The first phase of the Information Technology Services and Health Sciences ITS merger is now underway, with the internal unveiling of a new organizational structure that continues to meet the University’s current needs while also creating a cohesive, future-ready unit that can focus on planning, strategy and continuous improvement.
Combining resources and best practices, identifying operational efficiencies, and improving alignment on technology and information security will strengthen the foundation on which the Modernization Program and other critical WVU initiatives depend.
Several new teams are being created, including a fledgling Research Services unit that will focus on establishing a portfolio of enterprise-level technology services, such as a Secure Research Enclave, storage services, research networks and research technology consulting. WVU is an R1 institution and research is its second-largest source of revenue, but there is not currently a team dedicated to providing researchers with supportive services beyond the basic administrative applications. Executive Director Brent Cramer will collaborate closely with academic, research and other leaders, including non-central IT units such as the Research Computing team, as this important new group takes shape.
The Health Sciences Center will continue to have on-site, deskside support and classroom technology staff, with a Community Engagement team led by Assistant Vice President Laura Roth. She will oversee college-specific applications, liaise with Information Security, oversee the regional campus IT units, and ensure HSC employees are connected to enterprise services. The inbound call operations of the HSC Help Desk and ITS Service Desk will be merged in the coming months.
The two learning management systems, SOLE and eCampus, will continue to operate in parallel for several years. However, under Chief Information Officer Brice Knotts, the combined ITS will continue its long-term shift to a more sustainable approach with vendor-designed and -supported platforms that are flexible, secure and cost-efficient, as well as easily integrated with new and emerging tools such as artificial intelligence. ITS will focus development resources on projects that create competitive advantage and differentiate us from our peers.
The changes laid out to the IT staff this week will help create a more consistent experience for faculty, staff and students by combining the teams’ respective strengths and resources, and by following industry-standard practices for IT Service Management. In time, the merger will also create new succession planning options and career paths for staff.
While some positions are being eliminated due to budget cuts and some duplicative leadership positions will be reposted as part of this merger, there will also be new opportunities moving forward. Also, the previously planned retirement of Chief Information Security Officer Alex Jalso has been delayed, allowing him to work as Special Assistant to the CIO and support the University’s e-commerce program until the end of September. Lee Lawson will become interim CISO on July 1.