DoIT Advisory Groups
Information Technology Governance at UW-Madison
Overview
IT Governance at UW-Madison relies on the input of several committees. Only the
Information Technology Committee (ITC) makes recommendations directly to the CIO,
the University Committee, and the Faculty Senate for approval and action. The other
committees offer input and advice but are not accountable for decision-making.
The Information Technology Committee is the shared governance advisory body for
policy and planning for information technology throughout the University. The ITC
makes recommendations on IT policy and strategic planning to the CIO, the University
Committee, and the Faculty Senate for their approval.
The committee is comprised of eight faculty members, two from each faculty division,
appointed for terms of four years, three academic staff members (outside of DoIT), and
three students (at least one undergraduate and at least one graduate) to serve one-year
terms. No member of the DoIT staff may serve as a voting member of the committee. The
Director of DoIT is an ex officio non-voting member of the ITC. The Director of the
University General Library System appoints one non-voting member to the committee and
the Provost appoints three non-voting members, one from the Office of the Vice Chancellor
for Administration, one from the Office of Business Services, and one from the Office of
the Provost. The Committee Chair is selected by a majority of the ITC voting members.
Meeting monthly during the academic year, the ITC
- makes recommendations on strategic planning for the University’s IT resources,
- reviews the performance of IT facilities and services,
- receives reports from other committees
- provides general direction on specific IT issues
- monitors technical developments,
- advises on budget matters,
- receives recommendations from departments, deans, and DoIT, and
- gives advice on resource allocation among IT services and facilities.
Current members and archived agendas and minutes.
Advisory Groups
In 2004, facilitated discussions between the CTIG executive committee and the DoIT
CIO’s Office resulted in the formation of MTAG. This advisory group provides a formal
connection between the University’s CIO’s Office and campus departmental system
administrators and consists of 18 members serving staggered three-year terms. The group
provides advice and consultation to the University’s CIO Office regarding enterprise-wide
technology infrastructure and implementation issues that directly affect departmental
and divisional campus IT unit. MTAG members recommend items to be taken to the Information
Technology Committee (ITC) for their consideration and agreement. In addition, the group
is asked periodically to assist the CIO Office and DoIT in evaluating products and services
being considered for acquisition and/or implementation. More information on Madison Technical Advisory Group (MTAG).
Established in 1997, CTIG is a self-formed group with about 30-35 members. It has an
executive committee and includes representatives from each of the University’s more than
twenty schools, colleges, administrative units, and auxiliaries. The group was established
during the ISIS implementation and continues to coordinate the identification, prioritization,
resolution and communication of the University’s common technical issues. CTIG is comprised
of mid-level IT specialists and high-level departmental systems administrators from across
campus.
The CTIG executive committee solicits input from group members on IT-related technical
and communication concerns and issues. They arrange presentations to the group from a wide
range of campus IT leaders and technical staff. The DoIT Communications Office schedules
and publicizes these presentations as part of the Tech Partners IT event series (see description
below). This past year, the CTIG executive committee and the DoIT CIO’s office underwent a facilitated
process that resulted in the formation of the Madison Technical Advisory Group (MTAG), which offers
CTIG members a more formal connection to the CIO’s Office (see MTAG description above). Additional
information on Campus Technical Issues Group.
Identity Management Leadership Group
The IMLG was created in late 2004 as a working group to identify issues, develop policies,
and assist with setting priorities associated with identity management on campus. Identity
management refers to the policies, processes and technologies by which the identities of persons
are validated, registered and maintained by the institution; it is the critical foundation for
secure authentication and authorization to services and applications. This group provides
guidance and leadership concerning initiatives to:
- Define identity-management process roles and responsibilities for obtaining access to information and services;
- Establish criteria about how decisions are made;
- Coordinate and negotiate access to information and services;
- Seek efficiencies, especially in the area of eliminating duplicative cards for ID and security purposes.
Established in 2004, the T4 Faculty Advisory Group provides advice to forward the mission
of T4 Engage. T4 Engage transforms teaching and learning on the Madison campus and beyond.
This advisory group makes recommendations to DoIT about specific award themes and project
proposals, The group is comprised of five faculty members from different disciplines who
serve three-year terms.
The Advisory Group has reviewed proposals for teaching and learning with technology
awards as part of the Engage program, including the Innovation, and Adaptation Awards.
Funding for these awards is provided primarily through the Madison Initiative. Project
proposals are submitted to this advisory group in an ongoing process by faculty and
instructional staff on campus.
Innovation and Adaptation project themes are determined through a campus-wide process
that seeks input from faculty and staff in a variety of ways. Input to the advisory group
is gathered through:
- Formal conversations that occur at relevant campus events like the spring Teaching
and Learning Symposium or Community of Educational Technology Support (ComETS).
- Ongoing informal conversations with the Advisory Group faculty and DoIT staff in
conjunction with faculty and instructional staff across campus.
- Review of topics presented at relevant conferences including the spring Teaching
and Learning Symposium, the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference, Educause and
the Educause Learning Initiative (ELI), AAHE, and more.
- Regular review of literature on teaching and learning, and teaching and learning
with technology from sources that include the Horizon annual report and ELI reports.
The T4 Engage program manager at DoIT staffs this advisory group. Other DoIT staff attend
meetings by invitation of the advisory group. No member of the DoIT staff may serve as a voting
member of the committee. More information on T4 Engage.
Network Advisory Group (NAG)
Formed in 2003, NAG works with DoIT Network Services regarding developments in the campus network
upgrade project and other networking issues. This group evolved from the Network Technical Task Force
(NTTF) that was formed during the early phases of the campus network upgrade. The group consists of a
core group of senior campus network administrators, IT Directors and guests. The group provides feedback
on technical issues and provides input on policy development.
Established in 1989, the Tech Partners is an informal listserve of over 900 UW-Madison technology
professionals, academic staff, faculty, and student employees interested in discussing a variety of
IT issues, including opinions about hardware and software, how-to questions, requests for resources,
and technology assessments. The group sponsors technical information sessions, usually involving
presentations by DoIT staff. By registering as the designated technology contact in their campus
departments, approximately 250 people in this group have become Primary Tech Partners. The 700 Tech
Partners use a listserve, supported by DoIT, to solicit and obtain technical information as well as
to express opinions about technology activities on campus. Primary Tech Partners and DoIT management
have a membership-monitored, technology-focused listserv of their own, used as well to distribute formal
DoIT announcements. More information about Tech Partners and the Primary Tech Partners.
