Enterprise IT Resource Management Policy

• Table of Contents
• 100.00 Introduction
• 200.00 Policy
• 300.00 Procedures
• 400.00 Definitions

100.00 Introduction

The central Information Technology departments on all four campuses serve academic, administrative, and ancillary constituents. IT needs of the various constituents rely on shared available resources across the University. When competing demands cannot be met with available resources, requests must be prioritized in an objective, rational manner.

Additionally, as Information Technology resources become increasingly integral to the mission of the University, constituents have need to deploy new technology or changes to technology that may unintentionally impact other constituents within the University and further draw down IT resources to resolve.

200.00 Policy

200.10 Board of Regents policies governing the use of university information technology apply to all University faculty, staff, students, and patrons. All users of University information technology must comply with MSU Enterprise policies as well as Board of Regents policies, state and federal law.

200.20 All IT-related activities throughout the University that require, consume, or may impact IT resources, security, or ability to meet instructional, research, outreach, or organizational needs, shall be prioritized to align with University strategic directives according to standards and procedures.

1. Activities include:
1. Changes to Banner functionality, including but not limited to baseline modifications or implementation of unused functionality.
2. Application development, either internally developed or externally hired.
3. Integration of third-party products into the enterprise.
4. Services such as database administration, security oversight, network bandwidth and resources, hardware or storage capacity, software implementations, desktop support, technical consultation or labor.
5. Departmental IT projects or purchases, or implementations.
6. New construction or remodeling.
2. Prioritization is not based on funding. Identified funding does not guarantee high prioritization and lack of identified funding does not necessarily preclude high prioritization. Cost and resource availability, including funding, are taken into account among many other criteria in the prioritization process.

200.30 An enterprise IT governing body shall oversee prioritization of projects and operations that use IT resources.

200.40 Constituents shall obtain approval from appropriate campus IT authorities prior to conducting any activities that could impact IT resources.

1. Central IT departments cannot assure support or assistance with IT activities that are not in compliance with this policy.
2. IT-related activities, projects, purchases, or services that unexpectedly draw down IT resources, human or technological, or that adversely impact the University’s ability to meet instructional, research, or organizational needs may be precluded, temporarily disabled, or permanently decommissioned.

200.50 Conflicts resulting from competing demands among constituencies are negotiated as needed and may be referred to the enterprise IT governing body.

200.60 Exceptions to this policy shall be vetted and approved by the campus CIOs or referred to the enterprise IT governing body for determination if needed.

300.00 Procedures

Individual campuses maintain campus-specific standards and procedures that implement this policy. Campus-specific standards and procedures are currently under development; when published, the links to those pages will be provided here. Constituents will be required to comply with any standards and procedures developed for their campus:

• MSU-Billings
• MSU-Bozeman*
• Great Falls College MSU
• MSU-Northern

* MSU agencies follow MSU-Bozeman campus procedures

400.00 Definitions

“Campus IT authority” refers to the Chief Information Officer of any of the four MSU campuses or his/her delegate.

“Committee” refers to any formal or informal, council, advisory group, or collection of one or more individuals appointed or self-appointed to guide, inform, allocate, select, lead, or advise activity at the university.

“Constituent” refers to any individual or group who has a stake in the University including students, staff, faculty, or patrons as well as any contractors, regents, committees, councils, groups, agencies, departments, entities, campus, or community.

“Enterprise” refers to all Universities, colleges, and agencies of Montana State University.

“Enterprise Chief Information Officer” refers to the top level information technology leadership role based on the Bozeman campus whose responsibilities include information technology leadership of the four MSU campuses.

“Enterprise IT governing body” refers to a University-wide IT decision-making group proposed to oversee and govern enterprise-wide IT issues, needs, recommendations, and prioritizations.

“Information Technology” or “IT” refers to any resource related to the access and use of digitized information, including but not limited to hardware, software, devices, appliances, network bandwidth and resources.

“IT investment” refers to any expenditure on information technology, including but not limited to personnel time and effort, hardware or equipment, software purchases or licensing, upfront purchases and ongoing maintenance costs, network bandwidth or other services.

“Network bandwidth and resources” refers to the capacity for usage of any voice or data network, including but not limited to the Internet, Internet2, campus Local Area Networks, wireless networks, or the SummitNet state network.

“Project” refers to any IT-related change, enhancement, or new development that can potentially impact University IT resources, security, or business procedures.

“Purchase” refers to any IT-related third-party product, service, or subscription service purchased by a University entity that can potentially impact University IT resources, security, or business procedures.

“Resources” refers to any source of supply or support to the university, including but not limited to employees and labor hours; property; tangible or intangible assets; network, server, or bandwidth capacity.

“Service” refers to any IT-related work done by internal personnel or external contractors and third parties that can potentially impact University IT resources, security, or business procedures.

“University” refers to the MSU system: the campuses of Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, and Havre, as well as agencies.

“University Chief Information Officers” refer to the top-level IT position at each campus.