"Information Technology Executive Committee" Archive

Update regarding faculty computers

This message is sent on behalf of Dean of the College Jacque Fetrow, who also chairs the IT Executive Committee (ITEC):

I’m writing to let you know the outcome of the Next Steps Initiative. We will move forward with the plan and two year pilot that has been proposed and presented in ITEC’s preliminary report distributed in January. (I thank all of you who took the time to respond to that report.) The College will move to a two-year pilot, to explore the issues associated with laptop choice and with virtualization of some parts of the software load. The university will pay for the costs of the pilot programs for both choice and virtualization. Information Systems (IS) and the College will pay for the costs of updating the standard laptop to a higher-performing model which will last for four years (if necessary).

As recommended by CIT, the faculty laptops will be moving to a four-year rotation, and will include the upgrades to the higher-performing model.  More information will be coming from the IS department regarding opportunities for additional minor upgrades for faculty.

There will be no option for faculty who are not scheduled for laptop replacement this year, nor for rising sophomores or seniors, to replace their laptop with the new model.  As always, there is the option for anyone to purchase the standard laptop on the Library’s “Friends and Family” web page.  Any student or faculty member who does this with personal funds will not be able to access some of the standard load software, because of licensing issues.

Our next step is moving forward with “Vision 2020: A Technology Plan for Wake Forest University,” the goal of which is to consider the future of technology and computing in education at Wake Forest.  You will hear more about this initiative in coming months.

I thank all of you for your feedback and active participation over the past year, as we have worked together to identify the future of the laptop program at Wake Forest.

IT Executive Committee releases interim report

This message is from Jacque Fetrow, chair of the IT Executive Committee and dean of Wake Forest College:

The IT Executive Committee has completed its preliminary assessment of the Next Steps in Technology project.  We have gathered information and feedback from many sources, which are shared on the Next Steps Google Site. We have also evaluated the financial underpinnings in detail.

An interim report is also posted on the Next Steps Google Site. ITEC is requesting feedback on this interim report, which we will incorporate into our final report.  Please send your responses and questions to itec@wfu.edu.

What is the next stage of technology at WFU?

The following is from Jacque Fetrow, the chair of the IT Executive Committee and the Dean of Wake Forest College:

Dear Reynolda Campus Colleagues,

With the significant changes in technology and the upcoming expiration of the Lenovo contract in Fall 2012, it is time to begin discussions on the next stage of technology on the Reynolda campus. The Information Technology Executive Committee (ITEC) seeks the help of our entire campus in exploring next steps in academic technology.

During the planning for the Plan for the Class of 2000 in the 1990’s, the faculty and staff of the Reynolda campus participated in detailed discussions regarding technology for academic purposes. These discussions resulted in the laptop program, a program that supplied laptops and a suite of professional software programs to every student, staff, and faculty member. This program has served us well for over a decade.

With the upcoming expiration of the Lenovo contract, now is the right time to re-evaluate technology on campus. The question is not simply “do we keep the laptop program or not,” but extends well beyond to ask: what is the next step for technology on the Reynolda campus? We plan a campus-wide conversation, involving all constituencies, to discuss and consider this question. Read more

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