Coordinating activities to support the IT Strategy

Framing the future of IT in North Carolina

The Division of Information Resources is a key stakeholder in the diverse range of IT issues addressed by government, agencies and organizations in North Carolina. To support this role, the division relies on the director of Special Projects, a staff position, to provide logistical and administrative support for emerging IT issues and initiatives. Activities of the director included:

• Participating in state government IT planning and management groups to ensure efficient implementation of IT initiatives based on best practices, while also recognizing the University's unique environment in providing quality education and services to the citizens of the state.

• Monitoring legislative and special committee actions involving IT policy.

• Representing UNC interests with NC Net, a collaboration among state government entities to apply an enterprise planning and management approach to networking.

• Collaborating with other state agencies in developing recommendations to the Office of State Budget and Management and Joint IT Appropriations Committee on collecting and reporting annual IT expenditures by the state.

• Coordinating production of UNC Links, an e-newsletter that shares IT news from the 16 campuses, state agencies and other organizations.

• Serving as staff to the UNC OP E-Learning Steering Committee in coordinating the e-Learning readiness assessment completed by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Researching and preparing formal responses to IT related inquiries received from external governing bodies.
• Coordinating the collection of campus input for the IT components of the UNC biennium expansion budget request.
• Facilitating IR division contract and procurement procedures to ensure maximum use of limited internal resources.

Strengthening the SAS partnership

In April 2002, SAS and UNC officials expanded their $3 million, five-year partnership originally announced in June 2000. Under the new agreement, SAS is providing faculty with access to Academic Trainer's Kits, an opportunity that will offer students unique exposure to new technology tools in a variety of disciplines. SAS and UNC also held regional professional development programs as part of the SAS inSchool grant and fine-tuned the SAS certificate program for higher education. The SAS inSchool grant also funded a proof of concept for an education data center. The SAS-UNC partnership is estimated to save $445,907 annually in licensing fees.

Update on SAS-UNC partnership activities

On the horizon

• Planning for regional SAS day conferences in Spring 2003 to provide additional insight and awareness of software solutions in the areas of research, teaching and learning, and administrative information systems.

• Development of a campus pilot project for a SAS certificate program within a degree track.

• Collaboration with UNC Division of Finance in addressing UNC compliance with HIPAA standards.

• Partnering with UNC Division of Academic Affairs to address access to UNC programs for North Carolina military personnel.