Letter from the Vice President for Information Technology
The 2020-2021 school year started fast and furious as a continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic changed and challenged our campus course delivery. In June of 2020, we worked with campus leadership to get ~$9 million in federal CARES Act funding to upgrade the technology to support HyFlex instruction. The funding had to be spent and implemented by December 30, 2020, so as soon as the funding was finalized, our staff was ordering equipment as quick as we could to get it in our hands and start installation. Supply chain disruption and so many other organizations requiring the same kind of equipment at the same time added a challenge to getting inventory that was in stock and getting it delivered as soon as possible.
HyFlex instruction allowed students and instructors choice in how they would attend the class. Learning outcomes were the same whether the student was in-person or attending remote. Students were possibly going to be attending from their residence halls or from off-campus, so network access in residence halls needed a boost. All classrooms needed cameras, student microphones and software installed. Instructors had to learn to design their courses with this new delivery method at the forefront, so we provided trainings and workshops on HyFlex instruction, which included new approaches to classroom engagement and assessment. As the whole campus prepared for the semester, our staff led and participated in campus-wide Zoom meetings with faculty, administration, and even students.
A few weeks before classes started, pandemic recommendations changed to have capacity limits on classrooms. Some classrooms could not accommodate these capacity limits in their spaces with their enrollment, so we worked with Registration and Records to create 25 new classrooms in non-instrumented spaces, including a study space in the library, and the basketball court in the SHAC. We had to bring in network and electric to some spaces, in addition to classroom equipment.
Our staff continuously stepped up to collaborate with campus administration, instructors and fellow staff to meet the challenge to serve our students and provide the best university experience possible given the extremely difficult circumstances we faced. Many of our staff worked hundreds of hours of overtime and took no vacation to meet the demands. Our division was flexible, dependable, and truly demonstrated our value to the campus in this challenging year.
Regards,
Marc Wallman
Vice President for Information Technology
North Dakota State University
Financials
FY21
*Total Tech Fee Revenue less Expenditures $853,302
Total Tech Fee Award expenditures for FY21 = $0.00
**Telecom Capital projects:
E911 = $28,226.94 CM8 Upgrade = $40,720.50, SIP$ 29,414.62, Red Box $14,564.90
Bison Card Center Funds 18077 & 18078 are pass through funds only, they do not appear on this report. Telecomm Appropriated amount includes Fund 30825 & 30826.
Northern Tier - This is reported on seperately
CARES Salaries:
Additional duties related to CARES = $275,663.85
Grants:
- CARES $8,051,507.31
- STEM Internship $4,300
- AIHEC $1,152.69
- ND-ACES $76,500.09
- Networking Infrastructure (NSF) $6,215.37
- 2019 HB1003 Section 32 (Industrial Commission Campus Network Upgrade) $1,500,000
Time on CARES Projects
We had 6 months to work on all CARES funded projects, accounting for 22,417 regular hours of staff/student time and 656 hours of overtime. This many hours is equivalent to 22.2 FTE's. A total of 37 staff and 25 student employees worked on CARES funded projects.
Classroom and Computer Labs
1,050 supported classroom and lab computers 132 unique software apps 372 total supported spaces:
- 31 computer labs
- 179 interactive classrooms
- 48 interactive study space
- 51 conference rooms/seminar classrooms
- 26 temporary classrooms
56 student printers 1,139,563 sheets of paper compared to 2,198,417 last year
Learning and Applied Innovation Center
The LAIC, formerly the TLMC and LAI team, provides a variety of support, consulting and multimedia services for the campus, including video and audio recording studios, multimedia software and specialized equipment, editing and consultative services, classroom project support, multimedia coursework assistance, Instructional Design consultations and technology workshops. Workshop topics included MS Office and Adobe software, audio, video, photography, Google Apps and others.
- Fall 2020 LAIC had 90 check-ins into the lab
- Spring 2021 LAIC had 29 check in’s into the lab (lower numbers resulting from COVID-19 and social distancing efforts)
- Fall 2020 Instructional Design (ID) consultations – 20
- Spring 2021 Instructional Design consultations - 11
- LAIC Total Instructor Workshops Hosted - 119
Enterprise Networks supports Network, Wireless, CableTV, Card Access, Emergency Blue Phones and Video Surveillance for 112 NDSU building network locations on and off campus, all on campus parking lots and walkways around campus.
2020-2021 Significant Activities and Projects
- Converted roughly 80% of the campus wireless network from Cisco to Aruba
- Completed $1.5M core network upgrade and migration
- Initiated QBB data center copper network cabling overhaul and standardization project
- Initiated planning and management of cabling installation for Sugihara construction project
- Began security update for campus card readers and replacement of campus card access system
- Completed the conversion of network management system to Cisco DNA Center
- Developing a feasibility plan to determine costs and needs to upgrade portions of the campus interconnectivity to 40 Gigabit or faster
- Completed 100 Gigabit network connectivity implementation to NDIT StageNet and Internet 2
- Developing a standardized network connectivity model with the expectation to bring 1 Gigabit connectivity to NDSU’s Research Extension Centers across the state
- Initiated network planning for the upcoming Indoor Practice Field
Customer Support
IT Help Desk
Partnerships
Learning Spaces Executive Committee
The Learning Spaces Executive Committee provides advice to the Provost concerning the scheduling, use, renovation and creation of learning spaces on campus. Learning spaces include classrooms, laboratories, study areas, computer labs and other rooms where students learn and study. The committee is chaired by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and members include representatives from the Office of the Registrar, Facilities Management, the IT Division, the Office of Teaching and Learning, and the Libraries.
Instructional Designers
Instructional Designers play a key role in supporting pedagogical use of technology on campus. The group meets periodically with staff in the IT Division to discuss plans, changes and issues related to classroom technology and instructional services.
Information Technology Technical Professionals
The IT Technical Professionals is a special-interest group that provides the opportunity for technical discussions and exchange of information between distributed technical staff and the IT Division.
Information Technology Council
The IT Council serves in a consultative capacity to the vice president for IT regarding IT strategic planning, policy development and service review for the university.
Research Data Working Group
The Research Data Working Group includes representatives from Research and Creative Activity, the NDSU Libraries and the IT Division who provide assistance with grant proposal development in the areas of data management planning and IT needs.
More information is available at: https://www.ndsu.edu/research_data/about_us/
Information Technology Communication Liaisons
IT Communication Liaisons members are appointed by their home departments to serve as conduits for information and feedback regarding campus information technology. The group meets monthly to learn about and discuss a variety of technology plans, projects and issues.
Faculty Senate Technology and Instructional Services Committee
Technology and Instructional Services is a standing committee on NDSU’s Faculty Senate, serving as a liaison between the Faculty Senate and administration in the IT Division.
More information is available at: https://www.ndsu.edu/facultysenate/committees/
Cyber Security Group
This special-interest group of technical professionals, communication liaisons and data stewards gather to share strategies and best practices for securing systems and protecting data.
Records Management Advisory Committee
The Records Management Advisory Committee serves as the overarching governance of NDSU’s Records Management program, providing oversight, guidance and direction.
Student Government Office of Technology
The Student Government Office of Technology represents the technology needs of NDSU students and works with the IT Division to ensure proper usage of the student technology fee.
More information is available at: https://www.ndsu.edu/sg/tech/
Staff Senate Information Technology Committee
The Staff Senate Information Technology Committee disseminates information and updates regarding information technology to Staff Senate and carries concerns from Staff Senate to the IT Division.
More information is available at: https://www.ndsu.edu/staff_senate/committees/
Software Contacts
Software Contacts are appointed to serve as liaison between their respective departments and the IT Software Licensing Coordinator regarding software licensing questions, software orders and other software assets and licensing issues.
Residence Hall Association Campus Services Representatives
Student members of the Residence Hall Association meet monthly with IT Division staff to learn about trends and upcoming changes to campus technologies and to share feedback from their peers in the residence halls regarding student experiences with campus technology services and resources.
Unit Records Coordinators
Unit Records Coordinators serve as liaisons between their respective units and NDSU’s records management leadership, contributing to NDSU’s records management program.
Telephone Administrators
Telephone administrators provide direct services to NDSU departments for all telecommunication needs. They are the first point of contact for any new requests, changes and issues related to telecommunication services.
Student Technology Services
Student Technology Services is a long-standing, work-based learning program that provides opportunities for NDSU students to obtain jobs in the IT field. A student manager oversees the student hiring process, maintains records, assists full-time staff with summer orientation and encourages other IT students to be part of this activity. The IT Division relies on student employees to help communicate and provide an overview of IT services to incoming students during campus visits. We value the work students do and appreciate their willingness to share knowledge and expertise as part of our organization’s outreach activities.
Technology Fee Advisory Committee
The Technology Fee Advisory Committee formulates recommendations to the Vice President for Information Technology about supporting projects that improve the information technology capabilities on campus by the appropriate use of the student technology fee.
More information is available at: www.ndsu.edu/tfac
The Information Technology Division is committed to “Delivering Core Solutions and Propelling Innovation” by sustaining reliable infrastructure systems designed to maintain a robust and dynamic core network foundation. The organization’s culture and strength is also expressed by its passionate desire to serve the needs of the campus community through relationships and partner collaboration. In tandem with our campus partners and colleagues, we engage in discussions of discovery, evaluation and implementation regarding new technology tools or state-of-the-art innovations envisioned to enrich teaching, learning or research outcomes.
Staff Achievements
The 33rd Annual NDSU Staff Recognition Social was held in June, 2021. IT staff recognized for their years of service at NDSU are as follows: 5 years (Cole Jackson, Verlyn Sandhurst, Suhan Vethanayagam), 10 years (Jayme Pfeifer), 15 years (Sharon Brinker, Jill Peterson), 20 years (Jim Senechal), 25 years (Jon Bronken), 30 years (Val Nordsletten) and 40 years (Curt Doetkott).
Daniel Erichsen was a nominee for the 33rd Annual Mary McCannel Gunkelman award, with the award ceremony held via Zoom on 5/7/21.
Organization and Staff Changes
Organizational Changes
- Navneet Deosi hired as Help Desk Assistant Manager (from Help Desk Consultant), Information Technology Services, 5/3/21
- Danyelle Marthaler hired as Network Support Coordinator, Network Engineering and Operations (from Office Coordinator, Office of the Vice President for Information Technology), 10/1/20
- Network Engineering and Operations was renamed “Enterprise Networks” in April, 2020
New Staff Hires
- Wendy Baumann, Office Assistant, 8/16/20 (temporary hourly employee)
- Trevor Knutson, Software Engineer, 1/13/21
- Michael Russell, Desktop Support Technician and Communication Specialist, 7/24/20 (temporary hourly employee)
- Lori Swinney, Instructional Designer, 7/20/20 (temporary hourly employee)
- Steve Templeton, Software Engineer, 9/28/20
Staff Resignations/Retirements
- Michael Aho,Help Desk Assistant Manager, 2/1/21
- Tran Brunsberg, Network Support Coordinator, 9/15/20
Employee List
Following is a list of employees in each IT Division department as of June 30, 2021
63 employees, 3 Indirect Reports (Business Unit), 42 student employees
Center for Computationally Assisted Science and Technology (temporary placement)
Dane Skow, Executive Director
Nick Dusek, HPC System Administrator
Khang Hoang, Research Facilitator
Samuel Saula, HPC System Administrator
Information Technology Services
Jason Blosser, Assistant Vice President for Information Technology Services
VinceAnderson, Desktop Support Specialist
Neil Brock, Help Desk Consultant
ChadColeman, Interim Desktop Engineering Team Lead
TammyCummings, Instructional Services Consultant
Navneet Deosi, Help Desk Assistant Manager
Daniel Erichsen, Interactive Media Specialist
Hidalgo, Francisco, Desktop Support Specialist
NathanGonser, Help Desk Manager
Cole Jackson, Desktop Engineer I
CindyKozojed, Telecommunications Analyst
Sharley Kurtz, Instructional Technology Specialist
SusanMcDaniel, Interim Voice and Collaboration Services Team Lead
MicahMcGowen, Classroom Technology Manager
Trevor McNeil, Classroom Technologies Specialist
LornaOlsen, Instructional Services Consultant
Jayme Pfeifer, Telecommunications Analyst
JimSellner, Desktop Support Specialist
JimSenechal, Computer Systems Specialist
Ethan Smith, Classroom Technologies Specialist
MelissaStotz, Learning and Applied Innovation Manager
Josh Teegarden, Senior Help Desk Consultant, NDSU Downtown Campus
MichaelWolf, Desktop Engineer
Office of the Vice President for Information Technology
Marc Wallman, Vice President for Information Technology
Sharon Brinker, Office Coordinator
CurtDoetkott, Consulting Statistician
Enrique Garcia, Chief Information Security Officer
Jeff Gimbel, Senior Security Analyst
Diane Harrison, NDSU Card Center staff
Wendy McCrory, Program Manager, NDSU Card Center and Software Services
Kim Owen, Program Manager, Research and Education Network Resources
CeCeRohwedder, Assistant to the Vice President for Information Technology
Kristi Steinmann, Communication and Strategic Partnerships Lead
Business Operations, Policy and Strategic Services (all indirect reports)
Camille Brown, Account Technician
Kim Lammers, Business Manager
Rhonda Nilles, Information Technology Budget and Cost Accounting Manager
Enterprise Networks
Steve Sobiech, Assistant Vice President for Enterprise Computing and Infrastructure
JonBronken, Assistant Manager and System Administrator
BruceCurtis, Senior Network Engineer
DavidDahl, Senior Network Infrastructure Engineer
Kevin Dittemore, Network Infrastructure Technician
Jason Eide, Manager, Enterprise Systems
ChadFoster, Network Infrastructure Technician
RichardFrovarp, Principal Software Engineer
BrianKennedy, System Administrator
Trevor Knutson, Software Engineer
Pete Lambertz, Enterprise Networks Director
Danyelle Marthaler, Network Support Coordinator
BrianMiller, Telecommunications Analyst
TimMooney, Senior System Administrator
ValNordsletten, Network Engineer
JillPeterson, Enterprise Applications Manager
Nathan Robideau, Telecommunications Analyst
Verlyn Sandhurst, System Administrator
Steve Templeton, Software Engineer
Suhan Vethanayagam, System Administrator
BobViou, Senior Network Engineer
GregWettstein, Information Technology Principal Engineer
GaryWhaley, System Administrator
Student Employees
Student employees worked alongside ITS staff in all of the IT Division’s service areas and contributed a total of 17.6 full-time equivalent hours (36,737) in fiscal year 2021. We often receive kudos and notes of thanks for the work these students do that is sometimes above and beyond expectations. We value our student employees’ contributions, and always hope that their learning experiences while working in ITS are valuable to them in their future endeavors.