IT Governance & Prioritization

In recognition of the critical role that constituents play in the effective and efficient operation of IT Services at Western Carolina University, the following governance structure exists to ensure that policies, standards, and priorities mirror the needs of users in supporting the mission of the university. The IT Division seeks to create a transparent governance process with all governance meetings open to the campus community, meeting dates posted on the website, and meeting minutes available for review.

Through IT’s Department of Academic Engagement and IT Governance, the governance process functions as an on-going strategic discussion with key stakeholders with respect to input, topics, needs, and priorities. This will provide greater dialog and understanding regarding needs and priorities for university IT efforts to improve the student learning experience, enhance decision making, and advance overall administration efficiency and effectiveness.

In addition, in partnership with the IT Project Management Office, the Academic Engagement and IT Governance team handles relationships with campus partners, project intake/analysis, quality assurance and customer experiences with projects, and post-project-closure analysis regarding benefits realized.

All requests are analyzed for their relationship to the mission and strategic directions of the university divisions, and the assessment and evaluation of the continuing improvement process. The information for these two key sources will serve as the basis for discussion and decisions concerning implementation and prioritization of IT projects.

Governance Structure

The Information Technology Council leverages special interest and advisory groups to provide information and recommendations concerning information technology. They consider strategies and priorities from multiple sources, including those they deem important for discussion, those brought to members by others in the university, those referred to the advisory committee by the ITC or CIO for study, discussion, and recommendations, and those rooted in discussions from the special interest/advisory groups.

For more information, contact Annette Littrell, Associate CIO and Director of Academic Engagement and IT Governance, at alittrell@wcu.edu or 828.227.2411.