Information Technology at Seton Hall University: A Five Year Plan for Excellence
October 1995

Information technology poses many very significant questions and challenges to the University and all of us who work and learn here. While information technology has the potential to address some very real pedagogical needs of our students and faculty and offers the promise of significantly improving the way we work and manage the University, this potential remains largely unfulfilled. Information technology itself does not produce any improvement in the learning process or in the management of the University. Careful planning and significant time are required by instructors who wish to take advantage of the instructional technologies in teaching and careful planning and significant investments in equipment, infrastructure, support, and faculty and staff development are required by institutions of higher learning who wish to take advantage of the potential of technology in reengineering core student services or expanding access to instruction.

Until recently, Seton Hall had not engaged in the enterprise-wide planning and resource allocation necessary to take advantage of the potential of information technology in teaching, l;earning, and the management of the University. Indeed, it is the consensus of those who were involved in this planning study that this lack of planning and the resulting uneven development of the University's information technology resources has placed Seton Hall at a disadvantage in carrying out its academic mission. In recognition of this, the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor initiated this planning study. This document is the result of that intensive six-month effort involving all elements of the University community, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Developing a plan for the University that addresses the needs and concerns of all constituencies on campus and at the same time proposes creative yet realistic solutions to the myriad challenges surrounding technology has been a daunting task for the planning team. Information technology is not an end in itself, but a means for achieving our institutional goals. Information technology touches upon a number of difficult issues confronting higher education, such as: the organization and structure of the University, the allocation of resources and the budget process, faculty rewards and incentives, instructional effectiveness and assessment, the delivery of student services, the productivity of the workforce, and the increased competition for students. This plan is the result of the Computing and Information Technology Planning and Policy committee wrestling with these difficult issues, with the full-time assistance of a planning facilitator, the significant input of the entire University community, and the aid of a number of acknowledged experts in uses of information technology in higher education. This plan attempts to address the major issues surrounding the management and use of information technology that were presented to us by the University community while also taking into account the external trends for information technology in higher education.

This document is not an end. It provides an assessment of our current technological environment and provides a clear direction for the future of information technology at Seton Hall. In this sense it is a strategic plan, calling for significant and sustained planning in order to achieve the objectives outlined in this document. It may seem odd to some to have a plan that calls for more planning, but that is the reality of the current globally networked, highly competitive, and rapidly changing environment in which we find ourselves. Within the framework of this strategic direction, the entire University community should begin an extensive discussion of the issues and recommendations set forth in this document and develop a shared vision for the future of information technology at Seton hall. We must also develop the detailed tactical plans necessary to achieve this shared vision. This planning and discussion must be ongoing. While it was our intention to develop a strategic direction for technology that would see the University into the next century, we also recognize that this plan will need to be continually assessed and updated, and we have recommended structures that will ensure that the necessary ongoing assessment and planning take place.

Critical to the success of these changes will be a commitment at all levels of the institution to transform the information technology infrastructure of the University to support the strategic direction for technology outlined in this document. Also required will be a strong leadership and a substantial commitment of time and resources on the part of the University and its faculty. We ask that the entire University community weigh the technology issues and implications set forth in this document and carefully consider the recommendations we have made. Given what we know about the potential for information technology in teaching, learning, research, the delivery of student services, and the effective management of the institution, we believe that the University community should and will embrace the changes in the management and use of information technology proposed in this document. We welcome the participation of the Seton Hall community in further shaping this plan and the University.

Dennis Garbini, Asst. Executive Vice Chancellor
Stephen Landry, Faculty, Math/CS Department
Co-Chairs, CITPPC
October 1995