IT Plans & Goals

On this page:

  1. Wi-Fi Upgrades
  2. Gettysburg College Information Technology Strategic Plan
  3. Gettysburg College Information Technology Annual Goals for 2020-2021

Wi-Fi Upgrades

Gettysburg College will launch a two-year capital project to upgrade its campus wi-fi, beginning summer 2024. The $2.5 million upgrade will deliver best-in-class network capabilities to today’s students and faculty-scholars, while meeting our community’s growing need for fast, secure, and reliable internet.

In all, Information Technology will be installing over 1,135 new wireless access points in more than 85 campus buildings and outdoor locations, along with supporting network hardware, fiber, and CAT 6A copper wiring. This work will increase network speeds to campus buildings, improve network security, increase Gettysburg’s fiber footprint, and provide the necessary bandwidth to support faculty and student research.

Phase 1 of the capital project will upgrade wi-fi in over 25 residence halls, the Dining Hall, Musselman Library, College Union Building, and popular outdoor locations by the end of Fall 2024. By prioritizing these marquee locations, the College seeks to ensure the greatest number of students benefit from the enhanced connectivity upon their return to campus.

Phase 2, scheduled to start in Spring 2025, will focus on the remaining residence halls and all academic and administrative buildings. This phase will be completed by the end of Fall 2025.

Depending on wi-fi and network hardware availability, the College aims to complete the entire capital project by Summer 2026. Progress updates will be shared on this site.


Gettysburg College Information Technology Strategic Plan

Preparing IT to Support a 21st Century Liberal Arts Institution

For the past several years, Gettysburg College’s Information Technology division found itselfreacting to the forces of an economic downturn and a major relocation of the division from fiveseparate locations to one central area on the edge of campus. Along with these local conditions,globally the information technology community in higher education is experiencing a significanttransformation due to consumer electronics, cloud based services, and the explosion of mobiledevices.

With tight budgets, rapidly changing technologies, and the increasing expectations fortechnology to enhance higher education, college and university technology organizations must beacutely aware of their current operations and customer needs along with an insight into the futuretechnologies impacting business units across the campus.

To address the current and future technology conditions at Gettysburg College, the IT divisionembarked on a process of assessment and planning. This strategic plan first sets the stage byoutlining IT’s governing principles along with IT’s current context. The second major sectionoutlines IT’s strategic themes, initiatives, and the process of assessment.

Governing Principles: IT’s Context

On a daily basis, IT must balance outstanding customer service with pursuing the strategic goalsof the College and those related directly to the IT division. In striving for a healthy balancebetween operational and strategic efforts, IT relies on its Mission, Standards of Excellence,Resource Allocation Strategy, Advisory Groups, Key Indicators, and up-to-date knowledge ofFuture Trends.







Analysis and Strategic Themes and Initiatives

The strategic planning process started with a clear set of questions or points of investigations. The remainder of this document provides more background, context, and philosophies related to IT’s strategic plan.






Revised by RST: September 2020


Gettysburg College Information Technology Annual Goals for 2020-2021

SP: Institutional Strategic Plan and President’s Goals

Introduction

During the 2020-2021 academic year, IT will continue its progress on the initiatives outlined in IT’s Strategic Plan, on work related to Sustainable Excellence, and on work related to the College’s Strategic Plan. The 2020-2021 academic year will be dominated by work related to COVID-19.

Sustainable Excellence, Strategic Initiatives, Annual Goals, and Impacts

Information Technology’s divisional initiatives support the Gettysburg College community and the College’s Strategic Directions. Goals, initiatives, and impacts fall into several categories: COVID-19, Teaching & Learning, Cybersecurity, Capital Projects, Gettysburg College Strategic Plan, Governance & Policy, Mobile, Wireless & Infrastructure, Resources, Ongoing Services, and IT’s Inclusion Action Plan.