3.0 Risks and Assumptions
3.1. Risks
SCSU needs to evaluate trade-offs inherent in making technology initiatives
decisions that are practical, responsible, and progressive.
- An appropriate balance
between over investing and under investing in technology needs to be
determined:
- Over investing in technology tools during difficult budgetary
times could negatively impact the delivery of the university’s
main services and functions.
- Under investing in our technology tools
could result in difficulty in recruiting new faculty and students,
security breaches that would result
in legal complications,
and loss of efficiency in normal workflow.
- An appropriate balance between
standardization and flexibility needs
to be determined.
- Standardization typically results in reduced costs but lack
of flexibility for users.
- Lack of standardization is typically very
costly but results in absolute flexibility.
- Underestimating total cost of ownership (TOC) when investing in
technology may result in the inability to maintain technology, frustrated users,
and users who are not trained to use the technology to its fullest potential.
- Even
during tight budget times, an innovative attitude toward technology applications
is necessary to maintain SCSU’s leadership role within MnSCU,
within the state, and within certain departments for accreditation
purposes.
- A lack of attention to privacy and security practices,
regulations, and laws places SCSU’s data and users at risk.
3.2. Assumptions
- This Technology Master Plan supports SCSU’s strategic goal
to "provide appropriate technologies and resources that support teaching,
learning, service and access." In addition, the Technology Master Plan
supports scholarly activity across campus.
- This Technology Master Plan addresses
technology resources for all campus constituents.
- Through TLTR the university
has established a mechanism for the entire SCSU community to be part of
how the campus communicates about
technology and to play a vital role in university technology planning.
- Academic
programs are responsible for setting technology expectations, integrating
them into goals for their disciplines, and assessing
these efforts.
- Administrative and service units are responsible for
setting technology goals, for integrating applications, and for assessing
the impact of
technology.
- The university is committed to a Technology Master Plan
that balances human values with technological development.
- The university
is committed to multiple platforms to support the complexity of campus
needs but also understands the benefits of standardization
where appropriate.
- The university is committed to providing access
to electronic information within legal, licensing, and copyright limits.
- The university is committed to providing all of its students with the
technological background needed to be successful in advanced study
and in the workplace.
- University stakeholders expect a reliable and
robust technology infrastructure.
- Technology stakeholders expect technology
access to be available anytime and anywhere.
Revised: May 2003
