DTAE 2005
Technical College System of Georgia

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Information Technology,
Planning and Resource Development

 Technology Services

Technology Services supports the effective and efficient use of technology in all DTAE units and locations. New technology is continuously evaluated, tested, implemented and supported. Noteworthy accomplishments in FY04 include:

Network Engineering
As our dependence on communications technology expands at an exponential rate, Technical College IT personnel are expected to provide more services with fewer resources. In support of the Technical Colleges state-wide in FY04, DTAE network engineering professional provided a greater amount of “on-site” services than ever before. These services ranged from consultation and problem resolution to complete turn-key network infrastructure design and implementation. DTAE networking professionals are available to the Technical Colleges 24 hours a day/seven days a week.

Continuation of BANNER upgrades, training and module implementation.
BANNER, DTAE’s student information system, is continually upgraded and expanded to meet college needs and to keep abreast of federal regulatory changes. In FY04, migration to the required 64bit RS/6000 servers and upgrading Oracle to version 9i Release 2 was completed for all colleges. BANNER 6 upgrade was complete along with a converting all self-serve and forms to a web based model. Training was offered on Web registration, Letter Generation, Population selection, and CAPP. Functional training on BANNER 6 was completed for all colleges. Also, all web data was encrypted to provide secure web services.

Information Security
In FY04 DTAE information security professionals continued to support the Technical Colleges through the implementation of standardized security practices and procedures throughout the State. Support for all perimeter security devices, including firewalls, filtering routers, and email gateways as well as web filtering and caching devices has never been a higher priority and security auditing tools were utilized to verity compliance with Agency guidelines. Formal classroom training for College Information Security Administrators was instituted. Initiatives for compliance with Federal information security guidelines were set in motion. All network design / retrofit projects are now reviewed and required to meet current and future DTAE information security requirements.

Community Service
In cooperation with the Georgia Secretary of State in FY04 DTAE began coordinating state-wide support of electronic voting utilizing information technology support professionals from Technical Colleges all over Georgia. Over 1,000 hours of support is provided by DTAE IT professionals across the state each election day as our Technical Colleges reach out to support both our communities and sister Agencies.

Staff Technology Training
Software certification training was provided for all staff, with additional advanced certified training for technology specialists. This training includes Microsoft products, Cisco, Oracle, BANNER student information system, and other industry-certified training.

 
 Data Center and Information Services

The Data Center and Information Services are responsible for data collection, assimilation, and reporting to empower agency-wide and college level decision-making and to enable information sharing internally and with appropriate external audiences. Significant accomplishments in FY04 include:

  • Provided custom, web-based reports in support of technical college reporting needs. These reports provide a tool for college administration to perform internal analyses, ensure compliance with state and federal requirements and measure program effectiveness. They are being expanded to support planning, recruitment and resource management at both local and agency levels.

  • Completed internal DTAE report card as well as a state mandated report card to measure accountability in retention, graduation and licensure of DTAE students.

  • Completed the initial phase and implementation of a data warehouse that provides access to vast amounts of information stored throughout the agency and will provide a unified interface for reporting and analyses. The data warehouse implementation will be completed in FY04.

  • Developed DTAE fact sheets for the system and for individual schools. The purpose of the fact sheets is to provide a quick reference for college presidents, DTAE staff and Georgia legislators.

  • Continued expansion and enhancement of the DTAE Knowledge Management System (KMS), a secure, web-based communications and reporting interface that provides information and reporting for all units within the agency. In the future, certain components will be externally accessible to promote interagency efforts and collaborations.

  • Continued the implementation to automate IPEDS Graduation Rate, Completions, and Fall Enrollment surveys. Documentation of the extract procedure was provided to schools.

  • Created a TCC Validation form and New Program Approval request form as part of the development of a curriculum database.

  • Implemented Identity security and safeguard practices at all 34 DTAE Technical Colleges that eliminated the use of student and faculty social security numbers as primary identifiers in Banner and related student tracking systems.


 Strategic Planning

The Strategic Planning Office is responsible for all agency-level strategic planning for DTAE and provides direction and guidance to the technical colleges. This includes preparing and submitting the agency strategic plan to the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB), the Information Technology Plan to the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) and the Workforce Development Plan to the Georgia Merit System (GMS).

Strategic Plan
In FY04, DTAE built on prior year strategic planning efforts and re-visited its mission, vision and goals to ensure alignment with the state strategic plan and all new legal mandates. The FY05 update to DTAE’s FY2002-FY2006 Strategic Plan includes these eight strategic goals that create a framework for action:

  • Student Success through Technical Programs
  • Student Access to Seamless Technical Education
  • Improved Literacy Skills and Preparation for Educational Advancement
  • Training and Services for Economic Development
  • Educational Awareness for Community Development
  • Accountability through Effective and Efficient Management
  • Development of DTAE’s Internal Workforce
  • Information Technology for Extended and Enhanced Services

Information Technology Plan
The information technology plan provides a detailed analysis of major information technology projects that support DTAE strategic goals and objectives. Projects include:

  • Knowledge Management System (KMS)
  • Instructional Technology Acquisition and Allocation
  • Connectivity Capacity Building (WAN)
  • BANNER Student Information System - Upgrades, Utilization, and Training
  • BANNER COD Federal Compliance
  • GED Passport Upgrade
  • Adult Literacy National Reporting System (NRS)
  • Network Development
  • Enterprise Messaging
  • GVTC and Distance Learning Development
  • Data Mart
  • Student Identification
  • Professional Development Center (PDC) Regional Training Center
  • Business Continuity Plan - Began research of Best Practices and State and Federal requirements in FY04 to develop a Business Continuity Plan.
  • Security Audit of Technical Colleges
  • GVTC’s Learning Objects Repository
  • Online Student Orientation and Readiness Assessment

Workforce Development Plan
Workforce planning efforts continued to focus on profiling the current internal workforce and developing a future business and staffing outlook. DTAE’s workforce plan supports agency strategic goals, objectives, business functions, technology initiatives, staffing, and budget requests.


 Resource Development

Nonprofit Management Certification
The Resource Development Office and The Advancement Executive Network (TAEN) has conducted five years of certification training in nonprofit management. The one-year course is comprised of four workshops that address topics that cover roles and responsibilities of advancement officers and development staff at technical colleges. These include foundation board development, prospect research, legal issues, grant writing skills, record keeping and accounting, and planning for fundraising campaigns. Since the course began in FY98, fifty-six certificates in nonprofit management have been awarded to advancement officers and staff who successfully completed the course.

Technical College Foundation Association
The Technical College Foundation Association (TCFA) has been in operation since 1998. Its purpose is to broaden statewide opportunities for training programs, networking, fundraising, and advocacy for foundation boards operating on behalf of local technical colleges and at the state level. All thirty-four technical college foundation boards and the state-level Georgia Fund are TCFA members. The TCFA Newsletter is published twice a year and sent to trustees to recognize exemplary board members across the state and provide information on upcoming events. A PowerPoint presentation template customized for each technical college was provided at the annual TCFA Delegate Council meeting. The fifth TCFA Annual Meeting is scheduled for November 2004, as a joint conference, along with the State Board of Technical and Adult Education, the Technical College Directors’ Association and technical college presidents. Professional presenters, experts in the field of resource development and others conduct training workshops during the conference. Over 450 attendees participate in the annual conference.

The TCFA web site is located at www.tcfa-ga.org.

Consulting Services
The DTAE Resource Development Office provides no-cost consulting services to technical colleges. Available services include orientation workshops for foundation trustees, all phases of foundation board development, sample promotional brochures and other printed materials, model operational plans for fundraising campaigns, executive leadership and community awareness support.

TechMatch Program
Since July of 1999, the DTAE technical colleges and Regents colleges with technical divisions have been eligible to apply to DTAE for a grant of state matching funds. The major purpose of the TechMatch program is to encourage technical colleges to establish on-going relationships with local businesses and industries. The TechMatch program makes grant awards, up to a certain amount, available to technical colleges that raise funds or receive donations of current equipment from private sector donors. Each college submits a proposal for matching funds to the Resource Development Office for review and approval. All cash donations and state matching grant funds must be used to purchase equipment for instructional programs. Since FY00, this program has resulted in over $25.4 million in state funds allocated to technical colleges to upgrade existing equipment or purchase new equipment for instructional programs.

The Georgia Fund for Technical and Adult Education
The Georgia Fund (GFTAE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation operating on behalf of DTAE and its technical colleges. Its mission is to benefit all entities of DTAE and to assist Georgia business and industry through development of a productive and skilled workforce. GFTAE accepts and transfers resources of behalf of and in support of the technical and adult education system. GFTAE has four areas of responsibility: advocacy, friend-raising, fund-raising, and funds administration. Employee tax deductions through payroll donations to the local college foundation are made possible through use of the Georgia Fund. DTAE units may deposit their private sector donations into Georgia Fund accounts that are administered by the Resource Development Office and held in their names and for their use.

For more information, go to www.gftae.org on the Web.
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