In May 2013, after a year of working with the community to define IT needs, the Office of Information Technologies published a strategic plan for change and improvement of the university’s information systems over a five-year period. It’s time to take stock of what has been accomplished and look at what still lies ahead, said Ted Dodds, vice president for information technologies and Cornell’s CIO, in introducing the first online IT@Cornell Annual Showcase.

The strategic plan was developed in close collaboration with IT staff across campus – inside and outside of Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) – and other stakeholders. Now, Dodds wants everyone to review the progress report and offer questions, comments and suggestions for improvement.

The report lists several key accomplishments:

• Network Connectivity Program. Buildings have been rewired and hardware upgraded to give faster network connectivity at the desktop, better wireless coverage and cost-saving VoIP phones.
• Classroom and learning space upgrade. Six showcase classrooms now have wireless network access, new projectors and monitors, improved sound systems, cameras for lecture capture and wireless projection capability. With the experience gained from these projects, more classrooms will be added in the coming year.
• IT Skills Assessment. An inventory of 650 IT staff across campus shows what skills are available and what will be needed in the near future, and will help workers plan their careers.
• Leadership development. IT workers have participated with peer institutions in a series of leadership training workshops provided by the consultant MOR Associates.
• MOOCs. Academic Technologies, eCornell, the Center for Teaching Excellence and Cornell University Library partnered with faculty to create Cornell's first four Massive Open Online Courses, with four more in development. (Those four have been launched since the showcase was posted.)

The showcase also reviews the work of IT service groups that have been formed in colleges, libraries and other units on campus in partnership with CIT to meet the specific support needs of each unit.

Looking ahead, IT@Cornell will continue to participate in development of an online learning strategy for Cornell to deliver courses for fee and for credit, upgrade PeopleSoft alumni and student record systems, and begin implementing a Research Administration Support System to manage sponsored proposals, awards and research compliance.

The website includes links to in-depth explanations of all these activities and many more.