Click to go to IT strategic plan Web site
March 8, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- How would the University implement a laptop computer requirement for students? How critical is the need for increased numbers of modems for remote dial-up access to the University network? How would a campus-wide data warehouse to centralize institutional information fit into the current computing structure? Can information technology enhance student recruitment?
These are just a few of the topics that could be addressed in a strategic plan to guide the future use of information technology at WMU. Such a plan is now being developed and feedback on the plan draft is needed from members of the University community.
Faculty, staff, students and other members of the extended University community will have an opportunity to provide that feedback by reviewing the text online and responding to a survey that will be on the Web until Wednesday, March 15. The plan draft and survey can be found at <www.wmich.edu/oit-strategic-planning>.
A number of key technology users across the campus also have been invited to provide feedback on the draft during a forum at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 8, in the Bernhard Center. Their comments and the information secured from the Web survey will help determine the final text of the University's IT plan.
The IT strategic plan defines five guiding principles and identifies objectives and strategies to implement those principles. It is intended to identify the University's goals for the utilization of information technology and to guide planning and decision making that will assure those goals are achieved.
The strategic planning process is being done under the direction of Viji Murali, WMU's vice president for information technology. An executive steering committee comprised of all WMU vice presidents and deans is helping to guide the process, which began in January and is slated for a March 31 completion. The plan is intended to be revisited and revised as necessary.
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 616 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu
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