compliant fashion.
| Strategic Governance | Operational Governance |
|---|---|
| What IT works on | How IT works |
| Prioritize and oversee projects | Propose new projects and guide implementation |
| Invest in IT resources | Manage IT resources |
| Authorize policy | Provide input to and comply with policy |
| Define IT service value | Provide direction to IT delivery and support |
IT Governance at WMU
Vision
University-wide IT Governance (ITG) at WMU is an inclusive and transparent process and relied upon practice in which the strategic needs of all stakeholders are considered and represented to evaluate, select, prioritize, and fund technology investments and provide oversight of their implementation and long-term success.
Framework
The WMU ITG framework establishes a simple and effective process, empowering University stakeholders to express strategic needs through representative strategic governance committees. These committees will evaluate current options within the service portfolio, establish and communicate priorities, and initiate projects that will satisfy the outcome. Committee chairs and members will be trained and follow standardized protocols to review requests and facilitate the bi-directional movement of information through the governance process.
Strategic governance committees
Strategic governance committees represent a broad focus area of technology products and services. They evaluate, select, and prioritize competing requests and investments and approve implementation decisions to ensure strategic value is delivered to stakeholders. Committees may delegate decision-making to necessary sub-committees or operational governance committees.
Academic Experience
IT products and services that are learner-focused and impact WMU Goal 1: Academic Excellence, and its key metrics.
Communications Technology
IT products and services that foster strategic, academic, and business communication and impact Goal 2: Community Building and its key metrics.
Data Governance
University data and systems integration policies. Focus on integrity, security access, and equity. Ensure university data systems support key metrics in the WMU Strategic Plan.
Enterprise Business and Operations Systems
IT products and services that support business systems integrated throughout the university. WMU Goals impacted include Community Building, DEI, Internationalization, Sustainability, and Well-being.
Information Security & Privacy
University-wide oversight of applications, services, policies and procedures that control and audit the security and integrity of university data.
Instructional Technology
IT products and services that are instructor-centered and impact WMU Goals: Academic Excellence and its key metrics.
Research Computing
IT products and services that directly support WMU Goal: Research and Creative Scholarship.
Support & User Experience
University-wide oversight of technology support services, communications, accessibility and user experience (UX) design.
Technology Infrastructure
IT products and services that provide the foundation for all other services, including the campus network, data center, and server infrastructure. Focus on impacts on WMU Goal: Sustainability, Research and Creative Scholarship, DEI, and most others.