2013 Strategic Plan Update
The 2013 Strategic Plan Update discusses the results that Technology Services has achieved by implementing the plan. It also provides a snapshot of current customer satisfaction survey results, comparison benchmarks within the education industry, the evolving security posture of the technology environment and upcoming goals and objectives.
Download the 2013 Strategic Plan Update (PDF) >>
2009-2012 Strategic Plan
The goal of a strategic plan for Technology Services is to create an information technology roadmap that is aligned with the Loyola strategic plan. This will enable Loyola to more effectively manage its technology organization and resources.
Strategic Focus Areas
Communication
Objectives: Connect academic community and athletic life across campuses, regions, geographies and across schedules and timeframes.
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Communicate Loyola’s brand as becoming the nation’s leading, Catholic comprehensive university |
"Loyola is in a position to brand itself as growing in depth, quality, and reputation with the new designation of 'University'"- University Trustee
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Deploy real-time communication and collaboration tools |
"We need to connect with graduate and professional students at remote campuses feel" - Business
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Complement living and learning environments, distributed campuses and alumni with virtual social communities. |
"Online communities are a source of information and outreach, both at Loyola and Facebook or Myspace" - Advancement
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Provide mobility and access anytime, anywhere |
"Faculty have begun to adopt additional modalities and podcasts to supplement lectures" - Faculty
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Develop an effective internal and external Web presence |
"We recognize the need to completely overhaul the Web, internally and externally" - President's Cabinet
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Differentiated Service
Objectives: Meet rising demands for IT service while realizing cost savings by distinguishing between commoditized and differentiated IT services.
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Optimize the IT portfolio |
"Loyola and Library IT groups need to focus on their differentiating services identifying synergies and reducing overlaps in services provided." - Library
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Deliver critical IT services and infrastructure |
"'Cloud computing' can be looked at as a threat to traditional IT, or a way of extending its reach. I prefer the latter." - Technology Services
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Realize the efficiencies of cloud computing |
"'Cloud computing' can be looked at as a threat to traditional IT, or a way of extending its reach. I prefer the latter." - Technology Services
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Adopt differentiating technologies and services |
"Technology Services needs to gather university requirements and look to the market to be sure Loyola is using optimal solutions" - President's Cabinet
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Operational Excellence
Objectives: Recognize the realities around resource limits and budget growth in university administration and provide IT solutions to increase operational efficiencies.
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Provide effective training to foster adoption
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"Increase training frequency, structure, and robustness... and include a knowledge sharing database and publicize existing tools" - Academic Affairs |
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Consult with users in standardized, collaborative user groups
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"We want IT to act as consultant, recommending emerging technology for adoption" - Advancement |
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Focus development efforts on system integration and interoperability
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"The current tools must be better integrated, including the Colleague systems and orientation information" - Student Development |
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Automate paper processes and enable advanced data analytics
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"Everything we do generates paperwork, [we] need to map processes to electronic processes, particularly around grants and research" - Academic Affairs |
Transparency and Understanding
Objectives: Provide outstanding service and university-wide insight into IT capacity, planning, and prioritization to build credibility.
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Follow direction from executive leadership
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"Executive leadership team needs to drive technology adoption top-down" - Trustees |
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Develop formal IT governance
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"We need transparency, understanding, and participation in the IT decision-making process" - Deans |
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Formalize project management and progress reporting
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"Project management, progress reporting and transparency into these processes could be improved, though the PMO is a step in the right direction" - Finance |
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Support users consistently across campuses and schedules
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"Need a problem-solving culture and customer service focus within IT, more on people and processes, less on machines" - President’s cabinet |
Major Initiative Categories
Organizational Refocusing
Assess the current organization and re-distribute and re-focus the staff and resources to meet the changing landscape including; the consumerization of technology, cloud services, mobile devices and increasing end-user skills and expectations.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Assess the instructional technology environment and plan for the adoption of appropriate types and levels of technologies, in keeping with the Loyola Jesuit values and mission, with an ongoing awareness of the tension between evolving student expectations and faculty adoption rates.
Infrastructure Assessment and Refresh
Plan and implement the next generation of technology infrastructure to ensure maximum utility of our servers, network, and communication systems as well as provide for operational fault tolerance and protection of our electronic assets.
Training Assessment and Strategy
Assess the current training programs and develop an enterprise strategy for effective technology training that meets the needs of a changing work force.
IT Governance: Policy and Portfolio Management
Institute technology governance to facilitate broad participation by all constituent groups in the technology project decision making and policy setting activities. Establish a methodology for sustainable project/portfolio management and accountability that provides transparency and awareness of University technology projects.
Business Process Management
Align technology services with the wants and needs of users to promote business effectiveness and efficiency while striving for innovation, flexibility and integration across systems and services.
Integrated Administrative Information Strategy
Assess the current Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) to determine its fit for University needs as well as the effectiveness of third party applications that interface with the ERP. Evaluate and update the University Web presence.
Business Continuity Strategy
Develop a Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan to reduce the risk of failure of the critical University systems. Work with University business units to develop and periodically test business continuity plans that will enable ongoing business operations during and after a crisis event such as a sustained power outage, water damage, natural or man-made disaster. By creating and testing these plans, we are reducing risk to the University in the event of catastrophic failure.