1. Support the instructional mission of the University
   • Create and maintain IT facilities
   • Provide IT tools
   • Enhance IT instructional services
2. Provide the core services for the University IT infrastructure
   • Support the campus network
   • Provide primary communications systems
   • Support core information services
3. Provide excellent customer service
4. Develop the human resources within our organization
5. Support the operations and continual improvement of the institution
6. Encourage efficient use of computing and networking among departments

Over the past year, Computer Services has made significant major contributions to the University, including the following:

1. Improved University infrastructure and core technologies
2. Provided Information Technology training to more than 1400 participants in more than 30 instructor-led topics. Provided alternative training methods such as Web-based and video instruction.
3. Supported academic initiatives through implementation of the Blackboard instructional system and the new student e-mail system.
4. Improved access to information through the implementation of a Web-based Data Warehouse to facilitate reporting and analysis for financial, HR/Payroll and student information.
5. Enhanced the University Web presence through additions to VIP for students and faculty, plus the implementation of a Web-based library catalog.
6. Enhanced administrative systems, including the implementation of the JSI Millennium fundraising software and the DARS transfer/advisement/degree audit system.
7. Provided customer support for hardware and software.

With the advancement of technology over the past decade, Computer Services is having difficulty maintaining the current hardware and software systems at the level required to support a major research institution. Lack of funding has a significant influence on the perceived quality and reputation of the services provided. In fact, the Computer Services general operating fund budget is actually less now ($13,473,087) than it was in 1989 ($14,342,117) and is not comparable to the budgets of our peer institutions. With the SACS self-study focusing on Information Technology, these budget problems need to be addressed. Enhanced Information Technology systems are paramount but difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish with the current funding level.
Computer Services must provide an environment where we can attract and retain top quality technical staff. This environment includes rewards for performance such as salary incentives, seminars, and professional development.

 

1. Strategic Goal Progress
   Computer Services has made progress on 2000-2001 strategic goals as follows:
   1. Support the instructional mission of the University
      • Create and maintain IT facilities
      • Provide IT tools
      • Enhance IT instructional services
      1. Computer Services has provided IT to meet the IT needs of students, faculty and staff. More than 1400 faculty, staff and students participated in the instructor-led training programs which offered over 30 topics. New courses were added based on demand, and courses were rewritten when necessary. Success was assessed through student evaluations and online feedback.
      2. Computer Services has offered licensing arrangements from multiple vendors for supported software to reduce costs and facilitate acquisition of these products. Needs were assessed based on feedback from faculty, staff and students.
      3. The BlackBoard course development software has been supported both in the area of systems operations and support to faculty and students. Approximately 1000 courses were taught using the Blackboard product each semester of this academic year, with over 500 faculty participating and 8000-10,000 students enrolled. Successful implementation was demonstrated as the number of trouble calls decreased and more faculty began using the system.
      4. The web-based Student E-mail system was implemented and integrated with the authentication system. All USC students were assigned accounts and 14,000 pieces of mail were handled on a daily basis. The increasing number of students using the system and the absence of system failure was evidence of success. Feedback from students was used to update and augment documentation and the user interface.
   2. Provide the core services for the University IT infrastructure
      • Support the campus network
      • Provide primary communications systems
      • Support core information services
      1. Computer Services developed and deployed a Web-based Data Warehouse to allow faculty and staff to view information, analyze data and conduct long-term planning. Ten years of financial summary data was loaded along with two years of transaction detail. Current and future phases will load Human Resources, Payroll and Student information. More than 500 users were trained and indicated overall satisfaction. Feedback gathered from user groups was used to add additional reports and options.
      2. The University Network infrastructure was enhanced to increase reliability and performance. Currently there are more than 15,400 network stations attached to the University network. The 1GB backbone network was expanded to include 97% of the University buildings with plans to complete the expansion when funding is provided. Seventy-five percent of the campus is now 100MB switched to the desktop. The Network cache engine was installed which significantly improved Internet access. The bandwidth for the commodity Internet was increased the InfoAve to improve Internet access.
      3. Computer Services provided standardized, functional, feature rich telephone service to more than 16,000 faculty, staff and students. A new extended telephone network was added for the Lancaster campus. The software for the G3 telephone switch was upgraded. Success will be measured by a 99.999% reliability.
      4. Groupwise e-mail - To increase availability and scalability and to lower cost of ownership, Novell's clustering software in a Storage Area Network (SAN) was installed. The gateways for Internet email, web access, POP/IMAP were load balanced across several servers to provide stability. The Groupwise Management Team (GMT) consisting of representation for academic and administrative departments was established to optimize the performance of GroupWise and facilitate communication and understanding. Training courses were updated based on feedback from the GMT incorporate more specific instructions on archiving email, web mail and other frequently asked questions received from GW users.
      5. The University Web presence was enhanced through the VIP system that allows students, faculty and staff to conduct business and access information via the Web. Faculty access to student information and the housing application were among a few of the enhancements made during the current year. VIP usage increased to 89% in Spring 2001 and The Junior and Senior Student Survey, which was conducted by Student Affairs in the Spring of 2000, indicated that VIP was the number one service in satisfaction rating.
      6. WebPac was implemented to provide Web access to the University library catalog. Feedback collected indicates that access to University library holdings has improved.
      7. Computer Services, working with a cross-functional team consisting of staff members from Alumni, Development, Special Events and President's Office, implemented the JSI Millennium software system to manage fund-raising activities for the University. System enhancements were made based on feedback from the departments. The use of cubes in the Data Warehouse will be investigated as an alternative method of access.
      8. Computer Services, working with Payroll, Graduate School, Financial Aid and International Programs for Students, implemented the Automated Student Hires system to reduce paperwork, increase efficiency, and accelerate the student hiring process. Currently, Columbia and all the regional campuses are using the system for all student hiring. Enhancements are made based on feedback from the user offices.
      9. Working with central offices and academic departments, Computer Services has implemented the DARS software for transfer, advisement and degree audit. Feedback from the departments will be used to determine whether improvements need to be made with DARS encoding or through improvements in interface design. The working team meetings will also be used to gain insight on how best to train departmental staff in the use of DARS and to evaluate written instruction manuals. The software will be deployed to all academic departments over the next two years.
      10. Computer Services has implemented the Receipt System to provide University offices a method of collecting payments via credit card through VIP for services not associated with Accounts Receivable. The new student housing application was implemented as the pilot project. The statistics thus far indicate that more students have applied for campus housing this year than in the past. Additional applications will be added based on requests from departments and will be prioritized based on available resources.
   3. Provide excellent customer service
      1. Computer Services has provided IT applications support and consulting to faculty, staff and students, answering more than 300 support calls daily during peak periods. Two new academic initiatives were implemented, including BlackBoard course development software and the Student e-mail system. Success was assessed through automated support ticket logs, turnaround time, appropriateness of responses and online feedback.
      2. In addition to routine support activities, academic resources support was provided for two new academic initiatives: BlackBoard and Student E-mail. Quality of support was assessed based on logs of requests, turnaround on requests and appropriateness of responses.
      3. The Desktop Support group provides hardware and software support to more than 1500 workstations directly and 1000 additional workstations indirectly. In addition, Desktop Support provides hardware and software support for 82 file servers directly and 60 additional file servers indirectly. Customer feedback has been positive, and feedback reports and technician load requirements are reviewed in a daily meeting to improve service.
   4. Develop the human resources within our organization.
      1. Computer Services staff members participated in various professional development training courses and conferences.
   5. Support the operations and continual improvement of the Institution
      1. The "One Stop Shop" system was developed to facilitate sharing of information between central campus offices to improve customer services to students and parents. The categories of student information shared between departments included registration, fees, admissions, financial aid and housing. Feedback collected from user offices indicated a high degree of satisfaction. Feedback from the participating offices and the Registrar's Office were used to enhance the system.
      2. The Computer Services Business Office Billing system was developed to allow for the recovery of costs from administrative and academic units for monthly service on pager and cellular customers. As a result of this implementation, Computer Services will examine the feasibility of standardizing pager and cellular service, identifying ways for administrative and academic units to request pager and cellular service electronically and view the status of their request on-line.
      3. All microfiche, except those required by State Archives or the Controller's Office which were outsourced to an outside vendor, were converted to online viewing using OnDemand. Feedback from the user community indicated that this provided a much easier method of accessing the information.
      4. Computer Services converted printed mainframe output to OnDemand online viewing. As of February 2001, 1316 reports have been added, and printing has been discontinued on more than 700. This will reduce costs associated with paper, printers and distribution. Responses to survey questions indicate an overall level of satisfaction.
      5. Security of the USC network was enhanced through the firewall policy. Computer Services worked with the FBI and USC Police on security issues. Feedback from network managers and student chat lines was used to measure success.
   6. Encourage efficient use of computing and networking among departments
      1. Computer Services maintains LISTSERV lists for over 1200 courses, committees and research topics.
      2. The Network Manager's meeting, which is hosted by Computer Services monthly, is a forum for discussions related to networking, communications and applications. Teams are formed for University initiatives, such as NDS and authentication, to build consensus and set priorities.
      3. The Computer Services IT Bulletin is published monthly and provides information on policies and procedures, training, support, IT projects and technology updates.
2. Changes in Goals
   Many of the goals established for the current year were not accomplished because of lack of funding.
3. Significant Changes
   Dr. Bill Hogue joined the University in September 2000 as Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. In December 2000, the leadership of Computer Services also changed. The planning process for this year, as well as the assessment plans for the current year, will be goal oriented rather than project oriented. The strategic goals of Computer Services have been rewritten in more concise form to support the mission of the University.

1. Support the instructional mission of the University
   • Create and maintain IT facilities
   • Provide IT tools
   • Enhance IT instructional services
   1. Support the hardware and operating systems required for the BlackBoard course development software. Provide support to faculty and students through the help line for questions and problems. Coordinate support for the faculty with DEIS (particularly on access issues and student access problems). Prepare and maintain documentation on the authentication process, access procedures, software bugs and workarounds. Success will be demonstrated by the number of courses included, the number of faculty participating and the number of trouble calls received.
   2. Provide IT training at the appropriate level and via various methods of delivery to meet the IT needs of student, faculty and staff. Instructor-led training will be appropriate for participants' needs and effectively presented. Web-based and video training in appropriate topics will be available as an alternative training opportunity. Student evaluations will be used to improve instruction and determine new courses to add to the curriculum.
   3. Provide easy and economic acquisition of supported software applications and operating systems to reduce costs and ease of access. Software licenses will be evaluated to determine demand, and input from University IT committees and IT management will be solicited.
   4. Support the hardware and operating systems required for the Student E-mail software. Provide support to students on both the e-mail system and authentication. The increasing number of students using the system, absence of system failure and number of pieces of email will be used to assess the success of the software. Feedback from students will be used to update and augment documentation and the user interface.
2. Provide the core services for the University IT infrastructure
   • Support the campus network
   • Provide primary communications systems
   • Support core information services
   1. Support the University network infrastructure and improve stability, reliability and performance. Upgrade 100% of University backbone network to 1GB. Obtain a redundant Internet service provider. Install uninterruptible power supply for all core network equipment. Replace all token ring with Ethernet and upgrade the routing protocol. Bandwidth should be available on demand. Upgrade the firewall for both external and internal security. Success will be measured by system downtime and feedback from the network managers and input from the students.
   2. Replace G2 telephone switch to ensure telephone communication for the University following discontinuation of vendor maintenance on existing equipment. After 2001, Lucent Technology will no longer provide support for the G2 telephone switch that was installed at the University in 1985. The main phone switch as well as 25 modular switches located in multiple locations must be replaced. Success will be assessed through the transparent migration to a new switch with no breaks in service.
   3. Support and enhance the hardware and software required for mainframe computer operation. Replace the current Enterprise Server with a newer and more efficient model. Prepare a plan to phase out VM/CMS in order to reduce costs. The ability to support existing applications as well as incorporate new software packages at a reasonable cost will measure success. Success will be determined by minimal downtime.
   4. Provide a standardized, functional and reliable e-mail package that can meet the needs of faculty and staff. Merge faculty/staff network access IDs into the network access ID table. The authentication team based on error rate will measure success. Replace two older servers for SMTP and Web access. Upgrade the server that supports Groupwise Web access. Monitor storage of e-mail to determine when additional storage is needed prior to the system reaching full capacity. Success will be measured based on e-mail trouble reports and Web access time. Feedback from the network managers meeting and students will also be a measurement of success.
   5. Implement database management and manipulation tools to allow Computer Services to manage multiple databases between unlike platforms, correct data errors, extract data, and debug programs. If funding is approved, a project definition will be completed and vendor products evaluated. Successful implementation, ease of use and productivity increase will be the primary factors used to evaluate success.
   6. Enhance VIP functionality for faculty, students and staff. Additional features, such as Faculty Grade Input, Official Transcript Request and Advisor Information, will be added to enhance the capability to conduct business and view information. Feedback from the AIS retreat, user offices, faculty and students will be used to determine enhancements.
   7. Enhance the University Data Warehouse for administrative and student data. Load Human Resources, Payroll and Student data and develop appropriate reports and cubes. Success will be measured through end-user involvement and acceptance based on individual and departmental use.
   8. Complete the implementation of the JSI Millennium software system, which manages fund-raising activities for the University, and deploy the system to academic and administrative departments. Enhance reporting capabilities by developing cubes for analysis. Encourage users to use Millennium for random data look-up and ad-hoc data retrieval. Surveys of primary users and feedback from departments will be used to determine additional enhancements.
   9. Complete the installation of Transfer Evaluation module of the DARS software system for transfer, advisement and degree audit. Deploy the system to academic departments. Feedback from the user offices and departments throughout the University will be gathered at regular working team meetings and used to determine additional enhancements.
   10. Maintain current application systems to provide timely and accurate information in a secure and efficient manner. Update systems as required to meet Federal and State mandates. Feedback from user offices through e-mail, telephone conversations and user meetings will be used to monitor the effectiveness of the systems.
   11. Implement new applications to use the Receipt System as a method of collecting payments via credit card through VIP for services not associated with Accounts Receivable. Feedback from the University community will be collected to determine additional features. The order of applications added will be determined by managerial review based on University priority and resources.
   12. Upgrade the voice response system to the newest version to serve as an alternative method to VIP of accessing information and conducting business. The vendor will not support the current version after June 30, 2001. Installation, conversion and amount of system downtime will be used to measure success.
3. Provide excellent customer service
   1. Provide academic resources support, especially for centralized systems managed by Computer Services such as BlackBoard, Authentication and Student E-mail. Documentation and publicity materials will be prepared for new academic initiatives. Quality of service will be determined from user feedback, logs from ticket system and frequently asked questions.
   2. Provide desktop applications support and consulting to faculty, staff and students. Logs of requests, turnaround on requests and appropriateness of responses will be measured to assess quality of service.
4. Develop the human resources within our organization
   1. Pursue training and certification options for trainers, academic consultants, and technical staff to increase knowledge of new technologies and to increase staff retention. The Computer Services Management Team will review all training requests and manage their training budgets to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
   2. Provide for State Procurement and Government Financial training and certification for Business Office employees, as well as, University sponsored accounting and financial training. The Business Office plans to develop an accounting and financial education component for Computer Services human resources whose job responsibilities include managing or planning projects and requesting goods and services. This will assure Computer Services human resources are knowledgeable of Computer Services, University and State accounting and financial principles.
5. Support the operations and continual improvement of the institution
   1. Provide for disaster recovery to protect the data assets of the University. Ensure that University data is backed up and can be restored in the event of a disaster. Provide for a working companion site with equipment and for an off-site tape backup facility.
   2. Establish a Network Operations Center to proactively monitor network performance, identify problems and implement solutions. This center will monitor network performance, perform traffic analysis and proactively identify and resolve problems prior to network failure. Statistics will be maintained to measure performance. Feedback from the University community will also be used to evaluate success.
   3. Provide a secure computing environment. Security of the University network and data assets from both internal and external threats is critical. Currently, Computer Services has inadequate tools to monitor security at an appropriate level, and additional hardware and software is needed. The ability to effectively supply security will be measured by avoidance of security threats.
   4. Convert mainframe printed output to OnDemand and eliminate printed reports to reduce costs associated with printing and distribution. Install, test and implement the latest version of the software to stabilize and increase performance. Migrate reports. Research and implement a Web interface to increase usability. Assess user satisfaction through group meetings with user offices and OnDemand Listserv surveys.
   5. Update or replace outdated mainframe supporting technologies such as the robotic tape library, SNA controllers, console automation software and uninterruptable power supply. Increase in performance, media capacity and automation will be used to measure success. Implement safety features in the Computer room to protect University assets such as a Halon fire suppression system, water alarm system and building security system. Success will be measured by the ability to protect University assets
   6. Plan for the implementation of an asset management system to combine Computer Services assets, such as, software and hardware and other encumbrances associated with contracts, maintenance agreements and site licenses. The asset management system will provide critical resource information to meet the accounting and financial service support and data requirements of Computer Services, the University and Computer Services vendors. Currently, asset management is a manual process. The Business Office will review and update current needs to include obtaining feedback from internal and external staff resources. A written proposal will be submitted to management on or before December 31, 2001, that identifies system and other resource needs. Quality of service will be determined from user feedback, access and accuracy of information, transaction requests, timeliness and responsiveness to requests.
6. Encourage efficient use of computing and networking among departments
   1. Maintain LISTSERVs for courses, committees and research topics.
   2. Participate in the Network Manager's meeting as a forum for discussions related to networking, communications and applications.
   3. Publish IT Bulletin monthly, both in print and on the Web to provide information on policies and procedures, training, support, IT projects and technology updates.

1. Upgrades to mainframe hardware, software and support systems. The current mainframe has been installed for five years and is currently four generations behind the market. The current hardware will not support the new software operating systems such as LINUX. When the current University mainframe was purchased, five years of hardware and software maintenance was included. Funds normally allocated to yearly maintenance were to be used to repay the loan that was initially scheduled to end in June 2001. Following fulfillment of the loan, these funds were to again be used for yearly software and hardware maintenance; however, in 1998 the mainframe was refinanced with the final payment in 2003 with an annual payment amount of $609,437 through 2003. As a result, funds do not exist in the budget for maintenance on mainframe hardware and software required to support the University's mission-critical applications such as student information (registration, grades, fee payment), financials, financial aid and human resources. Additional funds must be allocated to cover maintenance costs for 2001, which includes $85,000 for hardware and $615,400 for software. Purchase of a new Enterprise Server will require approximately $1,000,000 each year for a 5-year loan term.
2. The G2 Telephone Switch which services 66% of the student population and 60% of the faculty and staff population at the University of South Carolina is nearly obsolete, and Lucent Technologies will discontinue maintenance at the end of 2001. Money that had been set aside from telephone revenue in past years has been used to cover daily operations, unfunded mandates and new initiatives. Additionally, a new voice mail system was purchased and financed in 1998, and the yearly loan payment of $442,545 is paid from telephone revenues. While new revenues are anticipated from services available with a new switch, the initial investment in modern switch technology must be funded and is estimated to be greater than $5,000,000.
3. Funding for professional development needs to be increased to an adequate level to allow Computer Services to adequately provide the diverse technical support required for the University. Currently the budget is completely inadequate to meet the needs. Training is needed in the following broad categories: operating systems, database management, networking, communications, applications and security. Annual cost to provide the appropriate level of professional development is $280,000.
4. Computer Services has implemented a number of critical applications but no additional funding has been allocated for recurring yearly hardware and software maintenance, training and support. These include BlackBoard course development software, student e-mail, Groupwise e-mail, OnDemand online report retrieval system), WebPac for Notis Library system, DARS transfer/advisement/degree audit system, JSI Millennium, Data Warehouse, Utilitarian services (for example Web servers, name servers). Total recurring annual cost is $485,000.
5. 5The Network Operations Center will proactively monitor network performance, identify problems and implement solutions. The start-up costs are estimated to be $300,000 with recurring annual costs of approximately $180,000.
6. Security software and hardware to allow Computer Services to effectively secure the University network and data assets is estimated to be $128,000 initially with recurring annual costs of approximately $32,000.
7. In order to replace or update mainframe supporting technologies such as tape library, SNA controllers, Console automation software and uninterruptable power supply, an investment of $1,610,000 with recurring annual costs of $60,000. An additional investment of $55,000 with recurring annual costs of $8000 would be required to implement safety features in the Computer room to protect University assets such as a Halon fire suppression system, water alarm system and building security system.
8. In order to provide IT Training and Academic Services at the level required for a major research institution, additional funds must be provided totaling $150,000 annually. This increase would support the following initiatives:
   • PC/Server replacement for IT training and Support and Academic Services
   • Purchase of additional technical training materials
   • Upgrade for classroom equipment
   • Additional staff for academic initiatives such as BlackBoard and Student E-mail
   • Additional funding for graduate assistants in the areas of IT Training and Support and Academic Services.
9. The University could benefit from economies of scale through the acquisition of a Microsoft site license. This would have the additional benefit of reducing risk by ensuring that all faculty and staff have a valid software license. The estimated annual cost to the University would be $250,000.
10. The site license for the Novell software was not budgeted when acquired, even though the software is used by all University departments. The estimated annual cost is $135,000.
11. Even though the University has embraced relational database technology in both the mainframe and client-server environments, funding has not been available to procure database management and manipulation tools. This software would allow Computer Services to manage multiple databases between unlike platforms, correct data errors, extract data, and debug programs. A complete review of available alternatives will be conducted to determine best solution. Estimated cost is $220,000 - $380,000.