BOG Strategic Direction #2. "Intellectual Capital Formation: Through high quality and relevant graduate, professional, and undergraduate programs, develop an educated citizenry that will enable North Carolina to flourish."

Many of the initiatives guided by Information Resources are helping the University expand its capacity to respond to the myriad needs for higher education in the state, whether for career development or personal enrichment. While not directly charged with implementing specific strategies to develop intellectual capital, Information Resources provides support for a number of initiatives that are helping North Carolina build an educated citizenry and workforce.

Expanding access through e-Learning

• The efforts of the TLT Collaborative in course management systems, e-Learning pedagogy and support, assessment, web accessibility, and working with libraries serve as a resource for deployment of e-Learning programs and support services across the University.
• The Information Resources division stands ready to assist other divisions in development of procedures that will simplify offering courses to military personnel and their dependents.
• Information Resources continues to work with University School Programs and other UNC Partners in providing course management systems and technical support.

Helping teachers and learners effectively use technology

• The TLT Collaborative, established in 2000 as an integral component of the landmark UNC IT Strategy, identifies and promotes effective practices, common services, and shared resources that lead to effective, learning-centered uses of technology.

Building a reliable, responsive infrastructure

• Networking and Media Services has responsibility for ensuring that the Office of the President and campuses have the infrastructure required to launch new initiatives.
• Networking and Media Services is assisting with development of a disaster recovery plan for the UNC Office of the President and affiliated sites. NMS will identify IT business continuity strategies and alternative recovery solutions and implement the approved plan.
• Networking and Media Services is working working with MCNC and campuses to determine the best use for MCNC floor space formerly occupied by supercomputing resources.
• Networking and Media Services is collaborating with campus representatives to develop and implement a baseline network security plan for UNC's 16 institutions and the Office of the President.
• Networking and Media Services is working to increase awareness of INTERNET2 among the campus, community college, and K-12 communities and to communicate the rollout and appropriate use of NCREN3.

Increasing efficiency through cost savings

• Coordinated Technology Management seeks innovative and effective ways to streamline acquisitions and license and maintenance agreements.
• Information Resources continues its partnership with Finance to develop metrics for measuring efficiency and identifying cost savings opportunities.
• Information Resources continues its assessment of IT fee collection and allocation practices that will guide University policy development.
• Online Services continues to work with other divisions to create a mechanism for the collection of data to measure efficiency and make comparisons against financial benchmarks.

Ensuring timely implementation of the UNC IT Strategy

• Information Resources spearheads implementation of the IT Strategy, which includes campus collaboration on the SCT Banner implementation, data warehousing initiatives, adoption of security and networking baselines, and collaborative purchasing and licensing.
• Information Resources Affairs monitors state and national regulatory actions and trends affecting the use of information technology in higher education.
• Information Resources Affairs coordinates UNC Links, an e-newsletter that keeps campuses informed about UNC IT news, cost-saving initiatives, implementation of the IT Strategy, and statewide news of interest.

Strengthening administrative systems and student services

• The Banner Project, led by the Shared Services Alliance, is streamlining the way the University conducts its daily business affairs, while providing campuses with the back-end technology to strengthen collaborative ventures that conserve time and money, while better serving students.