IT Master Plan
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InfoTech Master Plan         2003-2005

Statement of Purpose: 

The InfoTech Department is a service organization. Its purpose is to provide information technology services to the Harbor College campus community in classrooms, offices and public events as needed. This includes but is not limited to; keeping computer labs equipped and functioning with up to date hardware and software to meet instructional needs, keeping Administrative users equipped and functioning adequately, keeping the Campus and Local Area Networks (CAN's and LAN's) operating and equipped to handle campus computer communication needs, including DEC, SAP and Internet connections, the network operating system, e-mail and the campus telephone system up to date and providing service as needed, printers connected and operating, copiers operating and presentation equipment and software working. In this, we are attempting to meet the recommendations set out in the DRAFT copy of the California Community Colleges Technology II Strategic Plan for 2000-2005, published by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, dated April 11, 2000 and the Total Cost of Ownership model published in current TTIP guidelines from the State Chancellor's Office.

 

The InfoTech Department also provides technical support for cable Channel 43 for the campus. The intent is to continue this and to upgrade service as requested and as we are able.

 

Three-Year Goals:

  1. All labs should have a complete replacement of computers every three years.
  2. Upgrade Administrative and Academic CAN's to GB bandwidth. (in progress, partially completed)
  3. Provide technical support to the campus cable video studio and broadcast facilities to allow reliable production and good broadcast quality on cable channel 43.
  4. Maintain administrative, faculty and staff computers to be able to function with the new campus CAN and District WAN software. The District has purchased and installed a data management system from SAP for personnel and financial functions. Student records on DEC will be replaced at District within the next two years. In the meantime, both DEC and SAP software will be supported.
  5. Establish and maintain same-day or next-business-day response on all service calls.
  6. Administrative CAN operating system and e-mail systems are installed and operating. Train all users, as needed, in new systems as they are implemented.
  7. Establish an adequate funding base to be able to supply to the campus community those electronic/information technology services they may need in a timely manner.

Calendar of Goals:

Year:  2002/2003

1. Upgrade campus network backup and storage capacity. Speed and capacity are the key issues. (NexSan backup package purchased and installed April, 2003. This includes near-real-time mirroring and storage.)

2.Set up an automated phone and Web-based Help Desk, including job-tracking for work requests. (job-tracking software has been in use since 10/20/2000and is being rolled out to the campus.)

 3.  Continue the recycling of computers from labs to other campus uses. This includes providing computers for repair and networking labs and  providing, upgrading or replacing computers for administrative and faculty use. Assure that all faculty and staff have computing capabilities that their jobs require. (No computer labs will be replaced in 2002/2003 for lack of funds. Lab computers with 64 MB of RAM were upgraded to 128MB.)   

4. Provide support as requested for modernization and configuring of studio and cable broadcast equipment. 

 5.  Continue to provide maintenance and repair services as in the past, but with shorter response time. The goal is same-day or next-business-day service on all calls.     

 6.  Continue to provide technical advice and aid in the design of new campus electronic facilities and services as well as in the ordering of new  equipment. (The loss of one Supervising Electronic Technician somewhat compromises this goal.)

7. Provide training for the InfoTech computer and network specialists in Novell software and the electronic technicians in computer and other electronics repair and other areas as needed. (Ongoing)

8. Continue upgrading the Campus Area Network  "backbone" to GB  bandwidth. The fibre-optic cabling is in place. Concentrators, switches, routers and hubs must be upgraded as necessary to provide added capacity. The State Chancellor's office is providing an additional OC3 data connection for the campus. (Engineering planning is in progress for this upgrade [5/8/'03])

9. Continue ongoing research on hardware and software for campus use. Continue contacts with venders for current pricing, purchasing agreements and coordination of campus group purchases.

     10. Continue streamlining of processing of new equipment donated or purchased for campus use. Processing time is being shortened, but is still too long. The goal is two weeks or less from the date of delivery of equipment to the campus. Labs may take longer (as they do now) because of the scheduling of classes.

11. Aid in planning and do set-up of new labs. Participate in planning for

  •     the new Science/Technology Building and the campus bond measure
  •     build-out. Plan for possible InfoTech Department partial or complete
  •     move. As the department is moved, aid in design of new facilities and
  •     reconfiguration and implementation of old IT areas for new uses.

12. Operate and maintain new phone system. Add new features as we become familiar with the new equipment and software.

13. Provide facilities for training of administrators, faculty and staff in use of Information Technology as space and resources are made available.

14. Continue to make copies of PACE video/media material as needed for sale to students in the campus bookstore. (Twenty new VCR's purchased and installed in copy center, October 2002; old units are serviced and recycled to other campus use as needed.)

15. Continue development and implementation of software policy in labs to limit student user ability to corrupt lab computer installed software.

16.  Improve communication with Office of Instruction on scheduling of lab software refreshing, planned for once each week. The long-term plan is to image-protect all lab computers so that frequent refreshing is not necessary and to hire and train lab techs to manage this function.

17.  Maintain student login system (upgraded in April, 2003) and pay-for-print service. (This provides for collection of student computer use data and provision for student print services.)

18.  Maintain weekly training sessions in software use for faculty and staff by InfoTech and/or Staff Development. (Currently scheduled at 1:30pm every Thursday in the InfoTech/Staff Development training lab in LAC 203)

19. Maintain NetG training software in the InfoTech training lab (LAC 203) to provide on-demand training available for any campus employee, as requested. (In progress.)

20.  Arrange with District InfoTech the implementation of the on-line file-pulling feature for the faculty hiring process.

21.  Continue the discovery and development of automated installation and remote delivery of software applications. (Novell ZENWorks installed on both networks and full implementation in progress. [5/8/'03])

22.  Research, purchase and implement additional virus scanning and security software and hardware as needed.

23.  Develop plan and begin implementation of electronic security system covering all computer and electronics labs.

24.  Continue development of ability to deliver multimedia connections to all classrooms. Some rooms are currently cabled but not terminated.

25.  Complete installation and implementation of Novell ZenWorks and Fluke network remote management software and BorderManager security software.

26.  Investigate and test the possibility of using BlueTooth in teaching labs for connections for projectors and other peripherals. Other possible wireless applications include a campus academic wireless network for student use and an administrative wireless network for job reporting and work reporting.

27.  Update and circulate the network users guide, last updated in 1996. Provide a short network users list of "best practices" for courteous and secure use of the networks.

2003/2004:

1. Continue maintenance, set-up and provision of campus information technology services:

  1. Help desk on line. Set up automatic 'phone help desk.
  2. Timely answering of service calls.
  3. Maintain LAN services and coordination of Campus Area Networks within the District Wide Area Network (WAN) structure.
  4. Continue campus recycling of lab computers to administrative, staff and faculty use as possible and appropriate. (Budget constraints may preclude any recycling again this year.)
  5. Continue technical backup service of campus cable TV studio and cable broadcasting service. Digitization of production and broadcast processes and equipment is expected to be completed this year.
  6. Continue to provide aid and advice in planning, purchasing and use of electronic equipment. Maintain the campus computer training lab in InfoTech as a facility for faculty/staff training and use.
  7. Continue to receive, tag, configure (as needed), deliver and set up new electronic equipment as it is received on campus.
  8. Continue training of InfoTech staff to maintain quality of service.
  9. Continue to provide PACE media materials as needed for sale to students in the campus bookstore. Work with PACE Director in research of alternative media materials for use in PACE.
  10. Continue multimedia cabling to give all classrooms LAN and video broadcast access.
  11. Complete setup of electronic security system for all computer and electronics labs.

2. Continue to design a "standard" image (template) for all PC labs on campus, one which can be customized for individual instructor needs in each lab or made the same in all labs, depending on need, availability of software and the capabilities of stations in each lab.

3.   Design a set of two or three "standard" images (templates) for set-up of computers for staff, faculty and administrative uses. These should be easily customizable to meet individual needs.      

4.   Research voice-over-IP service for the campus. Begin design and implementation of FAX integration with GroupWise e-mail system. New 'phone switch permits experimentation with these services.

5.   Work to maintain an open-access computer lab schedule. LAC 105 was originally set up for this purpose, but this use has slipped. The Library computer lab is filling some of this need.

6.   Give any aid needed for implementation of Cable Channel 43 change to all-digital format.

7.   Set up Blue Tooth in classroom settings for media cart applications. Do limited tests of campus administrative wireless networks

2004-2005:

1. Continue providing services enumerated above.

2. Complete backbone upgrade to GB bandwidth if not already completed. GB to the desk may have become possible. By this time, the state Chancellor's office will have provided DS-3 linkage to the Internet and the District Office fully implemented new SAP data-management software.

3. Continue operation of new 'phone service. We will be experimenting with integration of voice and data traffic on the Administrative CAN or to move the Administrative CAN to the new phone cable system with both services integrated.

4. Expand internship training for Technology Division and Business Division students in department operations.

5. Continue experimentation and development with wireless applications on campus, including BlueTooth connections for media carts in classroom applications and campus network networks

Long-standing InfoTech Department Goals:

A. Recycle computers in each lab every three years. One possible alternative to this would be to set up "thin client" labs with "dumb" terminals and servers with plenty of processing power, memory and broad bandwidth connections to clients.

B. We do not now have adequate staffing for maintenance of campus Information Technology needs. From 1995 to 1999, the Department had three software workers and three hardware workers. In the mean time, the number of labs was nearly doubled. In each of the last four years approximately 100 to 200 new computers have been bought and delivered. Almost all of the old computers are asked for in new service. Even though some old computers are surplussed every year, this still means we add 100 to 200 computers to campus inventory every year. We hired (June, 2000) one additional Computer and Network Systems Support Specialist and one new Assistant Computer and Network Systems Support Specialist (since upgraded to Specialist), but the increases in equipment quickly outstrip the personnel in place. Provision of lab techs would be a great help for the operation and use of existing computer labs. According to the State Chancellor's office, the department, currently with 8 permanent workers and three part-time student workers, should have a complement of 17 to 18 full-time personnel.

C. Also needed is funding to purchase, set up and maintain remote management software and to continually train and to update training of personnel to make most efficient use of the personnel we have. In 1999/2000 we reduced the man hours needed to set up or restore the operating software in any lab by anywhere from five to fifteen hours. We expect to do almost as well with Administrative-side computer service with remote-management software when it is fully implemented.

D. There is continuing interest on campus in purchasing some sort of hand-held devices, with wireless LAN capabilities for use in inventory communications and job reporting purposes. Two campus area wireless networks would allow collecting of additional student login time and would increase efficiency of service call answering and reporting.

Last updated 05/08/2003