As other organizations and affiliations and technology have changed over the past years, so has the ITSS organization. The changes began some years ago when Telecommunications became part of ITSS. This change was fueled, in large part, by the need for shared infrastructure and technology for voice, video and data. These staff work together closely, especially in network infrastructure planning and implementation to improve service to the university community.
This past summer the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs realigned the Instructional Learning Technology so that organization reports through ITSS. The team, led by Lori Swinney, will remain in their Robertson Hall location. They join the User Support area led by Associate Director, Craig Cerkowniak. CILT had been very ably led by Dr. Kathy Smart who has moved to the College of Education and Human Development. Classroom technology and Blackboard support continue to be high priorities for staff. Students, faculty and the administration all expect that the use of technology in teaching and learning will continue to grow and improve at UND. This change is to align information technology services in support of campus strategic goals in support of that expectation. We anticipate, and will strive to achieve, greater interaction and improved service with the talented staff of the combined organization.
As ODIN moved from the PALS library system to Ex Llibris' ALEPH 500 product, some ITSS staff who supported ODIN found their responsibilities and activities changed. With those changes, they needed to work more closely with the ODIN Director and staff and so moved from the ITSS organization to ODIN. ITSS staff who have both ODIN and other ITSS responsibilities (i.e. server and database administrators, help desk and operators) will remain within ITSS.
This fall the Higher Education Network Computer programmer analysts and ConnectND security personnel, under the leadership of Nancy Haskins, changed their reporting from ITSS to the ConnectND Executive Director--a new position created this fall to lead the NDUS ConnectND activities. These staff provide program analysis and security for all the ConnectND systems: Student, Finance and Human Relations. This change will more closely align them with the Directors of those systems. ITSS will continue to host the ConnectND Student Administration Data Center providing server and data administrator, operator, help desk and network support personnel.
We will miss the regular interaction we have had with the ODIN and HECN staff. At the same time, we believe this change will simplify their reporting lines and provide for closer relationships with their working colleagues.