2006 Campus Technology Innovators: IT Funding
TECHNOLOGY AREA: IT FUNDING
Innovator: ENMU-Roswell
CREATIVITY and "chunking" gets
ENMU-Roswell what it needs.
Challenge Met
In 2001, Eastern New Mexico University-
Roswell faced an antiquated data cabling system, no single integrated architecture, little
network security, and a phone system
that was rapidly running out of numbers. In
order to grow, the two-year college needed
an infrastructure to support new education
methods and capabilities, such as distance
learning systems to serve the surrounding
community. Funding was extremely limited
at the small university, a branch of the main
campus in Portales, NM. Still, ENMU-Roswell
has recently grown 40 percent, to over
4,100 students, despite its geographically
isolated location.
Through largely self-funded efforts, with virtually
no outside funding, Dean of ITS and CIO
Arthur Leible has patiently worked to complete
major infrastructure upgrades in small
segments as finances allowed. To do this, the
school has resorted to creative methods of
cost control. “Our innovation is in [our] staff’s
ability and willingness to work hard, self-train,
and adapt to available dollars,” Leible says,
“while moving the network and associated
services ahead by three to five generations.”
How They Did It
For the four-year infrastructure transformation,
Leible has used methods that range from
training in-house staff rather than bringing on
consultants, to completing projects bit by bit.
In one instance, he joined with another college
to obtain a federal Title V grant (available
to schools serving Hispanic populations) to
overhaul videoconferencing suites. “I break
down every project by how much I can get [in
funding] for it each year,” Leible says, adding
that he draws from available budgets wherever
he can, and credits plain old solid teamwork
from the provost and the other cabinet
officers. “Everybody helps here,” Leible says.
“If you need something, we all get together.”
Leible was hired as CIO in fall 2000, when
the position was created; having a C-level
position has helped him work with the rest
of ENMU-Roswell’s cabinet to drive forward
the infrastructure upgrades. Today, the
school has upgraded all its cabling to Category
5e and fiber optic inside and out, after
sending an IT staff member to fiber splicing
class first. To overcome distance limitations,
the school has added digital radio links to
some facilities not yet on the network.
WebCT’s course management system was
installed in 2002 for a distance learning
program, along with a VoIP system to augment
the existing PBX system. Almost from
scratch, the school’s security system has
been upgraded to include a firewall, and
multi-level anti-virus, anti-spam, and antispyware
pieces.
The cabling upgrade, VoIP, WebCT installation,
security, and training were all funded
internally from operational budgets. Almost
all of the labor came from staff, some of
whom were sent to appropriate classes
before undertaking a new project.
ENMU-Roswell has also formed some
innovative partnerships, such as a system
demonstration partnership with Cisco Systems
and Albuquerque-based Integrity Networking
Systems for a
network test bed (with equipment), consulting
services, and network security monitoring at
substantial discounts.
Next Steps
With the bulk of architecture upgrades
behind them, some auxiliary buildings still
need full integration with the fiber-optic
cable and upgraded radio technology; full
segmentation and redundancy is not yet in
place. Software upgrades to WebCT and
other systems are needed, as well as creation
of a portal, and future integration of
evolving systems.
Advice
Aside from truly creative self-funding and
cost-control methods, Leible’s bywords are
flexibility, patience, an incremental approach
to projects, and teamwork.“Technology is just
one key component to providing the means
of accomplishing our goals,” he says.