Senate Bill 682 specifically outlines the requirements for this section
of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Information Technology
Plan:
THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL DEVELOP AN INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND THAT INCLUDES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POLICIES AND STANDARDS, INCLUDING POLICIES AND
STANDARDS FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, THAT
ARE FUNCTIONALLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE STATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PLAN
ESTABLISHED UNDER TITLE 3, SUBTITLE 4 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT
ARTICLE.
Additionally, the University System of Maryland is specifically
exempted from Title 3, Subtitle 4 itself. Thus the implications
of the law are that the University System of Maryland should develop
its own policies and standards for effective management of Information
Technology within the System, but these policies and standards
must be functionally compatible with those in the
State Information Technology Master Plan (ITMP)
While functionally compatible is not defined in law, the reasonable
interpretation is that, as State Agencies must do under the ITMP, the USM
policies must provide for orderly management of a complex environment as
well as efficient and effective use of resources. Additionally, there must
be agreement in data definitions and IT standards that allow seamless
interfaces between systems and support information transfer and communication.
Thus, while the USM is exempted from the letter of Title 3, Subtitle 4,
it should agree with the spirit to the degree that such is applicable.
That the USM is dissimilar to State Agencies is recognized by the law.
Unlike a typical State Agency, where the majority of internal users of IT
services are employees, in the USM the majority of internal users of services
are students. Increasingly, the computers connected to our networks and
accessing our services are not USM owned computers, but personally owned
computers. Again, a typical State Agency will focus IT policies around
Agency business processes. In the USM, the focus, additionally, is on our
mission activities of teaching, learning, and research. These activities
naturally require a flexible approach to policies and standards, and many
of the activities inherently push the envelope of current technology.
Thus, the USM is not a "one size fits all environment" and its
policies, procedures, and standards must reflect the diversity of our
institutions and the varied needs of their user communities. While there
may be umbrella policies and procedures at the System level, difference in
mission, community demographics, and resources may create much different
IT environments at USM institutions. This may thus entail differing policy
extensions, standards, and procedures within the general umbrella. The
important principles overall are that a well-managed (and manageable)
environment is created where there is interoperability, data interchange,
and effective communications. For example, this does not mandate everyone
using the same products, but does mandate using products that adhere to
broadly recognized standards.
At the time of writing of this initial USM Board of Regents IT Plan, the
policies and standards for information management and telecommunications
systems in the State ITMP are still being drafted. However, the general
areas for which there will be policies and standards have been articulated
and drafts circulated. It is the intention of the USM Board of Regents to
examine those policies articulated in the ITMP and to establish a framework
for creating institutional IT policies, guidelines, and operating practices
that address the requirements of the policies in the ITMP. The Board of Regents
Technology Committee approved a Policy on USM Institutional
IT Policies on June 11, 2001 and the full Board of Regents approved this
policy on August 24, 2001.
Business Processes
Senate Bill 682 includes the following article:
12-105 2(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the University shall use the statewide Financial Management Information
System as administered by the Executive Branch as its accounting, budgeting,
personnel, and payroll system.
By tradition and by practice, the USM and the State Office of Information
Technology have always interpreted this as meaning that whatever specialized
systems USM institutions use to manage their day to day transactions, these
systems will always interface with the State Financial Management Information
System to provide those systems with whatever data and in whatever data format
that is requested.
A key focus of the USM institutions is on teaching and learning, which
requires specialized information management applications in order to manage
admissions, financial aid, class enrollment, student records, student accounts,
housing, career planning, etc. Similarly, the USM institutions have
significant revenue from external grants. These processes have no counterpart
at State agencies, and thus are not reflected in the business processes
managed by the State Financial Management Information System. They do,
however, involve significant interaction with the institutional processes
that manage people and financial processes. Thus, the USM strategy is for
institutions to implement Human Resource and Financial systems integrated
with their core Student Information and Grants Management Systems, but to
be sure that these are well articulated with the State Financial Management
applications.
The details of the issues and the strategy for maintaining the
interfaces are presented in the State Interface White Paper.
Access to Services Electronically
Section 3-403 (c) states:
Implementation time line----(1) The Secretary shall
implement the following time line for units of the Executive Branch of
State government to make information and services available to the public
over the Internet:
(i) 50% by calendar year 2002
(ii) 65% by calendar year 2003; and
(iii) 80% by calendar year 2004.
This section goes on to say:
(2) This section does not apply to public institutions of higher education.
On the other hand, the USM institutions very much believe in the principle
of improving access and efficiency by making information and services
available over the Internet. In support of this, all of our degrees
granting institutions are proposing to make major investments in upgrading
their core systems to provision this capability. We believe that the USM
should be a model for eMaryland, and have developed the vision of
e-learningMaryland as a result.
While the exemption of public institutions of higher education was
presumably predicated on a recognition that there are services related to
teaching and learning that may or may not be readily delivered over the
Internet, the USM institutions are each making significant appropriate use
of the Internet to enhance, if not to fully deliver, learning opportunities.
This all having been said, e-learningMaryland articulates a
strategy for the USM to move as rapidly as possible to take advantage of
the Internet in all appropriate venues.
[ Issues and Actions
| Introduction
| Minimum IT Standard
| Strategic Challenges
| Executive Summary]
[ Environmental/Competitive Context
| Institutions
| Partnerships
| USM IT Initiatives]
Last Updated on June 19, 2001
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