Information Technology: Strategic Plan

Introduction

The OIT plan is guided first of all and primarily by the vision summarized by the University's planning initiative's title, Notre Dame 2010: A Quest for Leadership. Notre Dame remains committed to its long-standing aspiration "to be one of the great universities of the world while remaining firmly committed to preserving and enhancing the Catholic intellectual tradition." The OIT believes it has a fundamental role to play as the University strengthens it academic reputation, elevates the ranking of its academic departments and professional programs, enriches the undergraduate experience, and lays claim to excellence in more and more areas of research. The OIT sees itself as providing essential services and leadership in technology areas that will be vital to creating an environment where faculty, students, and staff can achieve the kind of excellence associated with being the leading Catholic university in the world.

The OIT plan is also guided by the plans and aspirations that have been developed by other departments and components of the University. The OIT is the central agency that supports enterprise-wide computing on campus, so its plans must always grow organically out of the plans of the units it supports. The OIT is aware that information technology is not an end unto itself, and therefore OIT's goal must always be to serve and empower other units, whether they be the academic colleges and schools who are responding to Provost Nathan O. Hatch's "Charge to Academic Units," or the units serving students who are responding to Vice President of Student Affairs Mark L. Poorman's "Charge to Student Affairs," or any of the administrative offices performing essential functions, taking part in the campus-wide "Renovare" project to enhance the University's administrative software systems. In addition, the information revolution that is radically altering our whole world at an ever-accelerating pace touches every aspect of university life. Information ¾ the foundation of knowledge ¾ is at the very heart of a university's mission: the generation, preservation, dissemination, and application of knowledge.

Finally, the OIT strategic plan is guided by the OIT's own inner sense of mission and purpose. The OIT staff aspire to deserve a reputation for excellence in all the technical areas that fall under their responsibility, to be regarded as a source of knowledge about the best practices in the information technology industry, and to be valued for their ability to apply technology in appropriate ways to the specific needs of university education and research. At the same time, the OIT wishes to continuously improve its reputation for customer service and true partnership with the technical and non-technical people it serves. This plan embodies paths to achieving an outstanding level professional excellence and accountability.

Underlying OIT Guiding Principles