Governance Model

A Steering Team provided oversight for the initial formation of Engineering IT. The permanent governance structure for Engineering IT Shared Services is now in the process of being formed. The first meeting of the top-level governance committee is expected to occur in late January or early February 2012. The structure is being modeled after the campus-level IT Governance model that is also in the process of being formed.

The main IT Governance Committee has a chair appointed by the Dean. The chair is required to be a member of either the College Administrative Committee or College Executive Committee. Each of the units represented in the Engineering IT funding model (a total of 17 for Fiscal Year 2012) has one representative on this committee, to be appointed by the unit head. The responsibilities of the IT Governance Committee include:

• Establish strategic priorities. Ensure that the strategic direction of IT aligns with the overall strategy and business needs of the Engineering at Illinois and its units.
• Resource allocation. Make recommendations on how to concentrate and deploy resources in support of initiatives that extend across functional and organizational boundaries. This includes high level oversight responsibility of the Engineering IT funding model.
• Recommend IT standards and policies. Make recommendations to executive leadership regarding IT policies, initiatives and services at all levels of the College. Provide guidance on IT standards and policies that support greater efficiency and effectiveness through the increased shared use and interoperability of technologies, as well as ensuring the security of high risk data across the College.
• Performance measures. Establish baseline metrics for IT projects and services so data can be collected as soon as these projects or services begin.
• Transparency. Ensure that all governance considerations and decisions are published to the College community. Ensure that IT customers are aware of what services are available from which organizations and how to access those services. This should include services at the campus and system level, as well as Engineering IT.
• Collaboration. Consider opportunities for horizontal and vertical collaboration and communication in specific IT specialties, academic and business functions, and at the college, campus and enterprise level.
• Consultation. Responsible for advising and requesting comment from the College units, committees and constituencies as appropriate.
• Approval. Responsible for acquiring the necessary approvals for policy changes that affect matters under the jurisdiction of constitutionally appointed college and university bodies.
• Campus Connection. Provide an active connection to the campus IT Governance structures.

In addition to the main IT Governance Committee there are three topical subcommittees. The selection of the chair and members of these committees is the responsibility of the main IT Governance Committee. It is not required that members of the subcommittees be members of the primary committee. The three topical subcommittees are:

• Research. Recommends how Engineering at Illinois should implement strategy, policies, processes and services to support research computing.
• Teaching and learning. Reviews and makes recommendations on the information technology services needed for educational activities within the College, above and beyond the base level of shared college and campus infrastructure. Recommends how Engineering at Illinois should implement academic technology strategy, policies, processes and services to support excellence and innovation across all of its teaching and learning activities.
• Administration. Review and makes recommendations concerning administrative information systems used by or proposed for the Engineering at Illinois. The systems within this committee's purview include student, finance, human resources, facilities, advancement, outreach, and (in consultation with the research subcommittee) research administration.