FES Information Technology
Strategic Plan
Strategic Goals
To develop, maintain and constantly improve the Information Technology infrastructure in support of the School’s goal to be the best School of Forestry and Environmental Science, Management, and Policy in the world.
Our Strategic Goals:
- FES IT Infrastructure
Design, implement and refine continually a computing infrastructure that is exemplary for its efficiency, reliability and environmental sustainability. Apply the School’s strategic goals to IT operations, and seek ways to showcase IT innovations that are consistent with the School’s values and objectives.
The computing and digital information infrastructure at FES comprises seven principal components:
- The FES/Yale Network, consisting of the hard-wired Ethernet system that links all FES workstations to the FES servers and to the Yale ITS main trunk, which provides email and internet access services, and the Wireless system, which give a wireless point of access to the Ethernet system.
- The FES Servers, including servers for data storage and sharing, data backup, printer management, and intranet hosting.
- FES Workstations, which may be desktop or laptop computers used by faculty, students and staff, and printers.
- FES Software and Data.
- Data, records and digital information resources distributed by Yale organizations, such as Yale HR, Yale financial and administrative offices, and the Yale Library.
- FES audiovisual and teleconferencing technologies.
- The electrical infrastructure, which provides power for all FES computers and peripherals.
The tasks required to meet this goal include the following:
- Describe and inventory the components that comprise the FES computing infrastructure for informational and management purposes, and in a format that facilitates its use by other FES units for movable equipment inventories and other purposes.
- Assess whether each FES computer user is provided with the most appropriate technologies for his or her tasks; pilot the use of laptops for staff to assess their convenience and energy-saving potentials; examine printing capacity supplied to each user for efficiency and cost.
- Refine the FES network topography to increase reliability and speed.
- Work with PC, printer and audiovisual manufacturers and vendors to assure that the hardware purchased is cost-effective, reliable, and increasingly energy-efficient.
- Monitor energy use in the Sage Hall student computing clusters and devise a plan to reduce it through a combination of user education, policy refinements, and hardware/software modifications; post monthly energy use in the student clusters to promote energy awareness.
- Work with FES Facilities to improve the electrical infrastructure in FES buildings, particularly in Sage Hall and Marsh Hall.
- Work with SAC to assess student printing policies with the goal of reducing unnecessary printing.
- Seek outside funding to develop and fund a plan to employ alternative-energy sources for student computer lab and portable computers.
- Improve each user’s awareness of the environmental impact of disposing of PCs, peripherals, cell phones, and related consumables (e.g. CDs); publicize ways to recycle or responsibly dispose of these items.
- FES User Support
Develop and evaluate a user-support strategy that seeks to eliminate down-time caused by computer failure, and to reduce workflow inefficiencies through user training and documentation of recommended operating practices. Analyze the availability and quality of both Yale and external training sources, coordinate their use by FES staff and students, and evaluate the results. Include the means for users to evaluate the help they get at FES and at Yale.
The objectives required to meet this goal include:- Assess existing standards and practices for user support at Yale as provided by ITS Central, ITS Medical, and other Schools. These considerations should include the following:
- The methods used by clients to report problems and request support;
- The level of assistance available through telephone support;
- Timeframes for delivering onsite support;
- Procedures for tracking work orders;
- Costs (either to the user or to the organization);
- Statistics that report problem resolution, user satisfaction, etc.
- Establish benchmarks for user support at FES.
- Analyze ways to reduce user downtime caused by hardware, software or network failure, and to improve each user’s ability to identify and report problems in a timely way. Some approaches may include:
- Training computer users to identify quickly the nature of certain problems which can be alleviated by the user (e.g., restoring network connectivity by checking to see if a hub is turned off, or checking to see if “CAPS LOCK” is selected when they system does not validate a password).
- Determining whether redundant computer equipment within an office can reduce user downtime.
- Emphasizing the importance of data backup.
- Beginning with selected FES offices or critical staff positions, analyze the actual use of computers, printers, scanners, etc. in the workflow of the office or individual, with an eye to the following:
- Can we increase the efficiency of an office or staff member by supplying different computer equipment?
- Can certain tasks be handled by central RIS services rather than locally?
- Can paper copies be reduced by the more efficient delivery of information in digital format?
- Beginning with selected FES offices or critical staff positions, analyze the actual use of computers, printers, scanners, etc. in the workflow of the office or individual, with an eye to the following:
- Can we increase the efficiency of an office or staff member by supplying different computer equipment?
- Can certain tasks be handled by central RIS services rather than locally?
- Can paper copies be reduced by the more efficient delivery of information in digital format?
- Assess existing standards and practices for user support at Yale as provided by ITS Central, ITS Medical, and other Schools. These considerations should include the following:
- Explaining How to Get IT Help
Analyze current and future student needs for computer clusters, wireless access, training and computer support; propose facilities and services that meet student needs and enhance their access to campus-wide sources of support, expertise, and digital information resources.
The objectives for this goal include:- Improving communication between students and the FES IT office.
- Assessing the state-of-the-art in computer support at Yale by reviewing student computer repair support and the availability of computers in student clusters.
- Surveying FES students and faculty to determine what software should be made available to students both in the clusters and for distribution for use on student-owned computers.
- Determine if the space is effectively used, and analyze the impact of reconfiguring the computer installations in the clusters and in the FES Library.
- Produce an up-to-date analysis of wireless use and determine if the existing transceivers are adequate; produce a strategy for upgrading wireless to meet increasing demand.
- Popularize to FES students the availability of campus-wide resources for computer support and training.
- Work with the Yale Library to increase student skills in managing electronic information resources.
- Student IT Support
Analyze current and future student needs for computer clusters, wireless access, training and computer support; propose facilities and services that meet student needs and enhance their access to campus-wide sources of support, expertise, and digital information resources. Coordinate with the FES Library in defining and creating student spaces that meet current and future student needs.
The objectives for this goal include:- Producing a handbook that outlines technical practices for maintaining and modifying the FES Website, including a list of key people at ITS who have control over the web server and who can assist in keeping the site active.
- Coordinating with the FES Communications Office to establish protocols for website revision.
- Producing a guide for FES faculty and teaching assistants for the use of the Yale Classes server, with instructions that can be distributed by faculty to students.
- Examining ways to support faculty in creating web-based components for courses, and promoting the use of on-campus resources, such as the ITS Center for Media Initiatives, for faculty support.
- Working with individual faculty and teaching assistants on specific projects to integrate digital resources in their teaching.
- FES Website
Maintain and develop the technical framework of the School’s website; mediate with students and faculty who seek support from ITS in using the web for teaching and learning; work cooperatively with FES Communications to expand and improve the site’s content.
The objectives for this goal include:- Producing a handbook that outlines technical practices for maintaining and modifying the FES Website, including a list of key people at ITS who have control over the web server and who can assist in keeping the site active.
- Coordinating with the FES Communications Office to establish protocols for website revision.
- Producing a guide for FES faculty and teaching assistants for the use of the Yale Classes server, with instructions that can be distributed by faculty to students.
- Examining ways to support faculty in creating web-based components for courses, and promoting the use of on-campus resources, such as the ITS Center for Media Initiatives, for faculty support.
- Working with individual faculty and teaching assistants on specific projects to integrate digital resources in their teaching.
- FES Intranet
Maintain and develop software for the FES Intranet, and maintain a web server to host the intranet; coordinate with faculty, students and staff to improve the functionality and content of the intranet; work with other FES units in designing training and job-support tools for staff, faculty and student workers.
The tasks to accomplish this goal include:- Migrating the FES Intranet to a more stable and flexible platform, which allows complete backup through a mirror site.
- Restructuring the current staff/faculty home page to reflect current needs of users, and establishing a policy for adding major navigational elements for new pages or tasks.
- Creating a student home page that differs significantly from the staff/faculty home page and engenders a sense of ownership of the site by students.
- Enlisting student support for the redesign and use of the new student site.
- Emphasizing the need to cut down on paper and email distribution through intranet postings.
- Analyze the need for increased task-support tools.
- Audiovisual Support
Maintain and upgrade digital audiovisual resources at FES; widen the distribution of services and equipment for students and faculty; implement new approaches for the central monitoring and maintenance of LCD projectors to facilitate on-site, on-time support and to increase energy-saving capabilities. Coordinate staff support for FES visitors who present technology-dependent talks.
- Kroon Building IT Initiatives
Participate in the planning of the new Kroon building by advocating the selection and installation of state-of-the-art, flexible components for networking, wireless, hardware, and computing spaces, including kiosks and student computing facilities. Coordinate with planning staff on the impact of computer hardware ( e.g, the power-consumption and heat output of workstations or printers) on the building environment. Assist in distributing information on the Kroon building through the FES Internet and Intranet. Determine IT needs and functions relating to building maintenance and develop operating plans to address these issues.
- Hardware and Software Guidelines
Publish standards for hardware and software for faculty, staff and students; assist faculty and students in purchasing new hardware; promulgate guidelines and schedules for the ongoing replacement of staff computers; review new software and site-licensing agreements and periodically publish a list of recommended and supported software; assess and publicize on-campus opportunities for staff and student training in computing skills and software use.
- IT Security
Improve all aspects of computing security at the School by maintaining the operability and expanding the capacity of the FES backup server; reducing the response time to remediate virus and denial-of-service attacks; increasing user awareness of computer vulnerabilities and the importance of responsible computer use; devising ways of reducing spam and offensive email sent to FES users; improving the server infrastructure to eliminate problems caused by hardware failure.
- Library IT Cooperation
Work cooperatively with the Yale Library to improve faculty and student access to online resources; coordinate in the design and maintenance of student computing resources in FES clusters and the FES library.