SAIS’s IT Department undergoes large scale, multi-year upgrading process

By Jessica Lambertson

 Information technology in the Hopkins system has caused major confusion for students across the SAIS campus.  Even those not technologically challenged have difficulty navigating the multiple websites, laborious directions, and missing staff links.

George Petasis, Chief Information Officer and newly appointed Head of the Advanced Technology Team at SAIS, has set out to help smooth the disconnects in the IT department at SAIS.  He shared with the Observer, his long term and short term plans for the SAIS IT Department.

“We’ve been working hard since I got here, about a year ago, to stabilize and improve the IT infrastructure,” explains Petasis.  Through his help, the school has created a number of strategic goals, each aiming to make “technology a tool to uncover, connect, and support physical assets and human resources.”  Even in the short time that Petasis has been on staff, the department has gone through a large-scale transformation.

The first step was to create an IT Advisory Council (ITAC). Petasis expects ITAC to serve as a mouthpiece for the wider campus and help create a dialogue about IT concerns and questions.  An immediate improvement resulting from this effort has been the installation of a service desk and call center for all student and faculty technology issues. This means students can get any IT related question answered on campus between 7:45 AM and 5:00 PM daily.  Support is available for in-classroom problems until 7:00 PM.

Further integration and consolidation have been planned through the use of SharePoint and JHIM, says Petasis. He describes a “comprehensive IT Budget for FY10 and onwards that includes a refresh of all technologies currently at SAIS.”  These “refreshed” technologies are already popping up on campus.  In fact, each classroom now has a computer with recording capabilities, and all computers over five years old were replaced in early October.

Some of the changes initiated this summer, including a new admissions online application and a switch to a new email platform for first year students, should usher in more permanent and drastic changes in the coming years.  There is a move to integrate and collaborate across campuses– and Petasis hopes to “extend enterprise applications to Bologna.”  Not inconsequentially, the IT department also renovated their website. Students, faculty and staff  now have access to greater information to help them navigate SAIS’ IT system.

More improvements are planned for completion by the Spring Semester.  First on the agenda are network upgrading and wireless rooftop links.  The Computer and Foreign Language Labs will be equipped with new PC’s and access will be granted through JHED profiles.  More importantly, a remote server connection is planned to allow access to SAIS applications remotely.

The team is also thinking about medium and long term planning as well.  In the medium term, Petasis discussed extending all enterprise systems to Bologna, implementing a records management system, and improving customer service – fine tuning the initial set up.  Perhaps most exciting, Petasis talked of integrating multifunction copiers into the Pharos system (which means students won’t all be waiting on Double Sided Printer B).

For those students that are coming back to SAIS next year, there will be some impressive improvements that meet you.  Currently, all first year students use Outlook Live for emails (us poor second years do not). Next fall, all students will be on the Outlook Live system. 

ISIS enhancements are also planned:  you’ll still have to bid on overfull classes, but you’ll have fewer problems with the drop-down menu.  Blackboard will be used University wide as the course management system.  They’re also further improving the application process online.

Also exciting will be the shiny new technology in Nitze and Rome.  More power adapters for laptops will be installed, and the smart panels currently being used will be replaced by Sympodiums (which is really exciting for professors, but less so for students).   In the larger classes (read:  International Monetary Theory), there will be listening equipment made available as well.

Of course, there are still problems now, but Petasis and the rest of the IT department is committed to clearing up problems now and working to prevent them in the future.  To check out the new and improved IT site, head to http://www.sais-jhu.edu/it/.  If you have any questions for the IT department, you can head to their support desk Monday to Friday — 7:45am to 5pm, email them at mailto:saishelp@jhu.edu or call xhelp (use 202.663.5666 from outside SAIS).

Jessica Lambertson is a 2^nd year M.A. Candidate in Latin American Studies.