UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA

ANNUAL REPORT

Fiscal Year 2007 (July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007)

DEPARTMENT OF

Business Information Technology Services (BITS)

Name of Department Head

Robin Mullinix

Name of Person Completing Report

Robin Mullinix, Abigail Goodwin

1*

Departmental Mission/Vision Statement (url only, required)

http://www.bf.westga.edu/EffectEval/Assessments/BITS.asp

2*

Departmental Statement of Goals, Process to Assess These Goals, and Assessment Results (url only, required)

http://www.bf.westga.edu/EffectEval/Assessments/BITS.asp

3*

Give an Example of How your Department Used the Assessment of Goals and Outcomes to Change/Improve a Process (required)

In reviewing the backup logs and in conversation with department directors and end users; the Division’s process for backing up end user workstations was in need of a change. New methodologies were discussed and to aid in data availability and redundancy, roaming profiles for end user were implemented. The use of roaming profiles allows for a copy of the end-users’ data to be kept on the server which is backed up nightly. This method addresses the efficiency at which end-users’ data can be backed up and allows for minimal downtime in the event of a hardware failure because a copy of the end-users’ profile which is stored on the server is copied to the replacement/alternate computer. We will continue to monitor the progress of this implementation to assure that it is fulfilling the needs of the division.

4*

General Statement of Department Condition (required)

    Day to day processing continues unimpeded; changes and new requirements present challenges for BITS.

    The Business & Finance Division’s web presence has seen a few changes this past year, with more dramatic changes scheduled for the coming year. Adding Central Stores and Receiving and migrating CP&F to the B&F web server added to BITS’s ongoing maintenance of web pages. The design of the division’s site was recently updated to reflect the design that the University is in the process of implementing. Our move to the new web ‘Content Management System’ has began and is already presenting new challenges.

    An ongoing issue in the One Card system that involved multiple discussions and analysis was eventually instrumental in aiding Auxiliary Enterprises in identifying reporting and functional procedures for reconciling the accounts.

    The BPR continues in the division and we are still instrumental in aiding the departments in implementing their BPR projects. This continues to present unforeseen challenges as departments address new areas of concern and request aid from BITS.

    The upgrade of the PeopleSoft Financials ERP package has been ramping up, and we have begun to addressing functional and technical procedures.

    Investigating new opportunities for collaboration with other IT units on campus has helped address some redundancies, but will present challenges in coordination and communications to assure everyone that the division’s end user’s needs are met.

5

Departmental Achievements

    In FY2007, BITS enhanced the Financial web reports by moving to a new technical platform; moving away from a vendor specific proprietary format to a standardized, PDF, format. All divisional reporting has been moved to this platform: CP&F and Central Store’s FME, SFS’s CLM, Auxiliary’s Blackboard,

    As is normal with technology: a major theme this past year has been upgrading hardware and the various standard software packages the division uses. Some of the hardware and software upgraded this past year:

• Web Server (production and test servers)
• Lenel Door Access System, and Citrix servers and Citrix software
• Bookstore POS registers and POS software
• Blackboard TIA gateway hardware and software upgrade (in conjunction with server upgrade)
• Pharos print release stations and software upgrade
• Backup Server
• Divisional 3 year rotation of workstations

As with all upgrades, this necessitated the creation or updates of support programs and interfaces.

6

Staff Productivity

Ryan Bennett and Vince Gibson – Attended Rock Eagle

Anuradha Chandran – Attended Georgia Summit.

Abigail Goodwin – Attended College Business Management Institute CBMI).

Robin Mullinix – Attended Georgia Summit and HEUG/Alliance (Track Chair for “Project Management and Life Cycle”)

7

Student Achievements

All of our Student Workers graduated this past year: Mellonee Blumenberg, Omolola Jimoh, Tahir Merchoud

8

Other Awards, Distinctions, and Achievements