Information Technology Council

Information Technology Council

Information Technology Services at East Tennessee State University is governed by the Information Technology Council (ITC). ITC consists of faculty, staff, and students.  ITC will oversee the IT governance structure and processes for ETSU.  ITC will also oversee the activities of the governance coordinating subcommittees that are part of this structure.  The subcommittees will provide recommendations regarding strategies, priorities, policies, and standards for campus computing to the ITC and/or the CIO as well as items related to computing, networking, telecommunications, and other technologies that support the ETSU mission. 

The ITC will provide oversight of IT governance and input to the CIO regarding:

The ITC was created in order to implement this process. Chaired by the CIO, ITC membership will include:

• Three (3) faculty members appointed by the CIO and serving 3 year terms.  Terms should be staggered and limited to two (2) consecutive terms. 

• One representative, appointed by the CIO, from each of the following units:

  •  Office of the Provost 

  • Chief Financial Officer

  • Chief Operating Officer

  • VIce President for Student Life and Enrollment

  • Vice President for Advancement

  • Vice President for Clinical Affairs

  • Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

  • Internal Auditor or designee

  • HIPAA Compliance Officer

  • SGA President or designee

  • Faculty Senate Representative

  • MEAC Representative

  • ITS Project Manager

  • ITS Systems Manager

  • ITC Subcommittee Chairs (12)

ITC Standing Subcommittee Chairs

• •  Academic/Instructional Technology Subcommittee

  • Network and Security Subcommittee

  • Enterprise Resource Planning

  • Research Technology Subcommittee

  • Student Advisory Subcommittee

  • Data Governance

Membership on these subcommittees is inclusive of many university constituencies. The topics they consider and recommendations they make to the ITC are considerable and varied. All members of the University community are urged to participate in the process. The Chair of the appropriate subcommittee should be contacted in order to discuss placing an item on the agenda.  ITC meets the third Friday of every month beginning in September.

Technology Fee Regulations

The Technology Fee should be used for direct student benefit, for items such as new and improved high technology laboratories and classrooms, appropriate network, infrastructure, software, computers, and other equipment, and technological improvements that enhance teaching, research, and service.  The following are acceptable uses of technology fee funding: 

1. Computers and other technical laboratory supplies, equipment, software and maintenance

2. Network costs

3. Multi Media classroom equipment and upgrades

4. Student and staff employees.  Staffing is limited to a 12% maximum of the technology fee budget. 

5. Renewal and replacement reserves as necessary for classrooms and laboratories 

6. Approved hardware and software for faculty use when faculty are actively engaged in developing and conducting online courses

7. Faculty and staff development directly related to the introduction or application of new technology that impact students.  These guidelines should have the flexibility to place instructional technology in a faculty lab where course materials are being prepared (Travel costs for faculty and staff are excluded; however, consultants may be hired as needed for training) 

8. Infrastructure necessary to provide students maximum computing capability

9. Expand technology resources across campus

10. Provide support for innovative technology projects if funding is available

Compliance with these guidelines will be audited by the internal audit staff and reported to the ETSU Board of Trustees as determined to be appropriate by the internal auditor.

Charter  

ITC Governance Model

Information Technology Council

1. Statement of Purpose

The primary purpose of the Information Technology Council (ITC) at East Tennessee State University is to ensure alignment of information technology investments, resources, and policies with the strategic goals and priorities of the University.

2. Charge to the Information Technology Council

The Information Technology Council will advise the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in setting strategic priorities and determining the direction for information technologies that support the University’s teaching, research, service, and administrative functions. The council will assist in setting long-range strategic priorities, overseeing the approval of related policies, and supporting the use of information technology within the University.  Reporting to the ITC are six standing subcommittees: (1) Academic/ Instructional Technologies; (2) Security and Networking; (3) Enterprise Resource Planning; (4) Research Technologies; (5) Student Advisory Subcommittee, and (6) Data Governance.   Information Technology Services will participate in all ITC and Subcommittee activities and will coordinate implementation of ITC decisions. 

ITC Goals:

• • Review and approve ITS goals and objectives each year regarding the use of information technology within the University and ensure alignment with the University’s strategic plan;  

  • Review and approve annual operational plans, work plans, and timeframes developed by the Chief Information Officer to guide implementation of ITS goals and objectives; 

  • Review and approve appropriate administrative policies and procedures recommended by the Subcommittees; 

  • Ensure approved ITC policies are routed through the appropriate University approval process.  ITC policies can be approved by (1) University Council, or (2) the President;

  • Resolve information technology issues referred to the ITC from Subcommittees and members, and communicate decisions to service customers; 

  • Identify IT security risks and procedures for effective, appropriate management of these risks; 

  • Set priorities for information technology endeavors; 

  • Ensure an annual evaluation of the institutional effectiveness in implementing the information technology goals and objectives; and 

  • Provide guidance to Information Technology Services on the implementation of ITC decisions.

3. Authority

The ITC has the authority to execute strategic, operational, planning, technical, and policy decisions, as well as exceptions to decisions from any ITC subcommittee.  The ITC is accountable to the ETSU community.

4. Membership

• Three (3) faculty members appointed by the CIO and serving 3 year terms. Terms should be staggered and limited to two (2) consecutive terms.

• One representative, appointed by the CIO, from each of the following units:

  • Office of the Provost

  • Chief Financial Officer

  • Chief Operating Officer

  • Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment

  • Vice President for Advancement

  • Vice President for Clinical Affairs

  • Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

  • Internal Auditor or designee

  • HIPAA Compliance Officer

  • SGA President or designee

  • Faculty Senate Representative

  • MEAC Representative

  • ITS Project Manager

  • ITS Systems Manager

  • ITC Subcommittee Chairs (12)

5. General Subcommittee Procedures

The CIO will appoint an ex-officio Co-Chair to staff each Subcommittee, and each Subcommittee will have a Co-Chair from the committee membership appointed by the CIO. Each Subcommittee will research and analyze functional topics related to the University and present their recommendations as Formal Motions to ITC for approval and integration. Subcommittee Co-Chairs will serve as voting members on ITC.  The goals of the subcommittees should include: 

• • Bring motions related to functional issues and policies from the Subcommittee to ITC

  • Analyze University needs related to the functional area of the Subcommittee and identify incomplete servicesor changes required

  • Recommend priorities for information technology initiatives

  • Communicate technology processes and policies to faculty, staff, and studentsas defined in the ITS Communication Plan

  • Carry out an annual evaluation of effectiveness for each functional area
 


  • Provide objective feedback to ITS regarding performance
 



General Subcommittee Responsibilities 

• • Subcommittee Activities – Support for the activities of the subcommittee will be co-chaired by a person designated by the CIO.  The CIO will assist the committee upon request by the subcommittee chair.

  • Meeting Structure – The co-chairs for each subcommittee will collect agenda items and circulate those items in advance of each meeting to ensure informed discussions of scheduled topics.

  • Meeting frequency –  The subcommittee will determine the meeting scheduled based on needs related to current activities,but each subcommittee must meet at least once per month with the exception of the Student Advisory Subcommittee, which will meet once per semester.

  • Documentation of proceedings – All meetings shall have notes of discussion, recommendations, and action items stored in a subfolder of the ITC Teams site and published to the ITC website. 

  • Specific responsibilities for each subcommittee are identified in the functional section below.

6. Functional Governance

1. Academic/Instructional Technology Subcommittee

a. Charge

The Academic and Instructional Technology Subcommittee is charged with providing guidance and input on current academic computing issues, building the vision for optimizing technology integration in both the physical and virtual classroom, and improving teaching and learning through the expanded use of technology.  The goals of the subcommittee are to provide updated and cost-effective classroom technology and encourage the development and maintenance of technology skills for faculty and staff through training and support.  This subcommittee will provide recommendations for annual academic project priorities and monthly reports to ITC.  Meeting minutes including notes of discussion, recommendations, and action items will be posted to the ITC website each month.

b. Authority

This subcommittee serves an advisory role to the ITC and reports to the CIO and chair of the ITC.

c. Membership

i. Voting:

1. Chair appointed by CIO

2. College of Arts and Sciences

3. College of Business and Technology

4. College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences

5. Clemmer College of Education and Human Development

6. College of Graduate and Continuing Studies

7. Quillen College of Medicine

8. College of Nursing

9. Gatton College of Pharmacy

10. College of Public Health

11. University Libraries

ii. Ex-officio, non-voting 

1. Co-Chair, Associate CIO/Chief of Staff

2. Academic Technology Services Director

3. Special Projects Manager

d. Meeting Frequency

i. Once per month

e. Membership Responsibilities

i. Receives suggestions, inquiries, and proposals from faculty and staff peers to identify opportunities in which technology could benefit teaching, research, and service

ii. Optimize the design, delivery, and operation of the university’s learning management system and provide guidance on recommended changes. 

iii. Provide input in establishing academic and instructional technology priorities

iv. Provide feedback to the subcommittee regarding IT performance

v. Speak with students to identify opportunities for technology to improve the student experience

vi. Communicate subcommittee initiatives and activities to academic departments and/or administrative units

vii. The subcommittee will submit a written report of its activities monthly to ITC, including any formal recommendations

2. Network and Security Subcommittee

a. Charge

The Network and Security subcommittee will advise ITC regarding network infrastructure, information security risk management, and any policies related to network and security. The subcommittee will advise ITC on policies, standards, procedures, and priorities related to technology infrastructure. The subcommittee also reviews all new building projects and renovations related to technology infrastructure. 

b. Authority

This subcommittee serves an advisory role to the ITC and reports to the CIO and chair of the ITC.

c. Membership

i. Voting

1. Chair appointed by CIO

2. University Libraries

3. Student Life and Enrollment

4. Office of Planning and Decision Support

5. Internal Audit

6. HIPAA Compliance

7. Financial Services

8. Human Resources

ii. Ex-officio, non-voting

1. Information Systems

2. Networking

3. Enterprise Software Services

4. Security 

5. Assistant CIO, co-chair

6. Director of Security and Research

d. Membership Responsibilities

i. Identify various ways in which awareness of information technology security issues can be increased

ii. Review intrusion detection and penetration testing reports annually

iii. Prioritize security roadmap and add items when necessary

iv. Recommend security technology strategies

v. Make recommendations to coordinate campus-wide standards and architecture related to networking, telecommunications, security, and interconnectivity.  

vi. Make recommendations related to network design and bandwidth utilization, prioritization of projects, and security.  

vii. Recommend appropriate information security policies and standards

viii. Communicate subcommittee initiatives and activities to academic departments and/or administrative units

ix. The subcommittee will submit a written report of its activities monthly to ITC, including any formal recommendations

e. Meeting Frequency

i. Once per month

3. Enterprise Resource Planning

a. Charge

The Enterprise Resource Planning subcommittee provides strategic oversight for core administrative information systems across the University.  The subcommittee will advise ITC concerning the collection, maintenance, and utilization of administrative information along with related systems, procedures, policies, priorities, and business processes.

b. Authority

This subcommittee serves an advisory role to the ITC and reports to the CIO and chair of the ITC.

c. Membership

i. Voting

1. Chair, appointed by CIO

2. Undergraduate Admissions and Records

3. Financial Aid

4. Student Advisement

5. Graduate Admissions and Records

6. College of Medicine Student System

7. College of Pharmacy Student system

8. Accounts Receivable

9. Human Resources

10. Alumni Development System

ii. Ex-officio, non-voting

1. Co-chair, Assistant CIO

2. Senior DevOps Architect

d. Membership Responsibilities

i. Prioritize competing ERP resource demands and present to ITC if necessary

ii. Establish priorities and sequencing for development and integration initiatives

iii. Optimize the design, delivery, and operation of the ERP system

iv. Provide recommendations to ITC for changes in the ERP system

v. Ensure the safety, privacy, and integrity of data

vi. Recommend modifications to administrative systems to anticipate and satisfy current and future demands of the University

vii. Communicate subcommittee initiatives and activities to academic departments and/or administrative units

viii. The subcommittee will submit a written report of its activities monthly to ITC, including any formal recommendations

e. Meeting Frequency

i. Once per month

4. Research Technology Subcommittee

a. Charge

Responsible for ETSU research computing platforms, storage standards for research data, faculty support for research computing and cloud computing. The Research Technology subcommittee considers enterprise technologies that align with the University’s priorities and make appropriate recommendations to ITC.  

b. Authority

This subcommittee serves an advisory role to the ITC and reports to the CIO and chair of the ITC.

c. Membership

i. Voting

1. Chair, appointed by CIO

2. Researcher in natural sciences

3. Researcher in social sciences

4. Researcher in computational and engineering sciences

5. Researcher in human health disciplines

6. Researcher in humanities

7. Research Advisory Council representative

ii. Ex-officio, non-voting

1. Co-chair, Director of Research Computing

d. Membership Responsibilities

i. Communicate subcommittee initiatives and activities to academic departments and/or administrative units

ii. Provide direction for research technology services and support

iii. Identify partnerships and opportunities for collaboration across all disciplines

iv. Evaluate research technology services and support and make recommendations to meet the current and emerging needs of the ETSU research community.  

v. Evaluate and recommend new research technologies 

vi. The subcommittee will submit a written report of its activities monthly to ITC, including any formal recommendations

e. Meeting Frequency

         i. Once per month

3. Student Advisory Subcommittee

a. Charge

The student advisory subcommittee will focus on the student experience and provide guidance on technology that will support the student experience throughout the student lifecycle.  This subcommittee will provide feedback and advice to ITC regarding technology needs from the student perspective.

b. Authority

This subcommittee serves an advisory role to the ITC and reports to the CIO and chair of the ITC.

c. Membership

i. Voting

1. Chair, appointed by the CIO

2. SGA representative

3. Undergraduate admissions student representative

4. Graduate admissions student representative

5. Student Life and Enrollment student representative

6. Three (3) students appointed by the CIO

ii. Ex-officio, non-voting

1. Co-chair, Help Desk Manager

d. Membership Responsibilities

i. Recommend technology strategies to improve the student experience 

ii. Prioritize IT initiatives and make recommendations to ITC

iii. Communicate subcommittee initiatives and activities to student organizations and groups

iv. The subcommittee will submit a written report of its activities monthly to ITC each semester, including any formal recommendations

e. Meeting Frequency

i. Once each semester

4. Data Governance

a. Charge

The Data Governance Subcommittee is responsible for defining and managing implementation of the policies and procedures for the data governance and management functions ETSU. The Data Governance Subcommittee will advise ITC regarding the collection, maintenance, and utilization of cross-divisional data in the enterprise resource planning system. The Data Governance Subcommittee will also record and maintain documentation as related to data standards and serve as a resource in addressing system requests related to institutional data standards.

b. Authority

This subcommittee serves an advisory role to the ITC and reports to the CIO and chair of the ITC.

c. Membership

i. Voting

1. Chair, appointed by the CIO

2. Registrar representative

3. Human Resources representative

4. Finance representative

5. Advancement representative

6. College of Medicine representative

7. College of Pharmacy representative

8. Financial Aid representative

ii. Ex-officio, non-voting

1. Co-chair, senior DevOps Architect

d. Membership Responsibilities

i. Prioritize issues identified by the Data Governance Subcommittee or submitted to the Subcommittee for consideration from ITC

ii. Approve data definitions and data quality

iii. Develop and implement data management policies, standards, guidelines, and operating procedures related to university data assets

iv. Recommend methods for assessing data management value and risk

v. Explore the use of data to promote data driven decision making

vi. Recommend a framework for the ethical use of data across campus and provide direction on requests from third parties for institutional data 

vii. Communicate subcommittee initiatives and activities to academic departments and/or administrative units

viii. The subcommittee will submit a written report of its activities monthly to ITC, including any formal recommendations

e. Meeting Frequency

i. Once per month

Project Portfolio Management

The primary responsibility for the Project Management Office is to manage and control project constraints by ensuring project plans are implemented on schedule as well as within scope and budget.  Project management leadership is responsible for establishing and implementing best practices for the benefit of ETSU in a way that encourages collaboration, standardization, and overall improvement in our educational community. 

PPO Objectives

• Utilize the proper methodologies and best practice standards to ensure successful completion of all ITS projects

• Manage the ITS project portfolio

• Keep ETSU leadership and the project community informed

• Serve as consultant to the ETSU community on ITS Project Management practices

• Build project management maturity at the organizational level

Project Intake Process

The intake phase of the project management life cycle is the methodology followed to request approval for a project.  This intake process determines whether a new project idea or a proposal to enhance or replace an existing service is aligned with the University’s strategic initiatives, ensures the project is approved for implementation, and determines how the project is to be prioritized within current project portfolios. 

A project is defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken by or on behalf of ETSU that: 

• Has a clearly defined beginning and ending date;

• Provides tangible and unique technology products or services; 

• Fulfills a defined business objective to substantially improve business processes for a department or aligns with the university’s strategic goals

• Incorporates significant changes to the technology architecture through new or existing systems.  Note:  A change request is not defined as a project.  It is a modification requested for product or service already in use. 

By involving Information Technology Services early in your technology decision-making process, ITS can assist you in finding the most effective way of integrating the technology, system, product, or services into the project initiative.  It is important that you contact us early on in your decision-making process for technology product, systems, and service implementation.  In involving ITS up front in software, hardware, or services selection, it will allow ITS to assist in determining the best IT solutions for your needs.  ITS will provide a technical resource capable of representing the interest of the campus in evaluating system capabilities, determining if systems are already in use on campus that may be worth exploring, and guiding decisions to fit into the technical capabilities ITS is able to support.  We will also work in collaboration with legal and procurement for securing the appropriate product, services, or technology. 

https://etsu.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2304/Portal/Home/

As of June 1, 2021, a new process requires all IT project proposals be submitted through the IT project Intake Process for review.  Vendors are also required to complete the HECVAT as part of a security review for any new software or systems required for the project.  This process enables the project proposers to be aware of existing IT projects, enables tracking of current and future projects to determine resources required to meet the needs of the University. Projects must have a funding source.

Project Management Scoring 

Project Prioritization Matrix Worksheet 

Instructions: Place a X in the box under Project for any line item impacted by the project. Then add the total points for weighted score.

Definitions:

Project Management Flowchart

Communication

Subcommittee co-chairs will provide their monthly meeting minutes to the ITS Office Manager in advance of the monthly ITC meeting. The ITS Office Manager will share ITC minutes with subcommittee co-chairs. The co-chairs for each subcommittee are responsible for sharing ITC minutes and communicating decisions to their respective subcommittees. ITC decisions and actions that require a change in activity or affect a significant portion of the university population will be communicated through broad distribution channels such as the ETSU News email or ETSU digital signage. 

Information Technology Council messages utilize the following process:

• ITS leadership crafts the message

• CIO (or designee) reviews and authorizes the message for broadcast

• Approved final message is copied to the its@etsu.edu and helpdesk@etsu.edu email addresses

• Final message is sent to University Marketing and Communications and/or Faculty/Staff listserv for broad distribution

• Significant changes that affect the student population will be communicated through University Marketing and Communications and/or the Student listserv as well as ETSU digital signage displays

Minutes

2023 Minutes

• January 20, 2023
• May 5, 2023
• June 16, 2023
• August 18, 2023

2022 Minutes

• March 1, 2022
• May 3, 2022
  
  
  
• September 23, 2022
• November 18, 2022 
• December 16, 2022

2021 Minutes

• January 5, 2021
• February 8, 2021
• March 2, 2021
• May 4, 2021
• August 3, 2021
• September 21, 2021
• October 5, 2021
• November 9, 2021
• December 7, 2021

2020 Minutes

• April 7, 2020
• May 5, 2020
• November 3, 2020

2019 Minutes

• February 5, 2019
• March 5, 2019
• June 4, 2019
• August 6, 2019
• October 8, 2019
• November 5, 2019
• December 3, 2019

2018 Minutes

• December 4, 2018
• October 2, 2018
• September 4, 2018
• August 7, 2018
• June 5, 2018
• May 1, 2018
• April 3, 2018
• February 6, 2018

2017 Minutes

• December 5, 2017
• October 3, 2017
• September 5, 2017
• August 3, 2017