Hired a Next Frontier Program Director reporting directly to Alicia Estey, Chief Financial and Operating Officer and Vice President for Finance and Operations. Biff Jones filled this role in mid-August.
The new Oracle Cloud Infrastructure data warehouse will go live this semester, reducing current security risks and improving data warehouse performance.
Reducing current security risks by moving the current on-premise data warehouse that is end of life to an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is actively working on this.
Met with other higher ed institutions, including Arizona State, UC San Diego, Harvard, George Washington University, and University of Kansas to gather insight on how these institutions are creating and governing analytics.
Hiring a Next Frontier Program Manager that represents all of campus’ needs and has clear lines of data analytics engagement with and accountability to all executive-level leadership. Part of the Next Frontier Committee is working on reviewing candidate resumes and interviewing for the Next Frontier Program Manager position.
Hired a Data Warehouse Architect within the OIT Business Intelligence Reporting Systems (BIRS) team. This position has recently been filled by Paul Demopoulos, an internal candidate.
Identifying interim Next Frontier deliverables (for example, budget vs. actuals for local / appropriated accounts, preparing to support reporting and data needs for the budget modernization initiative, monthly expenditures for sponsored projects with the ability to certify accuracy online and address effort reporting/payroll verification requirements, improvements around account analysis report and salary ledger) that can be provided to and add value for campus while longer-term objectives are underway.
Fall 2023
The Next Frontier program received funding as a University strategic priority effort.
Sponsored Project Budget vs. Actuals Report has been updated to include salary and fringe benefits encumbrances.
The Office of Information Technology is actively working on reducing current security risks by moving the current on-premise data warehouse that is end of life to an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Next Frontier Subcommittee has met with other higher ed institutions, including Arizona State, UC San Diego, Harvard, George Washington University and University of Kansas to gather insight on how these institutions are creating and governing analytics.
A Data Warehouse Architect has been hired within the OIT Business Intelligence Reporting Systems (BIRS) team.
Spring 2023
Next Frontier Subcommittee and Decision Support/Research Support working groups prioritize and draft a multi-year Next Frontier program based on assessment results. Phase II of Next Frontier is determined.
In May 2023, NF was identified as a strategic priority of the University for the upcoming academic year and received Executive Team support.
November & December 2022
Final consultant assessments due to Next Frontier Subcommittee on November 7, 2022
Next Frontier subcommittee will evaluate the final assessment.
Consultants present assessment findings to Executive Leadership
Previous Milestones
September 19, 2022 – PI Dashboard Requirements survey was developed and launched with the research and creative activity community across campus. See research article. Results of the PI Survey will be used to inform future planning and next phases of the Next Frontier project.
September 15 – 23, 2022 – Consultants conducted campus-wide sessions Over 200 individuals from across campus were invited to one or more of twenty-four (24) sessions including kickoff sessions, leadership sessions, executive user sessions, operational user sessions, and follow-up closing sessions.
September 7, 2022 – Executive Kick-Off
September 6, 2022 – Information about Next Frontier project shared at the Academic Leadership Council
September 2, 2022 – Provided additional details about Next Frontier to the research and creative activity community across campus. See research article.
August 31, 2022 – Provided initial details about Next Frontier to the campus community. See Campus UPDATE article.
August 2022 – Next Frontier Subcommittee fielded documentation requests from the consultants. Nearly fifty documents were provided ranging from strategic plans, organizational charts, and policies to data governance, data architecture, and IT governance materials.
July 2022 – Two consultant companies, Moran Technology Consulting and Borden Insights, were contracted and initial scoping work commenced.
June 2022 – Approved project and initial scoping work funded by the Provost’s Office, Division of Research and Economic Development, and Division of Finance & Operations.
May – June 2022 – Division of Research and Economic Development coordinated in-person and virtual benchmarking visits at other universities, including Arizona State University, University of California San Diego, George Washington University, and Harvard University.
December 2021 – The ITPC Decision Support and Research Support working groups partnered to form the Next Frontier project/program committee (the “Next Frontier Subcommittee”).
2019 – Identified as a high priority in the Information Technology Planning Committee (ITPC) Decision Support and Research Support working groups