Agriculture Information Technology
Advisory Group (AITAG)
IT Plan 2007-09 Goals
IT Plan – Overview and Goals & Objectives – July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2009
N.D. Agricultural Experiment Station, NDSU Extension Service, Research Extension Centers, Agronomy Seed Farm
Overview
Information technology (IT) is essential for NDSU Agriculture and University Extension to carry out its mission of developing and disseminating information. The entities in NDSU Agriculture and University Extension’s budgets are:
Though these entities have separate budgets, the faculty and staff are integrated and cooperate closely on work. That’s why the overview and goals and objectives are coordinated and appropriate for all. Most of the faculty and staff are on the NDSU campus in Fargo, but some are at the eight Research Extension Centers (RECs), 53 county Extension offices and several area Extension offices. The College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources is also part of NDSU Agriculture, but the academic programs’ IT plans are not included with this report since they’re in the NDSU IT plan. Funding for Agriculture’s academic programs is through NDSU, while funding for these entities is separate.
IT makes it possible for NDSU Agriculture and University Extension faculty and staff to communicate with the citizens they serve and with colleagues around the world. This can be done through e-mail, Web pages, video conferencing, video or audio streaming, CDs/DVDs and a variety of other electronic media. Technology makes it possible for NDSU Agriculture and University Extension to support economic development by collecting and analyzing data; storing, retrieving and disseminating information; and developing and presenting educational programs.
IT is more than hardware, software and connectivity. Faculty and staff must be trained and provided support to fully utilize the capabilities of technologies.
NDSU Agriculture and University Extension will continue to collaborate closely with other entities as technologies develop – the N.D. Information Technology Department (ITD), NDSU Information Technology Services (ITS), county government and others.
Campus faculty and staff are served by NDSU’s IT infrastructure. Most county Extension offices are in county courthouses where the high-speed access costs are shared or covered. Research Extension Centers have a monthly access fee to the state network.
Goals and Objectives
►Provide NDSU Agriculture and University Extension faculty and staff with the hardware, software and training necessary to use IT effectively and efficiently
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Have all units budget for purchase of new equipment to meet rising IT demands
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Develop a plan for hardware and software replacement
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Encourage faculty and staff to conform to hardware and software baselines
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Have Ag Communication staff, NDSU Information Technology Services staff and others teach Ag faculty and staff on IT issues
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Facilitate faculty use of technology to complement and enhance established methods for disseminating information, such as CDs and DVDs
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Facilitate automatic or scheduled backup of servers
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Provide remote support of computers as possible
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Study hardened laptops for outdoor field use
►Have faculty and staff utilize videoconferencing
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Use videoconferencing to increase contacts and interaction with clients
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Continue saving time and travel dollars by having some internal meetings and inservice trainings via videoconference
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Use videoconferencing for training on immediate issues for staff to share with clientele
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Use videoconferencing for interacting with small groups of clientele
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Document time and travel funds saved when videoconferencing can be used instead of a face-to-face meeting or program
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Collaborate with the N.D. Interactive Video Network on scheduling, programming, policies and other issues
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Streamline procedures for scheduling videoconferences, especially out-of-state connections
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Improve the Ag Consortium videoconferencing Web page
►Establish learning centers across the state
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Enhance learning centers at NDSU’s off-campus offices
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Secure dollars to fund administrative support at learning centers for assessing community needs, recruiting and enrolling students, and providing student support
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Collaborate with NDSU, NDUS and other organizations to bring educational programming to the learning centers
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Support online and videoconference learning opportunities
►Continue to take part in the national eXtension program
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Encourage NDSU faculty and staff to become active in Communities of Practice
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Market eXtension as an information resource
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Align revisions in NDSU Agriculture’s use of electronic dissemination with eXtension strategies
►Improve look, feel and searchability of NDSU Ag Web pages
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Develop a more consistent, graphically pleasing design for home pages
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Implement headers and footers on Ag pages that consistently identify NDSU Agriculture and provide navigation
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Increase Web hits by at least 10 percent in the biennium
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Utilize video and audio Web streaming when appropriate to reach a variety of learners
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Develop more online organizational reporting, such as the Quarterly Program Reports
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Explore utilizing a content management system for Web pages
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Check Web pages for accessibility
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Confirm searchability of departmental servers from home pages
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Market NDSU Ag Web pages
►Develop distance and continuing education non-credit classes
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Develop online and other distance-delivered classes to most effectively teach targeted informal educational topics, such as Master Gardener and pesticide training
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Gain access to an online learning system such as WebEx, Centra or Breeze with audio capability for training
►Develop e-commerce for NDSU Ag
►Move all Ag faculty and staff to NDSU e-mail
►Explore telephone and phone replacement options
►Expand IT in general research
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