December 18, 2008
Volume 1 Issue 8
In this issue:
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A Message From the Provost
Dear Colleague,
As we prepare for the holiday season, I want to thank you for all you have contributed to the University this year. We have taken on many challenges, and, together, we have accomplished much. As educators and researchers, our work reaches deeply into the minds of our students and broadly into scholarship and research that have an impact on a global scale. A wonderful recognition for our traditions of excellence in both teaching and research came with the National Medal of Science awarded to Emeritus Professor of Physics Charles P. Slichter “for establishing,” as the citation reads, “nuclear magnetic resonance as a powerful tool to reveal the fundamental molecular properties of liquids and solids. His inspired teaching has led generations of physicists and chemists to develop a host of modern technologies in condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology and medicine.”
As we look to 2009, we will face new challenges. Clearly we must act in disciplined, innovative ways to address financial constraints that reflect the crisis in the state and national economies. The re-accreditation process now underway with the Higher Learning Commission will identify the great strengths of our institution that we must leverage, as well as challenges we must address. Efforts to re-think our institution, like the IT@Illinois initiative, described in this newsletter, will be critical as we seek to best use our precious resources. Much great work lies ahead.
Best wishes in the new year.
Sincerely,
Linda Katehi
Accreditation Progress
In preparation for the next accreditation review by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Office of the Provost is working with faculty, staff, and administrators across campus to complete a Self-Study, which will be presented to the Accreditation Team in advance of their visit on October 12-14, 2009. The Self-Study is a comprehensive assessment of campus progress since the last accreditation in 1999. Additionally, the Self-Study offers an opportunity for us to identify our own strengths and challenges so that we may evaluate campus policies, procedures, and planning in relation to our Strategic Plan and University mission.
Our Self-Study is organized around the five goals of the campus’ Strategic Plan:
- Goal I: Leadership for the 21st Century
- Goal II: Academic Excellence
- Goal II: Breakthrough Knowledge and Innovation
- Goal IV: Transformative Learning Environment
- Goal V: Access to the Illinois Experience
I want to thank the Section Committees for their hard work and diligence in producing the Self-Study. We plan to distribute the completed document to campus stakeholders in advance of the accreditation visit. Through Inside Illinois and other communications channels, summaries of Self-Study sections will be distributed.
For further information on our activities on accreditation, as well as updates on current efforts, please visit the Provost's Web site for updates regarding the accreditation process.
IT@Illinois Initiative
IT@Illinois represents an effort through which the campus will re-examine its reliance on information and communication technologies and re-design the way these resources are connected to research, teaching, and outreach. Building on prior work of the Provost’s Resource Use Advisory Committee, IT@Illinois aims to shift effort and investment from lower-value functions into higher-value actions and activities. On December 10 and 11 the initiative was launched with a Symposium and a related IT@Illinois Workshop. A wealth of materials related to IT@Illinois, including print and video materials from the December 10 Symposium, can be found at : https://wiki.cites.uiuc.edu/wiki/display/itatillinois/Home
Note: Access to the site requires a campus NetID.
The Symposium was a call-to-action to the entire campus, especially to the many hundreds of IT professionals, to make ourselves ready for an effort to re-envision IT on our campus. Our IT support resources have grown into their present shape over a long history and have made the University of Illinois known for innovations in IT technologies and services. We must now reshape these resources and our expertise to meet the needs of the future. Many faculty and IT professionals will be asked to join in responding to the symposium’s call-to-action by re-examining how we have structured our IT environment and thinking about how we might reconfigure it to adapt to changing needs.
During the Symposium it was argued forcefully that good stewardship of resources is an obligation of all university employees, and that fulfilling our responsibilities as a Land Grant university demands that we give up our practices that inflate our cost of operation without directly serving our mission. Speakers offered views on a variety of intellectual frontiers that depend on investing IT resources in a more focused and purposeful way. Connie Shoemake, a senior executive from IBM Corporation described IBM’s transformation. Over a five year period, IBM transitioned from a redundant, inefficient set of IT organizations to a single, streamlined and customer-focused model that both saved billions of dollars and increased service levels and customer satisfaction globally. Several hundred participants attended the symposium in person while 150 tuned in to streaming video webcast of the sessions.
The related Workshop convened by Chief Information Officer and Associate Provost Sally Jackson, was attended by 50 IT leaders from across campus and from University Administration. Through group study and lightning-round presentations of concept papers, these 50 individuals considered how best to approach the tasks set for IT@Illinois. Planning is underway for other workshops involving other participants, to assure a very inclusive process in which many ideas can be gathered very rapidly. The goal is to produce a new concept for how to structure IT resources by end of March 2009, with the expectation that development of appropriate implementation plans will follow.
If you are interested in participating in the upcoming efforts and activities or have ideas to share with the teams being formed please upload your comments suggestions on the wiki. Our Campus is eager to hear your ideas and to have you help us actively.
Feedback
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