Ralph Michaelis, CIO
A new fiscal year is now upon us. Looking back, this past year was one of contrasts and contradictions. We faced economic uncertainty and we recognized the importance of optimizing our resources, collaborating with one another, and bringing people together to reach our goals.
As a multidisciplinary department, we often find ourselves at the point of integration and collaboration. As showcased in our new section on this site ‘This Month @ ITS’, much of our successes can be attributed to various collaborations.
- Sharing information: Frameworks, plans, ideas. Applications Development successfully implemented the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) which helped better utilize resources in both ITS and in the Registrar’s office.
- Sharing resources: Technology, people, $$. Web Services worked closely with the Department of Communication to implement the University’s initiative to move print materials online.
- Sharing space: Physical and virtual environments. ITS successfully collaborated with the University of Ottawa to co-host this year’s Ontario University Computing Conference.
While this year will present both challenges and opportunities, there is a real positive buzz on campus. With the construction of new buildings, the funding of exciting new programs and the implementation of innovative strategies (Identity Access Management and Information Management to name a few), it is undeniable that collaboration will be paramount to the success of each of these endeavors.