Strategic Roadmap

OIT (Office of Information Technology) Strategic Service Roadmaps 2023 - 2027

Introduction

Change may be a constant in the IT (Information Technology) world, but that does not mean it should be a surprise. Service Roadmaps are the OIT’s way of letting the Indiana State University community know what we are working on, and what we expect to be working on in the coming months and years. In addition to informing the campus community, our roadmaps are used annually as we determine our budget for the fiscal year and when requesting funds for enhancing our services.  The information contained in this public document is a summary.  If you are an existing employee or student, and would like to learn more about our roadmap activities please contact the Indiana State University Office of Information Technology via electronic mail at: it-help@866905.com 

Support for the university strategic plan is paramount. OIT strives to link its efforts to the following goals defined in the university strategic plan; 1) Advance our commitment to equity and inclusive excellence 2) Expand student pathways and access to higher education and increase student success/completion 3) Engage internal and external partners to deepen student learning, address community challenges, and meet the needs of the state of Indiana and beyond 4) Ensure institutional sustainability and 5) Enhance institutional reputation and pride.

The Office of Information Technology mission is to supply the technology services and tools that Indiana State University stakeholders need to carry out the University’s mission and vision.

OIT professionals work collaboratively with all constituencies to provide a technical foundation that enables achievement in teaching, learning, research, and community engagement within the state of Indiana and beyond.

The Core Values Required of OIT staff are honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect for all people.

Indiana State University Office of Information Technology’s strategic service roadmap and planning update is designed to serve three purposes.  First, by linking to the university strategic plan it communicates the university’s strategic goals to its staff and client partners.  Second, it provides information for university client partners as they develop their plans and permits them to align with OIT’s strategic philosophy and technical direction. Third, the strategic roadmap and plan conveys OIT strategies recognizing the challenges of supporting a large enterprise technology environment with limited staff and funding.

The Office of Information Technology efforts are intended to promote a resilient, connected community adhering to the following key elements:

• Leverage - Digital tools to advance strategic direction, increase competitive advantage, and prepare for multiple scenarios
• Enhance – Capabilities and update metrics to prove impact
• Ensure - Responsive, professional tech support and reliable, secure systems
• Partner – Optimize strategic outcomes, explore opportunities to increase enrollment, and personalize the student experience

Desired end state (Overview)

First and foremost, the future desired end state for information technology’s people, processes and systems at Indiana State University should support institutional goals centered around faculty, student and staff success that facilitate efficient processes that maximize university resources. Technology will always be driven by academic and business processes and the university mission.  The section below lists some aspirational goals OIT endeavors to complete within the next 5 years.

• Digital transformation.  
• Five years from now, the university will have transformed elements of either academic or business processes.  The OIT will have the technology in place and offices throughout campus will automate processes which will provide the impetus for shifts in institutional culture, workforce and technology leading to enhanced education, improved student success, and streamlined administration.
• University wide use of artificial intelligence tools/platforms.
• When fully mature, identity and access management systems will facilitate seamless and secure access to all on-premises and cloud-based systems used by the university. This will be done with extraordinarily little human intervention by IT (Information Technology) systems staff because “person roles” will be identified by data gathered and managed by either ISU (Indiana State University) Human Resources or the Office of Registrar. This data, originating in an authoritative system such as Banner will propagate to downstream systems with roles/entitlements already defined and least privileged and necessary access permitted. Lifecycle and governance will be predetermined and automated, directories will be federated when necessary to accommodate access to peer systems and accomplished via single sign on with multifactor authentication by default.  
• Network access will be an integration of technologies and methodologies necessary for the Zero Trust model.  Users and systems must be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration and posture before being granted or keeping access to networks, applications, and data. 
• Data ecosystems will be modernized and, when applicable, data will be democratized enabling more data driven decision making.
• Staffing consistent with peer institutions that includes some dedicated project management responsibilities up to one full-time equivalency.  Reduce or eliminate technical debt so that technical expertise and responsibilities are more equitably distributed throughout the OIT.
• In 5 years, all paper forms are eliminated, within the bounds of regulatory compliance concerns, and process automation is a first pass assumption.
• The OIT will have the support necessary to keep all systems current and maximize use for all our client partners including adequate funding that will permit timely upgrades of applications and infrastructure.
• The OIT will reach level 3 of the ITSM maturity model – University-wide standards will provide guidance across all services.