Strategic Initiative 2: Improve our IT systems and services as well as provide the facilities and equipment to effectively accomplish the mission of our residential and virtual community.
This strategy focuses on improving the infrastructure of our campus facilities, learning and living space, and improving IT services and security. Through our efforts in this strategy to improve campus infrastructure, we will also be significantly improving energy efficiency and lowering operating costs. Much of the improvement to our infrastructure occurs in results 1 and 2, which we will start during the first year and will be completed in phases over the five years of the plan. Along with improving our aging heating and cooling, and water and electrical distribution systems infrastructure over the next five years, we will also be upgrading lab and classroom space as well as room and lounge space in our residence halls. Included in the enhancements to our lab space are renovations to significantly enhance our Applied Sciences lab space. These renovations will include the building of a Fabrication Lab, for which we already have over $300,000 of private funding to outfit the lab with equipment. Enhancing our Applied Sciences lab space will allow us to expand our Applied Science course offerings to meet student demand. All of the projects covered in this result are aligned with the Discovery Center Campus Master Plan. The goal of this strategy is to move forward in improving our facilities as we continue to pursue funding for the Discovery Center.
Along with improving our facilities this strategy focuses on improving IT security and services. Over the next year we will move forward in adopting ISO 27002 standards for IT security and begin migrating some IT services off campus which will improve security and efficiency. This strategy also has a focus on improving our IT services on campus and looking forward in our planning needs using both internal and external planning resources and expertise.
Specific Results:
| In Progress | Implement best practices to increase efficiency in maintaining the physical plant and facility. |
| In Progress | Increase energy efficiency by 20% in order to reduce costs for utilities for the physical campus. |
| In Progress | Meet current NC Building Code standards and energy efficiency recommendations by upgrading the infrastructure and facilities. |
| In Progress | Adopt International Standard Organization (ISO) 27002 as the code of practice for information security. |
| In Progress | Upgrade IT infrastructure to protect and improve IT services. |
| In Progress | Continuously improve manageability, flexibility and cost efficiency of campus IT systems, staff and operations while maintaining or increasing end-user satisfaction. |
| Starts Year 3 | Increase student satisfaction by restructuring housing assignments and resource replacement cycles to meet recommended levels of UNC system schools. |
| Starts Year 2 | Reconfigure and equip identified learning environments to facilitate student-centered, active learning. |
| In Progress | Evaluate existing and potential lab spaces and upgrade lab facilities, equipment and safety practices to effectively accomplish the school’s mission. |