Information Technology Strategic Plan (2020–2025)
Supporting the University's Strategic Theme: Agility in Serving, Retaining and Graduating Our Students
Executive Summary
Information Technology plays a critical role in advancing Troy University's mission by enabling teaching, learning, research, student engagement, and institutional operations. The Division of Information Technology is committed to delivering secure, reliable, and innovative technology services that support the University's strategic priorities while providing an exceptional experience for students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
This Strategic Plan aligns with Troy University's 2020–2025 Strategic Plan by focusing technology investments on initiatives that improve student success, strengthen cybersecurity, modernize infrastructure, enhance operational effectiveness, and promote responsible innovation.
Technology is no longer viewed solely as a support service. It is a strategic institutional capability that enables academic excellence, operational efficiency, informed decision making, and continuous innovation.
Mission
Deliver secure, reliable, and innovative technology services that advance Troy University's mission of teaching, learning, research, service, and student success.
Vision
Technology will serve as a strategic institutional asset that enables Troy University to provide exceptional educational experiences regardless of location while protecting institutional information and supporting continuous innovation.
Guiding Principles
- Student-Centered Services
- Security by Design
- Reliability and Operational Excellence
- Data-Informed Decision Making
- Innovation with Purpose
- Responsible Stewardship of University Resources
Alignment with the University Strategic Plan
Information Technology supports every objective contained within Troy University’s Strategic Plan.
| University Strategic Priority | Information Technology Support |
|---|---|
| Recruit Students | Modern digital services, admissions technology, CRM, online engagement |
| Retain Students | Learning technologies, analytics, advising systems, collaboration tools |
| Graduate Students | Reliable instructional technology, enterprise applications, workflow automation |
| Internationalization | Secure online learning, global connectivity, collaboration platforms |
| Distributed Campuses | Consistent technology services across all instructional locations |
Strategic Goal 1
Enhance the Student Digital Experience
Objective: Provide intuitive, secure, and reliable technology services throughout the student lifecycle.
Strategic Initiatives
- Improve student self-service capabilities.
- Expand mobile-friendly services.
- Enhance classroom and instructional technologies.
- Improve online learning technologies.
- Strengthen identity management and Single Sign-On.
- Expand electronic forms and workflow automation.
- Improve digital accessibility.
Expected Outcomes
- Increased student satisfaction.
- Improved access to technology resources.
- Reduced administrative complexity.
- Improved service availability.
Strategic Goal 2
Modernize Technology Infrastructure
Objective: Provide resilient, scalable, and reliable technology infrastructure supporting academic and administrative operations.
Strategic Initiatives
- Modernize campus network infrastructure.
- Expand wireless coverage and capacity.
- Increase Internet resiliency.
- Continue virtualization initiatives.
- Modernize enterprise storage and computing platforms.
- Adopt cloud services where appropriate.
- Standardize lifecycle replacement planning.
- Improve enterprise monitoring.
Business Continuity
- Maintain comprehensive disaster recovery capabilities.
- Conduct annual disaster recovery exercises.
- Modernize enterprise backup services.
- Improve operational resilience.
Expected Outcomes
- Increased infrastructure reliability.
- Improved performance.
- Enhanced disaster recovery readiness.
- Reduced unplanned service interruptions.
Strategic Goal 3
Strengthen Cybersecurity and Risk Management
Objective: Protect University information assets while supporting teaching, learning, research, and administrative operations.
Strategic Initiatives
- Continue implementation of Zero Trust security principles.
- Expand Multi-Factor Authentication.
- Improve endpoint security.
- Enhance vulnerability management.
- Strengthen identity governance.
- Improve incident response capabilities.
- Expand cybersecurity awareness training.
- Improve third-party risk management.
- Strengthen business continuity planning.
Compliance
- FERPA
- GLBA
- HIPAA (where applicable)
- PCI DSS
- State of Alabama cybersecurity requirements
Expected Outcomes
- Reduced institutional risk.
- Improved cybersecurity maturity.
- Enhanced regulatory compliance.
- Faster detection and response to security events.
Strategic Goal 4
Improve Enterprise Systems and Operational Excellence
Objective: Leverage technology to improve institutional effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Strategic Initiatives
- Modernize enterprise administrative systems.
- Improve enterprise integrations.
- Expand workflow automation.
- Improve document management.
- Reduce manual business processes.
- Improve reporting capabilities.
- Support institutional data governance.
- Improve service management processes.
Expected Outcomes
- Improved operational efficiency.
- Better user experience.
- Improved data quality.
- Reduced administrative burden.
Strategic Goal 5
Advance Data and Analytics
Objective: Provide institutional leaders with reliable information that supports effective decision making.
Strategic Initiatives
- Improve enterprise reporting.
- Develop executive dashboards.
- Strengthen data governance.
- Support institutional research.
- Expand analytics supporting enrollment and retention.
- Improve data quality standards.
- Enhance business intelligence capabilities.
Expected Outcomes
- Better institutional decision making.
- Increased reporting accuracy.
- Improved operational transparency.
- Stronger strategic planning.
Strategic Goal 6
Foster Innovation
Objective: Evaluate and implement emerging technologies that provide measurable institutional value.
Strategic Initiatives
- Evaluate Artificial Intelligence technologies.
- Expand automation opportunities.
- Improve digital collaboration.
- Evaluate new instructional technologies.
- Continue cloud adoption where appropriate.
- Improve digital service delivery.
Evaluation Criteria
Technology innovation will be evaluated based upon measurable improvements in student success, operational efficiency, cybersecurity, institutional effectiveness, and return on investment.
Expected Outcomes
- Responsible adoption of emerging technologies.
- Increased operational efficiency.
- Improved user experiences.
- Enhanced institutional agility.
Governance
The Division of Information Technology maintains governance processes that ensure technology investments align with institutional priorities through:
- Strategic Planning
- Project Governance
- Enterprise Architecture
- Information Security Governance
- Risk Management
- Vendor Management
- Lifecycle Management
- Budget Stewardship
Measuring Success
- Enterprise System Availability
- Network Reliability
- Service Desk Performance
- Cybersecurity Maturity
- Disaster Recovery Readiness
- Customer Satisfaction
- Technology Lifecycle Compliance
- Project Delivery
- Security Awareness Participation
- Operational Efficiency Improvements
Looking Forward
Technology continues to evolve rapidly. The Division of Information Technology remains committed to providing secure, reliable, and innovative technology services that support Troy University's mission while positioning the institution for continued success.
By aligning technology initiatives with institutional priorities, Information Technology will continue enabling academic excellence, student success, operational effectiveness, and responsible innovation across the University.