Review of the week

I've not been getting the time to provide an update so this is a quick summary of the last week in relfective mode. The week began with a discussion and update on "centralised timetabling" and the potential challenges with implementing the instruction to have this fully operational for next session 09/10. It seemed that the analysis co-ordinated by our PVC supported the high level of risk with such a timescale and the potential impact this could have on the organisation and on the student (if it wasn't working fully). The transition to personalised student timescales provided one of the challenges in terms of data accuracy and collection of that data in a sensible timescale. The main challenge was cultural rather than technical although it was recognised that the technology needed to work faultlessly too so this looks more likely for 10/11. Later that day I gave a lecture to the MSc students in Internet Security on the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts. There was a good turnout and most of them were interested in the subject mainly becuase there is an assigmment in this area! There have been a number of follow up emails from students and some of these have been sent in the middle of the night....During the week I also met with three of our associate deans learning and teaching as part of the introductory one-to-one meetings and it is interesting to reflect on the diversity of issues and perspectives that colleagues performing esentially the same role in three academic schools have on the IT service agenda. The week closed with a couple of hours spent with Microsoft learning about its current implementations of MS Exchange, Sharepoint, AD and other technologies in the UK higher education space. Many different approaches being taken here from strictly in house to completely outsourced and the split between student and staff provision (in some) and requirement for standardisation (in others). Plenty of food for thought and with the notional price tag ranging from zero (!) to £1.3 Million there are a range of price points too.