As we approach the end of my first year as CITO, I want to provide you with a status update on some of ITS’ accomplishments this year as well as a sense of our priorities and projects for the near future.

Since our reorganization in January, we have focused internally on building a culture of service excellence, becoming more collaborative, improving communication to campus, and ensuring that we provide a reliable and robust technology infrastructure. We have received positive feedback, both internally and across campus, on our reorganizations and redoubled efforts.

We are investing in project management to deliver results to campus. Keren Fiorenza, IT project manager, is coordinating several high-priority summer projects and designing and implementing a solid project management methodology for the future.

I am also pleased to share with you that Carla Herling is the new IT communications manager. Carla is developing communication plans for all our major summer projects and implementing an overall strategy to ensure that ITS communicates regularly and effectively with campus.

In January, the Drake University Board of Trustees approved a $2 million one-time allocation for a variety of information technology capital improvements. Following this funding, ITS has begun planning and implementing a number of deferred maintenance projects:

• Managed printing—Working with a committee that included broad representation from both faculty and administration, Drake selected Laser Resources Inc. (LRI) as our new managed print vendor. A project team is working with LRI to address many of the challenges identified by the committee and our students, and they will be integrating solutions to improve printing and print accounting as they install new devices across campus.
• Network renewal and updates—ITS is finalizing the plan for wireless network improvements to take place over the summer. Wireless network equipment will be replaced in all residence halls and administrative/academic buildings across campus. Several key components of the wired central campus network are also being replaced.
• Computer standards and renewal/replacement—ITS is working with Deans’ Council and President’s Council to develop consistent, standardized processes for renewal and replacement of campus-owned faculty, staff, lab, and classroom computers. The process includes developing comprehensive inventories and reducing the number of supported machine types by creating standard configurations.
• Classroom technology upgrades—Improvements are planned in Meredith, Olin, Fine Arts Center, and Medbury. Additionally, a substantial technology upgrade is scheduled this summer for Sheslow Auditorium.
• Anti-phishing protection—ITS is also implementing a new system to minimize the potential for ongoing phishing attacks on the University’s email systems. We anticipate this system will substantially reduce (although not completely eliminate) the number of future phishing attacks on the University.

Regular status updates on these and other upcoming projects will be provided in OnCampus and posted on the ITS major projects website page at http://its.drake.edu/major-projects/.

—Chris Gill, Chief Information Technology Officer