Our Vision

We will delight our users with solutions that work for them, reduce costs for the university, and advance UNB’s mission to create the premier university environment for our students, faculty and staff in which to learn, work and live.

Our Mission

We, Information Technology Services, provide UNB with professional services, leadership, and expertise to ensure our community can achieve its goals with the support of the best technologies of today and advances of tomorrow.

Quality service is our most cherished core value; we aim for 100% satisfaction with all ITS-supported or sponsored projects and activities. We strive to meet the technology needs of all our users with appropriate, reliable, and functional solutions. We are highly aware of our environment, and carefully consider all aspects of our portfolio to ensure that we are delivering the best value possible. We reach out to our users and engage them in articulating and designing the tools needed to enhance UNB’s mission and reputation throughout the province and beyond.

Goals for 2013-2014

Note: The ITS Strategic Plan 2013-2014 is a rolling 2-year plan that will be updated every January (coinciding with the budget cycle). Initiatives are generally enterprise in scale, though several Fredericton-specific projects are included. Internal goals and objectives are reflected in ITS departmental plans.

We have aligned our strategy to that of the university to ensure we effectively support its vision and mission. Our specific goals are measurable, and will be evaluated frequently to ensure progress and value; we have compiled estimates of staff time and funding required to accomplish them:

1.    Provide an exceptional and transformative student experience
In 2013 we will:

  • Deploy Office 365 – the next generation of cloud-based productivity tools from Microsoft
    • Metric: Office 365 deployed and in use by students and alumni, retired faculty/staff
    • Rationale: The next step in convergence of cloud (students) and self-hosted (faculty/staff) connectEd services                   
  • Deploy at least one mobile app designed to deliver useful and valuable information directly to students via whatever device they choose
    • Metric: App deployed that integrates with an enterprise-level system such as Datatel   
    • Rationale: Apps should be more than just packages of links to websites--an integrated app is convenient and saves a lot of time               
  • The public UNB websites will be refreshed, and will incorporate responsive design, which formats webpages according to the needs of the device               
    • Metric: UNB websites refreshed, with responsive design elements built in   
    • Rationale: Part of the new mobility strategy; users will be able to access web services easily and without formatting problems               
  • Features and functionality will continue to be added to the UCard, including new merchants and door access    
    • Metric: UCard business plan developed and implemented, with new merchants added and door access systems deployed                   
    • Rationale: The new card services will make studying and working at UNB more convenient, safe, and efficient           
  • Application and desktop virtualization will become a reality, allowing students to use university-supplied applications anywhere, on-campus or off              
    • Metric: Virtualization project launched and solutions deployed as appropriate   
    • Rationale: Users won't have to have special applications installed on their devices; they can simply access software anywhere, anytime           
  • Install new wireless systems and services, ensuring reliable, high capacity connectivity   
    • Metric: Wireless (802.11n) system designed, deployed, and in production on most of Fredericton campus, and all of Saint John campus           
    • Rationale: The next generation of wireless will triple capacity, and greatly enhance reliability of the entire wireless network

In 2014 we will:           

  • Continue wireless deployment, and extend to selected exterior areas
    • Metric: Wireless system fully deployed on Fredericton campus, and exterior sites selected and covered
    • Rationale: Ubiquitous coverage is feasible, and will enhance the user experience, while fully utilizing wireless investments 

2.    Provide Financial Responsibility and resiliency
In 2013 we will:

  • Install and commission an IT disaster recover site, to reduce impact to the university in the event of a major incident in the primary data centre
    • Metric: DR site installed and operating
    • Rationale: Risk mitigation and business continuity are best practices
  • Finish deploying VoIP system, to achieve dollar savings for all departments and units on Fredericton campus
    • Metric: VoIP fully deployed and savings tracked and reported
    • Rationale: VoIP is on track to save the university more than $3 million over 10 years
  • Open the mobility resource centre in Head Hall, to assist faculty and staff members select, acquire, configure, and learn about mobile devices
    • Metric: Mobility resource centre open and resourced to respond to user needs
    • Rationale: This centre will reduce costs by ensuring faculty and staff select the right device for the right purpose--no more guessing
  • Develop and publish the ITS Service Catalog, specifying deliverables, setting user expectations, and describing issue resolution protocols
    • Metric: ITS Service Catalog published
    • Rationale: This is a widely recognized IT best practice, ultimately ensuring the IT operation is efficient, transparent, and cost-effective
  • Share Ricoh printer analysis results with departments and units, allowing them to take advantage of efficiency and optimization recommendations to save money
    • Metric: Ricoh printer analysis shared with departments and units
    • Rationale: Departments can make their own decisions on deploying printers; the Ricoh analysis shows how to save significant resources

In 2014 we will:

  • Build on the work done to prepare the Service Catalog, by collecting data that will lead to improved user experience
    • Metric: Measure and report user experience results according to deliverables specified in the Service Catalog
    • Rationale: By implementing specific, measureable targets, ITS will improve its overall performance and user satisfaction
  • Develop and test an IT disaster recovery plan
    • Metric: DR plan developed and tested
    • Rationale: The DR plan is the final step in preparations to ensure risk mitigation and continuity in the event of a serious incident
  • Renovate the primary data centre, to ensure reliability and to extend facility useful life by 10 years
    • Metric: Data centre renovated and fully operational
    • Rationale: The data centre is an essential facility that must be maintained appropriately for normal university operations
  • Define the Enterprise Architecture, to provide context for technology planning
    • Metric: Enterprise architecture defined
    • Rationale: This industry best practice ensures coherent technology selection, deployment, analysis, and usability
  • Incorporate Balanced ScoreCard methodology into ITS planning and quality assurance processes; the 4 BSC dimensions include Financial, Customer, Internal, and Learning and Growth
    • Metric: BSC methodology incorporated into ITS planning and QA, with regular reports categorized by BSC dimension
    • Rationale: BSC ensures that initiatives align with major objectives, which in turn align with strategy
  • Design and deploy a data warehouse, to allow business functions to easily and independently use enterprise data for discovery and analysis
    • Metric: Data warehouse deployed, along with applications and middleware to allow business users to interact with it effectively
    • Rationale: Accessible and usable data is required for organization decision-making, understanding trends, and forecasting results
  • Develop and deploy asset management strategies and processes to ensure appropriate management of university-owned computers and mobile devices
    • Metric: Microsoft SCCM used to track and manage university-owned assets
    • Rationale: Asset management will reduce overall costs by ensuring inventories are up-to-date, and less effort is needed to manage assets

3.    Help build a better university
In 2013 we will:

  • Design and launch an online security awareness course for use by all students, staff and faculty
    • Metric: Security course launched and in use by students, staff and faculty
    • Rationale: The impact of phishing, malware, data breaches, etc. on productivity and resource allocation will be reduced
  • Deploy Sharepoint platform for building university communities, file and calendar sharing, and document management
    • Metric: Sharepoint deployed and in production
    • Rationale: Sharepoint will become a key application for university-wide collaboration and will enhance efficiency
  • Deploy Lync product from Microsoft to provide enhanced communication capabilities through Exchange, VoIP, and video
    • Metric: Lync deployed and integrated with Exchange and VoIP services
    • Rationale: Lync will directly improve integration and convergence of connectEd and VoIP technologies
  • Begin installing door access systems that use new card system, to provide highly customizable access control wherever needed
    • Metric: New electronic door access systems installed, using central application
    • Rationale: Centralized, standardized door access systems will make the university a safer place while reducing overall door access  costs
  • Share internal expertise and specialized knowledge across the enterprise through workshops, tutorials, and by example
    • Metric: Workshops, tutorials, consultations, tickets tracked and reported
    • Rationale: ITS is a leader in developing, proving, and deploying new methodologies like project management and process improvement

In 2014 we will:

  • Review portal platform to begin planning for the next portal version
    • Metric: Portal reviewed and roadmap defined, including new recommendations
    • Rationale: Portal technology changes rapidly, and ITS intends to keep up, ensuring UNB has the best tools possible
  • Design and deploy a comprehensive IT security website, complete with IT security policies and best practices
    • Metric: Security website designed and in production
    • Rationale: Better security and security awareness mean that everyone can focus on their own priorities and productivity
  • Enhance and expand current performance management processes by incorporating formal training plans as necessary
    • Metric: Formal training plans incorporated into performance management processes
    • Rationale: ITS is an organization that supports and encourages its staff to grow and learn on the job

4.    Help build a better province
In 2013 we will:

  • Participate in strategic planning with ECN partners, basing discussions on individual and consortial Dell assessment results
    • Metric: ECN strategic plan finalized
    • Rationale: The ECN has worked well for over 40 years, and is ready to increase and enhance collaboration
  • Participate in joint initiatives with ECN partners, as defined in the strategic plan
    • Metric: Participation documented in various reports, e.g. ECN annual report
    • Rationale: ECN members will collectively benefit from continued collaboration, while fully utilizing shrinking resources

In 2014 we will:

  • Evaluate feasibility of offering space in renovated UNB primary data centre to ECN partners for disaster recovery and/or backup
    • Metric: Needs assessment conducted among ECN partners, mapping requirements to space availability
    • Rationale: The ECN consortium is investing $150,000 in the data centre project; it is a key project for consortial sustainability

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