2016-2021 Information Services Strategic Technology Plan

Missouri State’s information technology enterprise architecture and support services are robust, but technologies and our university community’s expectations continue to change rapidly. Missouri State constituents, potential students, faculty, and staff will evaluate us, in part, by the level of technology infused into the institution and the way those technologies are used. We must be prepared to meet our community’s expectations by providing state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and quality support services in Springfield, West Plains, Mountain Grove, and all remote locations contained within our Missouri State University System.

The university makes significant annual investments in its technology infrastructure, tools, services, and support personnel. Because of the pace of change, most information technologies must be replaced or upgraded on a relatively frequent basis. Future economies and possible budget constraints place even more importance on efficient use of our dollars through leveraging existing assets, enhancing IT procurement processes, pursuing indirect funding opportunities, and continuing to collaborate with our students to ensure effective use of their computer usage fees.

Missouri State is well positioned for the future, eager to explore what is possible, and prepared to implement emerging technologies and services in support of the university’s long-range plans.

Missouri State’s Strategic Information Technology Plan has five goals:

Maintain the university’s technology infrastructure at the level required to ensure reliable and secure delivery of services and technologies.
Develop the university’s administrative systems which serve as the foundation for effective and efficient business execution.
Support academic programs and the learning community through the application of established and emerging technologies, and the provision of quality support services.
Ensure comprehensive policies and procedures for information security, regulatory mandates, and disaster recovery are regularly evaluated and effectively executed.
Provide quality communication, support, and professional development opportunities to increase employee productivity and enhance customer service.

Maintain the university’s technology infrastructure at the level required to ensure reliable and secure delivery of services and technologies.

Missouri State depends on its technology infrastructure for the foundation upon which we provide the majority of services that support learning, research, and business processes. As requirements continue to expand, this infrastructure must increase in speed, breadth, and capacity to ensure reliable and secure delivery of services and technologies. In support of this goal, we will:

Focus on upgrades for key areas within the technology infrastructure that are nearing the end of their life cycle—existing computing, networking, and telecommunications systems.
Initiate phase one of project to implement expanded use of network segmentation to separate servers containing sensitive information within Missouri State’s networks.
Continue the expansion of the university’s wireless network.
Strengthen safety and security for the campus community with enhanced video surveillance, electronic door access, and panic buttons.
Complete transition to the new ERP computing infrastructure.

Develop the university’s administrative systems which serve as the foundation for effective and efficient business execution.

Missouri State University recently completed the first phase of a successful transition to a new version of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) “Banner” system that serves as the university’s core administrative business system. In support of this goal, we will:

Complete all phases of the project to upgrade the university’s ERP – Banner administrative software to version 9.
Make additional services available online through the continued development of self-service applications accessible from a variety of mobile devices.
Reduce paper-driven processes and improve efficiency by expanding the use of electronic workflow and document management systems.
De-identify personally identifiable information contained in development systems.
Implement a customer relationship management (CRM) system to better recruit undergraduate and graduate students.
Replace existing classroom scheduling system (R-25) with a more robust event management system (EMS).

Support academic programs and the learning community through the application of established and emerging technologies, and the provision of quality support services.

Missouri State must be selective in considering where to create and how to best use technology-rich learning environments. Not every learning environment requires technology. The university will focus on two major emphases to support this goal--the systematic upgrade of physical learning environments, and increased utilization of the Internet. To best leverage our technologies for our learning community we will:

Standardize classroom technologies to enhance ease of use, encourage collaboration, increase serviceability, improve security, and minimize total cost.
Support the increasing number of courses and degrees available through online, blended, and distance education delivery methods by enhancing the university’s learning management system and integrating it more fully into administrative systems.
Enhance the ability to access and distribute digital content.
Improve learning management system support by expanding the role distributed IT staff have in supporting faculty members.
Promote the effective use of instructional technologies through professional development opportunities offered by Computer Services, IT Services, and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Ensure comprehensive policies and procedures for information security, regulatory mandates, and disaster recovery are regularly evaluated and effectively executed.

Missouri State’s information security program encompasses internet access, campus networks, file servers, personal computers, and all individuals using the university’s systems. We will emphasize improved communication and provide quality professional development opportunities to better engage, inform, and educate our university community about information security best practices. The university will continue to proactively use state-of-the-art techniques and standardized risk management processes to monitor and evaluate risks and prioritize resolutions. We will focus on improving the comprehensive disaster recovery plan and ensure compliance with legal mandates. In support of this goal, we will:

Update the Information Security Awareness Training program, focusing on delivering relevant, role-specific information on existing and emerging threats to faculty, staff and students.
Pilot a multi-factor authentication program, with initial focus on requiring a second authentication factor for access to Highly Restricted university information.
Conduct an exercise to evaluate the effectiveness of the Core Information Systems and Services Disaster Recovery Plan, and incorporate lessons learned into an updated plan.
Conduct a review of regulatory mandates relevant to Missouri State with information security components to ensure the completion of required compliance activities.

Provide quality communication, support, and professional development opportunities to increase employee productivity and enhance customer service.

Missouri State recognizes the importance of effective communication, ongoing professional development, and quality support services for our university community. To achieve the maximum return on our technology investment, we will train faculty, staff, and students in the effective use of administrative computer systems, instructional technologies, information security-related issues, and emerging technologies. To this end we will:

Increase the technical training opportunities available for faculty, staff, and students.
Support the services and technologies available in the Learning Commons to enhance student retention initiatives.
Optimize the "federal model" of technical support, consisting of:
- Centralized staff offering core support for institution-wide technologies.
- Distributed staff offering support for discipline-specific technologies.
Maintain the plethora of services offered via the open-access labs that will continue to be the delivery point for many of the technology-related support services.