Ohio U CIO Presents $8 MM Plan to Bolster Campus Tech

Ohio University Chief Information Officer Brice Bible presented the Ohio U board of trustees a proposal for strengthening the university's central information technology systems at a cost of  $8 million over five years.

"Our systems are not just aging; they are antiquated," Bible said, according to a university press announcement. "We just don't have the staff to address hardware and software configuration needs."

Bible's plan is comprehensive: It includes improving computer systems and network infrastructure, strengthening security and disaster recovery capabilities, enhancing customer service and support, and improving academic and administrative applications. A newly formed Information Technology Advisory Council will help guide the process.

Bible will ask Ohio U to add $3 million to its IT budget in the next fiscal year, and another $2 million the next year. After five years, the budget will have grown by $8 million. Nearly all of the new money in the next two years will go toward 24 new staff positions, Bible said.

A recent Gartner Group study found that Ohio's IT budget and staffing levels were 40 percent to 60 percent below comparable organizations, the release said.

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Paul McCloskey is contributing editor of Syllabus.

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