Strategic Technology Roadmap Houston Community College 2005

Strategic Technology Vision and
Road Map 2015: IT Strategic Plan
- Living Document -

Houston Community College System
Information Technology Department

October 28, 2005 –– Version 1.0

Strategic Technology Road Map 2015

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................9

1.1 Purpose of the Technology Road Map........................................................................................................................................................ 11

1.2 Audience for the Technology Road Map..................................................................................................................................................... 11

1.3 How to Use the Technology Road Map ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

1.4 Three Core Business Problems for HCCS.................................................................................................................................................. 12

1.5 Technology Planning Approach & Process................................................................................................................................................. 12

1.6 Contributors to the Technology Road Map ................................................................................................................................................. 14

1.7 Organization of the Technology Road Map................................................................................................................................................. 14

2.0 CURRENT SITUATION –– NOW....................................................................................................................................15

2.1 Competitive Situation at HCCS ................................................................................................................................................................... 15

2.1.1 Senior Management Perspective.............................................................................................................................................. 16

2.1.2 Industry Perspective.................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Houston Community College System 2
Final - Version 1.0 Date: 10/28/2005


2.1.3 College Perspective .................................................................................................................................................................. 17

2.1.4 Internal IT Staff Perspective...................................................................................................................................................... 18

2.1.5 Competitive Landscape ............................................................................................................................................................ 18

2.2 Organization and Management Processes................................................................................................................................................. 18

2.3 Business Applications ................................................................................................................................................................................. 21

2.4 Network Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................................. 23

3.0 FUTURE SITUATION –– VISION ...................................................................................................................................25

3.1 Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure to Accommodate Current Programs and Growth .............................................................................. 26

3.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments............................................................................................................................................... 27

3.3 Lead and Support Business Process Improvement.................................................................................................................................... 27

3.4 Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service Company (ISCo) Model............................................................................................ 27

3.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively ............................................................................................... 28

3.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime ....................................................................................... 28



4.0 SOLUTION PLAN –– TIMELINE ....................................................................................................................................29

4.1 Short-Term 2005-06 thru 2007-08 ““Back to Basics”” ................................................................................................................................... 29

4.2 Medium-Term 2008-09 thru 2010-11 .......................................................................................................................................................... 30

4.3 Long-Term 2011-12 thru 2013-14 ............................................................................................................................................................... 31

5.0 SOLUTION PLAN –– SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................32

5.1 Portal Technology ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

5.2 Network Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

5.3 What is a Portal ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

5.4 Portal Architecture....................................................................................................................................................................................... 34

5.5 What Distinguishes a Website from a Portal............................................................................................................................................... 34

6.0 SOLUTION PLAN –– STRATEGIES & INITIATIVES TO DELIVER...............................................................................37

6.1 Strategy: Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure for Growth .......................................................................................................................... 37

6.1.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 37



6.1.2 Future Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................. 37

6.1.3 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 38

6.1.3.1 Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Area Networks ............................................................................................... 38

6.1.3.2 Develop an Architecture Refresh and Upgrade Strategy Including Capacity Planning ............................................ 38

6.1.3.3 Enhance Communications and Collaboration Services............................................................................................ 39

6.1.3.4 Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP and Network Convergence.............................................................. 39

6.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments............................................................................................................................................... 40


6.2.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 40

6.2.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 41


6.2.4.1 Create and Implement Enterprise IT Planning Group............................................................................................... 42

6.2.4.2 Formalize and Implement Business Technology Workgroups.................................................................................. 42



6.2.4.3 Investigate Potential Outsourcing Alternatives ......................................................................................................... 44

6.3 Lead and Support Business Process Improvement.................................................................................................................................... 45





6.3.4.1 Develop Enterprise Portal Strategy to Leverage Technology to Automate Manual Processes................................ 47

6.3.4.2 Implement Project Management Office..................................................................................................................... 47

6.3.4.3 Initiate Enterprise Process Reengineering of High Payback Areas.......................................................................... 48

6.4 Transform Organization Structure to Internal Service Company Model ..................................................................................................... 50







6.4.4.1 Reconfigure Applications Development Group......................................................................................................... 52

6.4.4.2 Develop Contingent Staffing Plan ............................................................................................................................. 53

6.4.4.3 Consolidate College and Administrative Technicians into Services Unit.................................................................. 53

6.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively ............................................................................................... 54





6.5.4.1 Conduct IT Skills Review and Assessment............................................................................................................... 55

6.5.4.2 Implement Project Management Certification Program ............................................................................................ 55

6.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime....................................................................................... 56







6.6.4.1 Identify Management and Managed Network (Active Directory) .............................................................................. 58

6.6.4.2 Implement Comphrehensive Disaster Recovery ...................................................................................................... 58



Executive Summary
1. Reinvigorate the Network Infrastructure to Accommodate
Current Programs and Future Growth

Seventy-five percent of Houston Community College executives
agree that HCCS has a strong strategic plan in place, according to 2. Lead and Support Continuous Business Process

surveys conducted between October 2004 and January 2005. Improvement

Conversely, just 17% agree that people at all levels understand their
role in implementing the strategic plan. In a similar survey, "82% of 3. Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service

Fortune 500 CEO's surveyed indicated that they feel their Company (ISCo) Model

organization did an effective job of strategic planning. However, only
14% of the same CEO's indicated that their organization did an 4. Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services

effective job of implementing the strategy" according to Forbes. The Anywhere, Anytime

common theme and the challenge for all organizations is execution.
Thus, the Strategic Technology Road Map 2015 lays the ground 5. Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly

work to help HCCS information technology execute better and deliver and Effectively

value. Through the vision of the Chancellor, an integral part of HCC
transformation strategy is to Improving IT, which is one of the eleven 6. Maximize Value of Technology Investments
1
(11) strategies set forth by the Chancellor. To advance these
strategies, we have identified six (6) core objectives that are relevant Urgency of the Technology Road Map: Competition & Accountability

and can provide a return on investment to the institution: Competitors are making a concentrated effort to recruit new students
by providing an attractive alternative to HCCS. They are doing this
1
(1) Completion of the Capital Improvement Plan, (2) Annexation, through aggressive marketing, simplified business processes
(3) Improving Financial Aid, (4) Enhancing Learning Support, (5) Tracking Student Progress,
(6) Emphasizing Retention, (7) Implementing Clusters, (8) Improving our Capital Campaign, enabled by technology and creating technology capabilities that
(9) Strengthening Recruitment, (10) Improving IT, and (11) Colleges to Standards
students want.



The Houston Community College System Information Technology Implement best business practices that are repeatable
Department exists to support the information technology needs of the (e.g. project management disciplines and technology
student, faculty and administrators. Unprecedented complexity development maturity by improving IT capabilities)
combined with funding a dynamic environment for new and
competing ideas, demands a fresh approach to HCCS’’ core business Strategic Network Consulting (SNC) was hired to assist the Houston
processes, the structure of information technology services and a Community College System (HCCS), to guide the implementation of
critical look at IT’’s ability to execute. Thus, the road map will help IT Governance and strategic planning. An integral component of IT
create an atmosphere where information technology professionals Governance is a strategic technology business plan or road map that
create value as business problem solvers working side-by-side with serves as a guide and a point of reference from which the System
faculty and administrators to identify, prioritize and execute the right makes decisions about technology investments and the role of
things at the right time in the right way for the right cost. By doing so, technology at HCCS. Without a plan, governance processes
HCCS will be able to: become nothing more than a battle of individual interests rather than
a focused approach to build capabilities that allow HCCS to be more
Manage growth and complexity (e.g. collaboration to competitive. The initial points of the recommendation by SNC
support CIP) included the following:
Control costs (e.g. establishing an enterprise business and Strategic Alignment –– Aligning all the current and future IT
technical architecture that is the foundation for the future to products and services with the System vision and needs.
work across the enterprise and in an integrated way) Value Delivery –– Concentrating on improving
Improve the work culture and service delivery capabilities revenue/expenses while providing valuable IT products
of IT professionals (e.g. capitalize on system-wide IT and services for the organization.
knowledge and capabilities) Risk Management –– The current practice for safeguarding
IT assets, disaster recovery and continuity planning for the
business units.



Resource Management –– Utilizing people, knowledge and Advances the System towards the elusive goal of
technical infrastructure fully to obtain the value of existing business-technology alignment;
resources. Identifies gaps and weaknesses that the System may
Performance Measurement –– The tracking, monitoring and experience to transform and deliver much needed
measuring of IT products and services. strategic capabilities to remain competitive; and
Presents broad brush stroke of timelines for technology
As a result, SNC suggested that rather than outsourcing or pursuing investments over time through 2015; IT leadership
other alternatives, that IT Governance was the appropriate path for recognizes that technology evolves rapidly and cost
HCCS. To be sure, IT Governance is the responsibility of the board estimates are subject to dramatic price shifts.
of directors and executive management. IT Governance is an
integral part of enterprise governance and consists of the leadership 1.2 Audience for the Technology Road Map
and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the IT The intended audience for the Technology Roadmap includes the
department helps build capabilities that help extend the strategies Board of Trustees and Chancellor, our students, Vice Chancellors,
and objectives of the organization. College Presidents, faculty members department heads, department
employees, campus IT instructional leaders, and educational
1.1 Purpose of the Technology Road Map partners with whom HCCS is collaborating to establish new
The purpose of this technology road map is several fold and benefits programs.
HCCS in the following ways:

Provides transparency into IT so users know and
understand existing constraints, the direction of the IT
organization and the long-term vision for technology;



The IT group in an open forum discussed these core problems to
1.3 How to Use the Technology Road Map
kick-off the 2005-06 fiscal year in September 2005. This is important
The strategic technology road map is designed to illustrate a game
because the focus of what IT staff works on is fragmented today.
plan that shows a pathway to strengthen HCCS capabilities and
This fragmentation leads to many projects and activities that start but
competitiveness while helping to build new ones that may not exist
few that the group completes. Based on recent technology failures,
today. Readers should use the road map as a guiding document to
poorly performing IT projects along with the poor system
help galvanize and build consensus around business priorities to
performance during the 2005 fall enrollment, we believe these issues
improve resource allocation and help establish the most effective
represent the most pressing and strategic business problems for
funding options. As such, this is a dynamic document that should
HCCS. Thus, the Strategic Technology Road Map is geared towards
evolve and change over time to reflect updates in thinking as well as
addressing these problems by identifying technology opportunities
new realities that the organization will face.
that improves these problems head-on.

1.4 Three Core Business Problems for HCCS 1.5 Technology Planning Approach & Process
To achieve a modicum of success, IT departments need to focus and October 2004 was the launch of the IT Governance Implementation
establish boundaries within this focus, while also being flexible to project. Executive and administrator intelligence data gathering took
changing needs. Based on the work performed up to this point, we place from October 2004 through February 2005; a single individual
have narrowed the focus to three core business problems as shown led and delivered the entire IT Governance and strategic planning
in the graphic below. outcomes for the System. IT staff participated in an employee survey
1 2 3 in December 2004. During the project start-up period, we learned
Difficult with that previous attempts at IT strategic planning did not involve IT staff
Declining Limited
Which to Do and did not obtain in-depth business input. Prior IT planning
Enrollment Capital
Business
exercises were largely an effort to ““link”” technology projects with
strategic planning efforts in hopes of showing alignment to various



strategies promulgated by the Chancellor. This approach might be Brown-Paper Planning Map 2005 thru 2015
sufficient when there is a high degree of credibility and trust between
the IT department and user groups. This is not the case today.
Therefore, much of the IT efforts to establish IT governance and
develop a strategic plan focused on building credibility, and
consensus building, which often-times does not fit neatly into the
project plan. As part of IT’’s alignment efforts the following activities
also took place:

Strategic Alignment Summit, April 2005
IT Leadership Strategic Planning, August 2005
IT Governance & Investment Council Charter approved by
Chancellor, Dr. Bruce Leslie, August 2005
Developed ““brown-paper”” strategic planning map with IT To address this leadership void, and help guide the planning and
staff, and IDCs using 10 year outlook August through governance effort, five core principles were applied throughout this
September 2005. project:
Conduct small group sessions with IT functional areas IT Governance and Planning Principles for HCCS:
October 2005 Governance mechanisms should reflect prevailing culture
Focus on shared accountability for results and shared
Building confidence that IT can deliver becomes even more responsibility for implementation
problematic since the IT organization is without a permanent IT Full participation by business management and leadership
executive. Governance processes must be practical and actionable
Complete senior management buy-in and sponsorship



1.6 Contributors to the Technology Road Map 1.7 Organization of the Technology Road Map
The following individuals and groups have played an integral role in The IT Road Map represents the de facto plan for the IT Department
shaping the Strategic Technology Road Map 2015, because of their at HCCS. This plan is designed to encompass the current three
energy and passion to contribute to HCCS long-term success. goals and eleven (11) strategies, but is also forward-looking in the
Dr. Bruce Leslie, Chancellor and Sandra Lebron, IDC –– Southeast design and organization to accommodate changing goals and
Sponsor of IT Governance Project
Daler Wade, Director –– Human strategies of the institution. In other words, the path IT is on will
Irene Porcarello, Vice Chancellor of Resources
Student Success and Sponsor remain consistent for the next five (5) years. The strategic
Sheila Briones, Communications ––
IT Governance & Investment Council System technology road map is organization in the following way:
Members:
Stephen Levey, Executive Director
Bill Meyer, IT Interim Director, Chair Distance Education
2.0 Current Situation
Becky Giot, Executive Director Finance Patti Carlton, HCC Foundation –– System

Michael Edwards, Faculty Senate Judy Cantwell, Public Service Librarian 3.0 Future Situation - Vision
President 2004-05 –– Southeast

David Wilcox, Faculty Senate President Stephen Levey, Executive Director,
2005-06 Distance Education 4.0 Solution Plan –– Timeline
Beverly Walker-Griffea, Dean of IT Department Groups:
Student Services –– Central
Infrastructure Services & Support 5.0 Solution Plan - Summary
Joanne Lin, Dean –– Southeast
Applications Development
Charles Hebert, Assoc. VC –– System
Telecommunications 6.0 Solution Plan Details
Madeline Burillo, Continuing Education
- System Enterprise Services 1. Strategy Overview
Butch Herod, Dean –– Northwest Individual Colleges 2. Current Situation
Norma Perez, Dean –– Health Sciences College Presidents 3. Objectives & Value to Enterprise
Larry Mers, Director –– Southwest Instructional Design Coordinators 4. Initiatives to Delivery
Linda Comte, IDC –– Northeast



2.0 Current Situation –– Now
The IT Department is at a severe cross roads that will require
important decisions of potentially large investments in technology
combined with sweeping organizational change that will have far
reaching impact. This section provides in detail, the current situation
of the technology environment at HCCS:

Competitive Situation for IT at HCCS

Organization and Management Processes

Business Applications

Network Infrastructure

2.1 Competitive Situation at HCCS
However, according to senior executives across the System and tech
Within the central IT department at 3100 Main, and IT activities at the
savvy students, IT should deliver services and operate in a strategic
colleges, IT is viewed and treated as a support function and thus IT
mode as the graphic depicts. However, the road to becoming a
operates in support mode as shown in the graphic to the right.
strategic powerhouse requires a major turnaround for the institution
and in particular the IT function. This is essential because doing so
will build the needed ““muscle”” within IT with the investments that the



infrastructure requires and improving how the group organizes, students do this manually. Competitors have this
plans, delivers services and new business capabilities that capability today.
accelerate growth. Below, we outline the perspectives and input of Allow ‘‘dual-credit’’ students to pay online. Basic customer
what an organization needs from a viable technology organization service issues and ease of doing business; today, HCC
from five competitive views: has 1,300 out of district dual credit students.
Automate Financial Aid: nothing is electronic; students get
Senior Management Perspective their check 6-8 weeks after the semester starts.
Industry Perspective Competing institutions allow the student to get their check
HCCS - College Perspective the next day.
HCCS - Internal IT Staff Perspective Students should be in learning communities with
Competitive Landscape instructors playing a more substantial role in facilitating
rather than being a ““sage on stage””.
2.1.1 Senior Management Perspective Technology should play an important role regardless of

Below is a summary of the perspective from the highest levels of location regardless of the city, state or country

executive management at HCCS, when asked how the organization Need business intelligence capabilities; there is lack of

should execute its business in ten years and do so without failure: ability to access meaningful information from core systems
and difficult to report accurate information.

Have every conceivable interaction online for students; Have a vision with each classroom being completely wired

make their experience transparent and enjoyable whether in the new facilities

in-person or online.
Provide everything on the Web: For example: Implement
installment contract online for student approval: today,



2.1.2 Industry Perspective Video Streaming: the bandwidth issue still plagues all

To compound the need for a higher performing IT organization, the video streaming protocols as well as video downloads.

higher education industry provides a set of clear challenges that will Instructors can never be sure whether students are going

continue to hinder HCCS’’ competitive stance if IT is not strengthened to be able to access video material on our servers because

and overall skills upgraded. The Ten IT Challenges for the Next 10 of bandwidth restrictions or because some campuses have

Years include: a much smaller "pipe" than others.
1. Collaboration: Seeking tools that 6. Big Systems: Living with Fewer File Transfer Protocol (FTP): FTP is commonly used to
are easy to use Customizations manage and transmit large files for classroom projects
2. Wireless Networks: Looking for 7. Course Management: Colleges
most notably computer science. Frustrating delays and
reliability and pervasiveness push for an open approach
3. Managing Bandwidth: Packet 8. Security: Threats will get worse
service outages caused by lack of bandwidth are common.
shapers controlling the flow 9. Digital Archiving: Ensuring storage WebCT - Whiteboard - Chat: Distance education and
4. Distance Education: Keeping up space and access hybrid class students have a difficult time using these tools
with exploding demand 10. Intellectual Property: Digital
simultaneously at some campuses due to bandwidth
5. Fund Raising: Managing Data is a copyright law is ripe for revision
key task
restrictions, especially during peak periods, and they are
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, January
often nearly unusable for students attempting to work from
30, 2004
outside the LAN.
2.1.3 College Perspective
Horizon Live: This software package is optimized for online
Based on hands-on experiences at the colleges, new learning
delivery of instruction. It works fairly well, but often there
technologies and methods of distribution have not been successful at
are delays and interrupted service, especially when
the colleges due to the current network infrastructure. Specifically,
application sharing and video presentations are in use.
the Instructional Design Coordinators (IDCs) paint a compelling
Sometimes the connection from one campus will lag far
picture that shows how the industry challenges cited above are
behind that of another campus, causing confusion and
haunting HCCS today and prevent them from doing business in a
frustration among students.
mode that is preferred by today’’s student.



Classroom to Classroom Collaboration: Collaboration in Fear, Uncertain and Instability Due to Concerns of Outsourcing
Inertia and Low Morale
teaching, with two or more classrooms working under the
Missing or Weak Project Sponsorship
instruction of one or more professors but able to Lack of Clarity on How to Focus Limited Resources (financial and people)
communicate in real time, has been tried several times and
consistently fails. The reason is usually lack of quality and 2.1.5 Competitive Landscape
lack of reliability due to the inability of the HCCS network Business Threats Technology Opportunities
to sustain video and audio links. Competitors are Getting Stronger, Leverage Internal Knowledge and
more Agile and Listening to Skills
Real-Time Connections to Super Computer Centers:
Students Create Human Capital
Running calculations and programs by directly linking to HCCS is Not the Only Game in Management Strategy
supercomputing centers is possible, and some schools, Town——Students Have Options Get Active with External

even some high schools, do it routinely. When the colleges Continued Management Relationships and Expand Existing
Uncertainty in IT Relationships (e.g. Time Warner,
have tried, the limitation of the existing bandwidth prevents
Increasingly Poor Public Image—— Gulf Coast Consortium, GHP)
direct connections, so the program or activity is queued to Losing Stature Renovate Broken Processes
run overnight rather than in real-time. Approach to Decision Making and Develop Higher Quality Internal
Political Agendas Protract Taking Communication
2.1.4 Internal IT Staff Perspective Action and Collaboration
Retention and Recruitment of Improve Service Level
Further, according to the IT Staff Survey, conducted in December
Talent Performance Internally
2004, there is even greater cause for immediate change as outlined Brain Drain for Opportunities Implement Project Management
in the key findings shown below: Office
Source: IT Strategic Planning Summit, SWOT
IT Priority Misalignment and Poor Execution
Analysis Conducted April 22, 2005
Increased Use of Outside Technology Vendors
2.2 Organization and Management Processes
Project Missteps and Minimal Accountability
Unprepared Team Members The current organization structure for IT at HCCS does not serve the
Extreme Priority Stress dynamic needs of today’’s learner and administrative consumer of



technology in the most effective way. Across the System, differing operation were more consistent and truly standards based. In
approaches are in use to perform common business processes. As another example, each of the colleges except for Northeast College
a result, HCCS experiences and will continue to experience, has implemented Active Directory. Active Directory allows system
inconsistent service delivery at the colleges (e.g. registration, administrators to monitor user behaviors, provide authentication to
marketing, etc); the complexity will increase exponentially as new enhance HCCS’’ overall security and management of network
buildings come online over the next 18-36 months as the Capital devices (e.g. printers, PDAs) and resources (e.g. software
Improvement Plan (CIP) unfolds. distribution and distribution of patch updates, etc). Each instance of
Active Directory is different in terms of scope, naming conventions in
To illustrate, what should be a common technical capability that use and operating systems (e.g. both Windows 2000 in use and
virtually all corporate learners and many students expect today is Windows 2003).
wireless access to the Internet. Today, one can access the Internet
wirelessly at the Town & Country campus and at the Southwest Another illustration reveals that the service model in use to provide
campus. To do so at Town & Country, the user must first have their PC technical support does not provide the most responsive and
laptop configured by the network administrator at the campus; this helpful approach to end-users. The current technical support model
means the user has to take their machine to technical support for the distinguishes between administrative IT technicians and college IT
computer to be configured to access the Internet wirelessly. By technicians. For example, if an administrator at a college
contrast, when visiting the Southwest campus, the user is not experiences a technical problem, and the college technician is
required to have their laptop configured to access the Internet; the available to resolve they are not allowed to trouble shoot the
user can access the Internet and roam freely with no restrictions. administrators PC. The administrator must wait for an administrative
To be sure, there is not a high degree of coordination amongst the IT technician to arrive to resolve the problem. This is a typical model
colleges to standardize or to create consistent approaches for the for technical support in higher education. However, there is a
delivery of basic services such as accessing the Internet wirelessly. notable trend away from these divisions of labor in favor of providing
There is likely a financial cost savings if the disparate modes of more collaborative, team-oriented support.



Arguably, the most critical aspect of a successful IT function is
people. The current processes for development, mentoring, role and
skills alignment and compensation reveal an IT department that has
structural as well as cultural impediments to achieving greatness.
For example, salary increases tend to be equitable adjustments that
reflect across the board increases; increases typically do not reflect
an individual’’s performance or contributions to the success of HCCS.
The data from the IT staff survey also shows concern about the lack
of willingness to share bad news with managers or information that is
not favorable involving a project.

To support these feelings, the graphic to the right reveals that 60%
responded with Not at All and 22% responded with occasionally Overall, the need to take a proactive stance to improve human
when asked if they believe that ““people receive promotions based on resource practices within IT will become more prominent as baby
merit and performance instead of favoritism or politics.”” boomers choose retirement from now through 2015. This will also
impact outsourcing providers as well who could face staffing
shortages of qualified technical staff, which could potentially make
outsourcing certain functions cost prohibitive if talent is difficult to
identify and recruit successfully. What’’s more, the current
operational success of many critical IT systems, in general, rests on
the shoulders of individual heroics from a few key individuals. This
can be attributed to, in part, to a non-existent ““bench”” of back-up staff



or protégés on which to rely. In summary, the overall People Student Administration
Capability Maturity in the graphic below reflects the IT department’’s Finance
current practices and behaviors that would support a Level 1 Human Resources
maturity.
The applications development group operates predominantly——almost
100% in a support mode today. On project related opportunities, the
group continues to operate in functional silos and thus tends to have
a myopic view of the applications rather than a holistic view of how to
work across the applications to better integrate data and develop
new business capabilities.

IT is here
today.

2.3 Business Applications
Business applications are technologies that enable faculty members,
The applications development group works on building new business
and administrators to perform their respective duties and allow
capabilities or functionality based department-driven interests, which
students and vendors to conduct transactions successfully. HCCS
tends to exacerbate the silo-based approach; the group tends to not
employs an application development group that is organized around
plan for and implement horizontally or across these silos. This is the
the functional modules that comprise the PeopleSoft system. The
crux of the challenge for the application development function at
functional modules in use at HCCS include:
HCCS to improve the ability to meet the needs of business users and
students successfully.



To illustrate, providing ““self-service”” functionality to users is a most important priorities within and across the value chain. Rather
capability that most technology users expect instead of manual than a unified front, IT group priorities tend to be random based on
processes. Self-service functions exist for students to register and to what is important to a particular department or individual. The upside
complete financial aid forms; internally, however, the same cannot be is that with IT Governance slowly taking hold, there will be a greater
said for an employee who wants to change their W2—— this remains a focus on initiatives that provide the greatest financial return on
manual activity. Further analysis reveals that vendors do not enjoy investment and help improve our attractiveness to students and
a complete digital experience that is self-service, during the corporate customers. To be sure, this is where the proverbial bets
procurement process when doing business with HCCS. are placed and careers are made in terms of which technology
Procurement processes today remain manual and paper driven direction accelerates performance or does not.
events rather than high performance e-commerce experiences that
make HCCS easy with which to conduct business. Activities from
document management and distribution to processing transactions
such as invoicing and payments continue to be manual exercises.

In another illustration, the database design for how data is captured
and organized varies greatly between the core modules within
PeopleSoft and does not allow for simple integration between
modules. In other words, IT support is virtually always required to
assist departments with creating reports to assist executives with
decision-making.

The graphic to the right depicts the educational value-chain. The By contrast, if the selected priorities do not provide the return on
strategic difficulty that HCCS experiences is with determining the investment in the business case that was presented to senior



management, career disaster can be the result, assuming there is Support Services (e.g. help desk)
accountability for the outcomes. Telecommunications

2.4 Network Infrastructure
The various modes of communicating as shown in the graphic below
The technology infrastructure is the defacto backbone of HCCS
reflect the need for an infrastructure that is always on, always
ability to create new learning opportunities rapidly, satisfy the
available and virtually always safe. The future is now in terms of
explosive growth of distance education and fulfill student and
these expectations. In fact, with the explosive growth of distance
administrator needs for mobile computing and much more. Today,
education programs, success or failure can often be attributed to the
the network infrastructure at HCCS does not provide the level of
““network infrastructure.”” Simply put, the various components and
reliability, capacity, security, and stability to meet the increasingly
overall architecture that comprise the HCC network are not up to the
demanding expectations of Generation Y and corporate learners. To
task to meet the demands that are being placed on the network,
ensure there is an understanding of what we mean by technology
today.
infrastructure, we outline the areas that comprise the technical
infrastructure based on the organization of the Infrastructure &
Systems Support (ISS) group, which includes:

Network Management and Monitoring
Storage
Desktop Systems
Disaster & Continuity Planning
Mobile and Wireless Computing
Security
Website Development and Management



For example, 38% of the existing switches in use are greater than making more distance education and minority learners is
programs necessary. increasing
five years and should be replaced in order to deliver on a higher
Higher-education learner profiles, Academic emphasis is shifting
bandwidth network. The need to replace this becomes even more including online, information-age, from course-completion to
urgent with the construction of new facilities and building upgrades to and adult learners, are changing competency
existing structures. This is important because these older switches Knowledge and information are Faculty tenure is being
growing exponentially. challenged, allowing for more
do not accommodate higher bandwidth applications and do not
There is a shift in organizational non-traditional faculty roles in
possess the security features that a far flung college operation structure toward decentralization. distance education.
requires. The age of the hardware is important for two reasons: 1) Education is becoming more Instruction is becoming more
end of life, which means no further support by the vendor and 2) seamless between high school, learner-centered, non-linear,
college, and further studies. and self-directed.
does not support Quality of Service (QoS). QoS would enable HCCS
Technological fluency is becoming Technological devices are
to provide better service through directing network traffic more a graduation requirement. becoming more versatile and
effectively. This is done by either raising the priority of traffic flow More courses, degrees, and ubiquitous.
over the network or limiting the priority of another flow. Without this universities are becoming Lifelong learning is becoming a
available through distance- competitive necessity.
ability, it becomes competitive suicide as HCCS is simply unable to
education programs. The distinction between
provide the services described previously. Need for effective course- distance and local education is
management systems are disappearing.
Thirty-Two Trends Affecting Distance Education
growing. Source: Online Journal of Distance
To sharpen the focus even more on the current situation of the Learning Administration, Volume VI,
Number III, Fall 2003

HCCS technology infrastructure, we identified 32 trends that impact
The impact to HCCS triggers an important strategic decision for the
distance education. We present a relevant sample of these trends:
System. Expand the capabilities of the network infrastructure now, or
Current higher education Students are shopping for
jeopardize the dramatic enrollment gains experienced in distance
infrastructure cannot courses that meet their
accommodate the growing college- schedules and circumstances. education at HCCS and potentially hurt the increase of offline or
aged population and enrollments, The percentage of adult, female, classroom students, which is the core business of HCCS.



3.0 Future Situation –– Vision
Focus on Learning and Student Support
Community Building
In contrast to the current situation, the pathway IT should pursue will Organizational Stewardship
push the envelope and promote a level of creativity and imagination
If viewed in the appropriate context, as a guide to greatness, this
that prospective students and faculty members expect from a
road map possesses the flexibility to endure future changes in the
progressive thinking and behaving institution of higher education.
institutions goals and strategic focus. We believe that the six
Our starting point stems from the vision established by the IT group:
strategies we outline below facilitate the advancement of the 11
strategies or provide the enabling tools and information to make high
quality decisions that the administration and Board of Trustees can
rely. HCCS can realize a future state by adopting the six broad
strategies outlined below:

1. Reinvigorate the Network 4. Provide Access to
Infrastructure to Accommodate Educational Opportunities
Current Programs and Future and Services Anywhere,
Growth Anytime
2. Lead and Support Continuous 5. Develop Human Capital
Business Process Improvement Strategy that Builds Skills
3. Transform Organizational Model Quickly and Effectively
to Internal Service Company 6. Maximize Value of
Reviewed and Accepted by P.G.A.L. Program Managers of Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP), September 2005
Model Technology Investments

The vision connects squarely with the Chancellor’’s transformation
model and thinking, which includes the three goals of:



To advance toward the vision successfully requires keen focus. education. Higher education’’s access to network services and
Thus, the approach to fulfilling the IT strategy emphasizes ““back to information assets——whether they support core missions of research
basics”” as the focal point for implementing the technology road map. and teaching or business administration are increasingly central to
Moreover, since the organization is applying a long-term view with an enhancing reputation, competitiveness, client satisfaction, business
eye towards 2015, it is vital to make crisp, well thought decisions performance, revenue and accountability. 2 In fact, institutions that
through careful analysis with available data at the time, while not report a higher quality network infrastructure have in common the
second-guessing decisions down the road, because technology will following best practices:
evolve——something better always comes along. They key to the
future for HCCS is to plan for adaptability in our people, processes Consider the network to a strategic resource
and technology. The technology plan we put forth accomplishes this. Have a primary network goal of providing leading-edge
performance and services

3.1 Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure to Do not consider inadequate funding to be a barrier to the
Accommodate Current Academic delivery of networking services
Programs and Facility Growth Have formal, comprehensive policies and procedures that
cover networking issues; enforce those policies and
The core mission to reinvigorate HCCS’’ network infrastructure is to update them regularly
empower boundary less opportunities for programmatic growth, Provide more redundancy measures for the central
student accessibility, mobility, reliability and security. Thus, the network
initiatives that drive this strategy provides a pathway to meet and Have a disaster recovery plan for the institutions’’ data-
exceed the needs of all stakeholders. networking capabilities 3

2
Providing a reliable, secure, adaptable, scalable, and fault-tolerant Educause, Information Technology Networking in Higher Education Campus Commodity
and Competitive Differentiator, February 2005.
data communications network has become fundamental in higher 3
Ibid. p2



3.2 Maximize Value of Technology community members. There are initiatives in progress or on the
Investments drawing board to improvement process performance. We believe,
however, that HCCS will have to adopt a more comprehensive
The key for this strategy is to leverage information technology by strategy to drive continuous process improvement and eliminate
requiring a common IT oversight capability, or governance, that financial waste. Technology can certainly help accelerate
ensures equal and proper involvement of all areas of the System in improvements, but to achieve lasting success, broad and deep
IT investment decision making and value determination. Because IT organizational change is required.
is a service provider, continual feedback from our stakeholders
concerning direction and performance is critical to success. IT
3.4 Transform Organizational Model to
should aggressively pursue putting in place appropriate controls and
Internal Service Company (ISCo) Model
oversight for the planning, acquisition and deployment of information
technology; this also applies to the colleges spending patterns. This The central point of this strategy is to provide a practical approach to
is a critical step to ensure maximum value is received from each IT deliver IT services that are comparable to an outsourcing provider of
investment. IT services. Outsourcing IT is a popular topic of discussion for many
leaders and organizations have varying levels of success. Before
3.3 Lead and Support Continuous Business HCCS considers such a dramatic move, there should be a firm grasp
Process Improvement on what contributes to the success of an outsourcing agreement.
Therefore, by transforming the current model of IT would provide
The focal point of this strategy is to improve how HCCS executes in
greater insight into the types of services and levels of performance
all client-facing interactions in both internal administrative processes
that senior management should expect in addition to which areas are
and external-facing business processes that shape the total
best suited for this approach. Internal service provider IT groups can
customer experience for students, vendors, corporate partners and
improve credibility and largely shape their destinies by adopting a
competitive service delivery model. This requires:



3.6 Provide Access to Educational
An external focus on the customer, with all that implies in Opportunities and Services Anywhere,
terms of identifying customer needs and meeting them with Anytime
a sound, competency-based service portfolio
The development of business and financial management The central theme for this strategy is mobility and availability. Simply

capabilities put, be open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week for

Sensitivity to the behaviors brought on by organizational students, faculty members, vendors and administrators or slowly

change and the ability to manage them watch enrollment decline even more. Currently, HCCS does not

Political sophistication 4 have a 24x7 uptime policy for the main domain www.hccs.edu.
There are times when the site is unavailable, and typically for various
maintenance tasks. As the system, students and the community
3.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that
become more dependent on IT capabilities, a 24x7 policy must
Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively
become a standard for HCCS. 5
The core of this strategy is to develop a comprehensive approach to
workforce management that ensures IT has the right skills at the right
time and by having the right people in the right jobs. To support this,
5
there is a systematic need for real-time development and training Website System Architecture, Prepared by eSiteful Corporation September 3, 2003

opportunities.

4
Gartner Research, Running IS Like a Business: Introducing the ISCo Model, January 2003.



4.0 Solution Plan –– Timeline
4.1 Short Term 2005-06 thru 2007-08



4.2 Medium Term 2008-09 thru 2010-11



4.3 Long Term 2011-12 thru 2013-14



5.0 Solution Plan –– Summary
administrators and students simultaneously. Conversely, the
network infrastructure is of value if there is an easy to use interface
We have discussed and examined the existing challenges and gaps with relevant applications that are accessible from anywhere,
to meet those challenges above. Now, we present the solution plan anytime and on any device that allows people to have it their way.
to meet the existing and future business needs of HCCS. This
5.3 What is a Portal?
Solution Plan ties together the six core strategies by setting a
A portal is a Web site or conglomeration of Web sites that offers a
technological and business direction to guide the organization that
single point of access or gateway to an organization’’s content,
centers on two core areas: portal technology and a high performance
services, applications, communication tools, virtual communities and
network infrastructure.
more. Based on this definition, HCCS has a number of major portal
sites from which students access the System. Below, we provide the
5.1 Portal Technology
types of services and functionality students, faculty and alumni want
Our solution plan centers on simple concepts that we see today
and expect from a portal.
when we logon to Yahoo, MSN, or commercial portals. The thought
Communication of Events and Activities (to device of
process that drives the need for a portal solution is based on
choice and alerts)
feedback and current initiatives that are either in progress or being
Customizable for Personalized Views
contemplated. In short, the portal is the galvanizing force to provide
Video Clips of Board Meetings
the types of capabilities that technology users want and expect.
Giving History for Donors
Find Old Classmates
5.2 Network Infrastructure
Video of Facilities and Faculty for Prospective Students
To unleash the powerful ideas for what to do with our technology
Ability to Instant Message Classmates
dollars requires a strong network infrastructure that is reliable,
View Payroll Information (e.g. pay stubs)
available, robust and always on. Thus, the portal only works if there
Change W2, marital status, add/change beneficiaries
is a high powered network to meet the diverse needs of faculty,



Send E-Mail enterprise portals in higher education is not new. This is, however,
Single User ID and Login from Anywhere new for HCCS and provides the type of experience students, faculty
Ability to use wireless web on phone or PDA and administrators expect. Since portal technology has matured and
Course updates and unique learning events stabilized, virtually all higher education institutions including our
Executive blogs for quick communications to staff about stiffest competition are moving in the direction of building enterprise
conferences and events attended. portals or already have a portal in full operation. The key reasons to
Vendor registration and monitoring of RFP process, develop a portal include:
electronic payments, track payment status, view invoice
history Speed to Market to Drive New Programs
Billing and financial aid account management Ability to Grow and Adapt to Changing Conditions
Schedule events or meeting space at HCCS facilities Ease of Use for Technologist and Business Users
Promote Customization for Personalized Experience (think
Even more interesting and exciting is how much the organization is MSN, Yahoo, online banking portals)
intuitively focusing on already; the project roadmap has simply not Real-Time Data and Reliable Infrastructure that is Always
been framed to expand portal capabilities, but rather, what we see is On (e.g. RFP alerts to E-Mail, Business Intelligence to the
a focus on individual or departmental project requests. To illustrate, PDA)
6
the existing project list in the Finance area include various ““pieces”” Promotes High-Quality Collaboration and Communications
of what would exist in a total portal experience. Collectively these (e.g. web blogs, Pod casts, instant messaging, file sharing,
projects would provide self-service capabilities for both students and address book sharing via tools such as Plaxo)
for vendors that do business with HCCS. To be sure, this direction of

6
a) Student eCard Project, b) Process Open Purchase Orders
c) Contract Entry via PS Purchasing System
d) Requisition Workflow



5.4 Portal Architecture The focus and energy behind this strategic technology road map is
designed to create excitement about delivering valuable services
through information technology. The adoption of portals is an
important competitive strategy for higher education. Our competitors
are doing so at a rapid pace and they are gaining more experience
with portals. The types of services listed above are real and
happening today at both community colleges and four-year
institutions. Here is a list of current portal/websites at HCCS:
Online Student Services Northeast College
Southeast College Southwest College
Central College Northwest College
Coleman College
The websites in operation at the Colleges do not provide a true portal
experience at this time. It is, however, important to point out that
Source: IBM each website is trying to bring to students helpful information in a
single location.
The reasons listed above to develop a portal, point directly to the
need to turn the ship sooner, to create value for students, faculty, 5.5 What Distinguishes a Website from a Portal?
administrators, vendors and regulators, rather than wait. HCCS A single point of access to all resources associated with the
current pathway to building business capabilities through individual portal domain
project requests at the department or college level simply does not A personalized user experience
work to bring integrated capabilities in an easy to use way. Federated access to hundreds of data types and
repositories, both aggregated and categorized



Collaboration and user integration capabilities 5.6 Example of Enterprise Portal and Features
Integration with applications and workflow systems.

Therefore, the opportunity exists to deliver a unifying approach that
can help all stakeholders readily understand how to interact with and
conduct business with HCCS in a user-friendly way. By making this
strategic shift to executing on a portal strategy, the capabilities that
users are requesting can become part of the portal road map rather
than department driven initiatives. In the illustration to the right, we
show a high-level portal infrastructure that depicts examples of portal
functionality that HCCS can implement.

The planning, design and architecture behind an enterprise portal will
determine the long-term success and viability of a portal. For
example, the University of Houston custom built their portal
Unlike other enterprise-wide applications intended to improve the
application; while it provides a broad range of capabilities and
bottom line, portals tend to live up to vendor's promises and, more
services, it is labor intensive and requires a large number of
often than not, begin to save companies money as soon as they go
resources to support. By comparison, portal technologies make it
live. According to a Delphi Group study 7 , only 2% of portal
affordable to provide endless capabilities as well as provide a
installations failed to return any ROI. The Delphi report, which looked
platform to integrate existing business applications. The challenge
at hundreds of installations, found that 22% of firms reported ROIs
for HCCS: which technology platform should be adopted on which to
between 21% and 50%, while 18% of installations returned over
build out the portal strategy? HCCS has invested in three portal
platforms: PeopleSoft Portal, Oracle Portal and Vignette.



100%. But, as with most IT implementations, there is a caveat
emptor: poor planning prior to installation will negate management's
reasons for installing the portal in the first place and probably lead to
poor ROI.

7
Datamation, Planning Key to Portal ROI by Allen Bernard February 14, 2003



6.0 Solution Plan Strategies &
Develop an Architecture Refresh & Upgrade Strategy
including Capacity Planning
Initiatives to Deliver
6.1.2 Future Vision
6.1 Strategy: Reinvigorate Network Build the infrastructure foundation to provide the following important
Infrastructure for Growth benefits.

The network infrastructure is, without question, the most important
Support instructional technologies such as video streaming
component of an institution of higher education. Without a reliable
on a large scale, virtual classrooms, eLearning, improved
network infrastructure it is difficult to perform basic tasks such as
Distance Education, IP video and voice conferencing, and
registering for classes online. Therefore, the network infrastructure
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
is the most critical component of the ““back to basics”” game plan.

6.1.1 Overview of Strategy Position the institution to meet the needs of our students.
To reinvigorate the network infrastructure successfully is a several
year strategic program with a broad range of supporting initiatives. Enable the Institution to be more competitive in the higher
These initiatives include the following: education marketplace.

Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Area Networks
Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan
Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP, and
Network Convergence
Enhanced Messaging Services with Collaboration


Strategic Technology Roadmap Houston Community College 2005

Strategic Technology Roadmap Houston Community College 2005

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