The Changing Face of Higher Ed and the Role of IT as a

Strategic Enabler

Dave WallaceChief Information OfficerUniversity of Waterloo

December 4, 2012

Topics• Challenges and Opportunities for Higher

Education – and the role for IT• Context – Planning, Planning, Planning!• Strategic Initiatives

– Strategic Plan– Enterprise Architecture– Organize for Success

• A View Forward

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Trends in Higher Ed

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Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

• What it is (versus WATITis)– Online/e-Learning Learning– Open Access – Large Scale Participation– Non-credited

• Interesting– Started in the University of Prince Edward Island in 2008!

• Now – MIT, Stanford, Havard, U of T and others jumping on board– Have spawned Coursera, Udacity and Edx – but just the beginning

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Challenges and Opportunities• Challenges

– Rapid change– Higher Ed institutions are transforming– Students – expectations– Fiscal challenges

• Opportunities– uWaterloo’s Co-op strength– IP Rule– Innovation

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Context at uWaterloo

• Lots of Planning!– Government of Ontario– University-wide– Faculty– Academic and Administration Support– Ancillaries– Students

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6 Pillars

• Academic excellence • Research excellence and impact • Co-operative education • Graduate studies • Internationalization • Entrepreneurship

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“The Big Picture” – Updated

• Mid Cycle Review (MCR)– Review goals delivered in 2006 – 6th Decade Plan– Reflect on our progress and engage students, faculty,

staff, alumni– Create actionable goals for the next five years– Introduce an accountability framework with action

plans and measures of success  

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Alignment with Foundational Pillars

Student Opportunities and

ExperienceResources

Visibility and Outreach

Image and Philosophy

Quality EducationClear and Effective

Leadership

Internationalization Entrepreneurship

Advance Quality of Education

Advance Research Excellence and

Impact

Increase Visibility and Outreach

Improve uW Environment

Improve Resources and Funding

Advance Image and Philosophy

University of Waterloo Environment

Academic excellence

Enhance Student Opportunities and

ExperienceKey Goals

Research excellence and impact Co-operative education

Graduate studies

Enabling Goals

MCR Priorities

Pillars

Source: IAP

The IT Strategic Plan Project

To create an Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan to advance the state of IT to meet the opportunities for University of Waterloo over the next 5 years.

A uWaterloo IT Strategic Plan for the whole IT Community – it is not an IST plan!

National/International Opportunities

Overview of IT Strategic Plan Project

Government

Colleagues

Services/Budget

Vision

Mission

Principles and Values

University Leadership/6 Pillars

Faculties/Strategic Plans

Students/Potential Students

IT Trends

Information/Knowledge

OptimizedApplications Integration Secure,

Common Infra.Standards/ Interfaces

Priorities, Risks and Timing

Architecture/Blueprint(Direction/Evolution)

ProjectPortfolio/Budget

PerformanceMeasures

Project Stages

Project kick off

Aligning campus IT

Building the plan

Refining the plan

Implementation & Initiatives

Evaluation & Adaption

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Approach

• Using a method called “IT Strategy Map”

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…Not Quite!

Our Purpose (Mission): Our Goal for 2018 (Vision 2018): .

StrategyMap

Framework

CORE VALUES

Stakeholder

Internal Process

Organizational Capabilities

Resource Management

Our Promise to Our Stakeholders:

Our Purpose (Mission): Evolve an exceptional, innovative IT environment to enable

engagement, creativity, and impact.

Our Goal for 2018 (Vision 2018): Enable the University’s mission through exceptional

learning, teaching and research environments.

V4.1 Draft uWaterloo

IT Community

CORE VALUES

Stakeholder

Internal Process

Organizational Capabilities

Resource Management

Our Promise to Our Stakeholders: Inspiring and supporting the University of Waterloo through technology leadership and excellence.

Enable the optimization of administrative processes across campuses

Enable the achievement of uW teaching and student life-learning objectives

Enable the achievement of uW research and scholarship objectives

Optimize the user experience

Exchange accessible, high quality data and information when, where, and how needed

Enable timely access to the right integrated, cutting-edge information technologies

Build a cohesive, knowledgeable IT community across the campus

Build a culture of pro-active support and technology leadership

Take an University-wide perspective to IT

Build collaborative relationships with our Stakeholders and each other

Make the necessary technology infrastructure and resource investments

Optimize the allocation and use of our financial, technology, and human resources

Understand the needs of our Stakeholders

Continuously improve and optimize IT processes,

workflow, and platforms

Define IT accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities, available resources, and supports, and

clearly communicate this to our Stakeholders

Maintain a secure, reliable, and useable information and technology environment

Understand, foster and leverage trends and

innovations in information technologies

Ensure data security, integrity,

and privacy

Provide knowledgeable, pro-active insights, advice,

and solutions through effective governance

Service Openness & Collaboration Knowledge & Creativity Operational Excellence

Take a design approach to IT development and implementation

Be easy to do business with

Enable University outreach activities

Yikes!

CORE VALUES

Stakeholder

Internal Process

Organizational Capabilities

Resource Management

Our Purpose (Mission): Evolve an exceptional, innovative IT environment to enable

engagement, creativity, and impact.

Our Goal for 2018 (Vision 2018): Enable the University’s mission through exceptional

learning, teaching and research environments.

V4.1 Draft uWaterloo

IT Community

Our Promise to Our Stakeholders: Inspiring and supporting the University of Waterloo through technology leadership and excellence.

Strategy Map

Balanced Scorecard

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VisionAnd

StrategyStakeholders

InternalProcesses

OrganizationalCapabilities

Resources

Bottom up: What We Know

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Consultations

StudentFeedback

CIOSearch

Interviews

Faculty and Admin Strategic Plans

MCR

Project kick off

Aligning campus IT

Building the plan

Refining the plan

Implementation & Initiatives

Evaluation & Adaption

Project Stages - Timing

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Jan 2013Feb – Mar

2013 OngoingApr 2013

Enterprise Architecture

Organize for Success

View Forward

• Lots of change for Higher Ed – and lots of opportunities – Just look at the WATITis Agenda!

• Planning is critical but delivery is essential– IT Strategic Plan– Enterprise Architecture– Organize for Success– Critical IT Projects – Right Across Campus

• I look forward to working with all of you!

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How to get involved!

• Contact us:– dave.wallace@uwaterloo.ca (CIO)– andrea.chappell@uwaterloo.ca (Project lead)

• Web site:– https://uwaterloo.ca/it-strategic-plan (Survey

on site)• Open House tomorrow: DC1302, 10:30

Questions

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