I.
Background
II. Vision, Mission, Policies and objectives
III. Strategies
a. Creation of an ICT Division (organizational
structure)
b. Development, maintenance and improvements
of the basic infrastructure
i. Development of the basic data communication
infrastructure
1. Designing of local networks
2. Installation of a Backbone system within
each CAMPUS
3. Installation of a Connectivity system
between CAMPUSES
4. Elaboration of security Policies
c. Areas of mayor strategic importance
i. Basic communication infrastructure
ii. Information Systems
iii. Data communication services
iv. Training of users
v. Research development
IV. Budgetary Policies
V. Recommendations
I. Background
The use
of the technologies in the University can be divided in ages
or periods, before year 79, during the 80's and from the 90's.
Before
79, the University handled its Academic Registry System and
Payroll, in a system programmed in FORTRAN and RPG, which
fulfilled the necessities of that time, considering the number
of existing students and teachers.
During
the years 80, the boom of the microcomputers began and the
University improved its systems with the acquisition of an
IBM 36 system, which handled the accounting systems, finances,
academic registry, payroll, scholarships, etc. Nevertheless
these were only partially developed, not obtaining the complete
automation of all the services that are rendered in these
areas, in addition connectivity among them did not exist.
During
the 90's several efforts were made to acquire and to improve
the information and communication technologies, implementing
some connectivity networks (access to Internet), improvement
of the accounting systems, academic registry, payroll, library
system (Micro Isis), etc. But still a total integration of
each one of them with the different units and/or existing
faculties does not exist, nor with the regional centers or
the research centers. Until the moment it has not been possible
to implement a complete network that can connect all the units.
The introduction
of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the
University runs into some important difficulties. In the first
place, the lack of a clear institutional strategy that provides
a scheme for the development of this technology in education,
investigation and in the administration. The University has
developed some projects like: training courses to the educational
and administrative personnel, use of electronic mail, development
of Internet Nodes, development of Intranet, Library system,
Academic registry system, System of finances etc. These are
generally isolated activities that are not aligned to the
strategic objectives of the Institution and whose existence
usually is justified as a goal of it's own.
Secondly,
the academic and administrative personnel have little experience
in the use of ICT in the education-learning model, and thirdly,
a deficiency of resources implied in the investment in ICT
is evident. This is a question particularly important to consider
since the resources destined to these technologies are elevated
and, in addition, are subject to a rate of very fast obsolescence
(around 24 months), which forces the University to maintain
a reasonable investment for these aims, as much for new acquisitions
as for renovation of the already existing ones.
The University
is in a transformation process, which includes a revision
of the Curriculum, university accreditation, evaluation to
the performance, etc. This includes implementing the new Information
and Communication Technologies as a contribution to the improvement
of the academic, investigative and administrative development,
for which the intention is the creation of automated Information
Systems, the creation of a university NODE for Internet access
and to offer service to the whole university community.
II.
Vision, Mission, Policies and objectives
Vision
The Information and Communication Technologies will be used
efficiently to develop and to coordinate Information Systems
as a support to the decision making at the highest level of
the university's academic and administrative sectors with
the objective that they will contribute to reach the Academic
Excellence.
Mission
To coordinate the policies of Information and Communication
Technology in the university that allow: To update on the
most recent knowledge and information of sciences, to provide
computer support for the decision making at the highest level
of the Institution, to allow all (teachers, administrative
personnel, students, investigators) the services that the
Internet offers, such as electronic mail, forums, teleconferencing
and an Intranet that optimizes the administrative and academic
information and communication between the different units
and faculties.
Policies
With the purpose of developing a project for Information and
Communication Technology services, UNAN-Managua determines
the following assembly of policies:
• The University will develop the basic Infrastructure
that allows the operation of ICT services.
• The University will provide ICT services (electronic
mail, Internet and Intranet) to the Investigators, teachers,
students and administrative personnel in its different University
Campuses, Regional Centers and Research Centers for the development
of their activities.
• The University will permanently train the academic-,
administrative-personnel, and students with the intention
that they obtain the necessary skills for the use of ICT in
their diverse functions.
• The University will generate strategies to guarantee
the auto sustainability of ICT resources.
• The University will fortify the services of distance
education through the efficient use of ICT resources.
• The University will guarantee the application of ICT
policies by means of the creation of an ICT Division at the
highest level.
• The University will develop a Node that offers access
to INTERNET for all the Campuses, Regional Centers and Research
Centers to satisfy the necessities of connectivity and to
reduce the costs.
• The University will develop an automated Academic Registry
System that efficiently handles and processes the academic
information at central level, in the faculties and at the
regional centers.
• The University will develop an automated Library Information
System that allows efficient and practical real time access
(via Web) for all its operations and services in the faculties
as well as in regional centers and centers of investigation.
• The University will develop an automated Information
System for human resources that in an efficient way controls
and applies processes of administration at the central level,
in faculties, regional centers and in research centers.
• The University will develop an automated financial
Information System that in an efficient way controls and applies
processes of financial administration at the central level,
in faculties, regional centers and in research centers.
General
Objectives
1. To develop to policies and strategies in the area of Information
and Communication Technologies in order to maintain a reliable,
stable and homogenous platform for the Information Systems
of the university.
2. Democratize the access of the university community to the
Information and Communication Technology resources available.
3. To promote the use of ICT so that they contribute to an
improvement of the educative programs, investigation and services
of the university.
4. To develop ICT in all parts of the university community
to support the superior direction in the analysis, decision
making and improvement of the academic and administrative
procedures.
Specific
Objectives
• To develop the capacity to use ICT for the storage,
recovery and diffusion of information to improve the effectiveness
of the University.
• To develop the capacity to use ICT in the development
of the education and the investigation.
• To develop the capacity to use ICT in the development
of the administration.
• To promote the use of ICT for computerized auto learning.
• To promote the use of ICT with unconventional and effective
study programs in the education-learning for the units of
distance education and virtual university.
• To prepare computing facilities for the use of INTERNET
in the university campuses.
• To develop an ACADEMICAL and ADMINISTRATIVE INTRANET
that consolidates the directive and operational capacity of
the administration of the university according to the education.
• To guarantee the budgetary and no budgetary funds needed
for the sustainability of ICT resources of the university.
III. Strategies
The University
is taking the steps that contribute to reach the development
and implementation of ICT services that will be shown throughout
this to chapter.
III.a.
Creation of an ICT Division (organizational structure)
The University
has to assure that the ICT resources and policies are administered
efficiently through the creation of an organizational structure
and appropriate policies that responds to the interests of
all users.
The objective
of this Division will be to develop, to control and to guarantee
the continuation of ICT in the University.
Organizational
chart for the Office of Information and Communication Technologies
(DTIC)
III.b.
Development, maintenance and improvements of the basic infrastructure
The data
communication constitutes an essential component within the
policies of Information and Communication Technologies. It
should be a part of a system (network infrastructure) that
allows the University to guarantee the availability of ICT
services and systems within the University, but it would be
ideal if these services could also be accessed from outside
of the campuses.
The network
infrastructure is the physical base that allows all the common
ICT services to work appropriately, providing a nexus between
the person who looks for the information and the place where
it is stored.
III.b.I. Development of the basic data
communication infrastructure
The University
has as its policy to develop a network and data communication
infrastructure that includes the following:
•
Designing of local networks taking into account the distance
between the work places and common interests.
• Connections within each campus.
• Connections between campuses.
• Elaboration of security policies.
The construction
of the infrastructure of the network always requires of a
substantial period of time, but also it have to be synchronized
with the implementation of the ICT services and systems and
the distribution of servers. Planning strategies will be created
that regulate the extension and development of the networks
within the University.
The design
and implementation of the networks within the university will
always have to be regulated, being sufficiently flexible to
most efficiently adapt to possible technological changes and
to incorporate unpredicted changes.
III.b.I.1.
Designing of local networks
Within
each building a system of structured wiring should be installed.
For each existing or planned building the number of connections
or points of connection (inlaid in the wall) in relevant sections
have to be defined. Interconnection links to servers of general
interest have to exist (e.g. Academic Registry System).
III.b.I.2.
Installation of a Backbone system within each CAMPUS
Within
each campus a Backbone system will exist (optical fiber, copper
or wireless) that allows the interconnection with the other
campuses. Similarly the buildings within the campus that needs
it will have a similar system.
III.b.I.3
Installation of a Connectivity system between CAMPUSES
The interconnection
of remote campuses to each other will have to be done on the
basis of the topography of the land where they are located
III.b.I.4
Elaboration of security Policies
The security policies will have an obligatory character and
will have to be fulfilled by all the users independently of
their position or level. The objective of the policies will
be to protect the ICT resources of the university are these
hardware (e.g. Computers) or software (e.g. Programs).
Within its security policies the University considers the
necessity of a continuous supervision that has as its objective
to guarantee that they are fulfilled and applied correctly.
Nevertheless, to make this happen the following control factors
will have to be taken into account:
•
That only authorized personnel will have access to the servers
and principal means of communication.
• To prevent the unauthorized creation, alteration and
destruction of data.
• To create and to update control lists that allow to
accurately define the personnel or users with authority to
have access to the information
• To establish control norms that verifies that the resources
are used in an appropriate and reasonable form.
• Use of high quality level physical communication media
to enable regulation and authentication between the Computer
center and the connection points.
These
factors in by themselves are not enough to allow a correct
implementation of ICT security policies. In order to be able
to reach optimal results the following points will have to
be in focus:
•
Precision of the implementation.
• Global applicability.
• Privacy at all levels.
• Regulated Access
• Statistical registries
• Immediate answers.
• Flexibility of use.
• Continuous sustainability.
• Optimization of resources.
• Encryption of data.
III.c.
Areas of mayor strategic importance
III.c.i.
Basic communication infrastructure
The University
has as its policy to create a Node that offers access to Internet
for all the Campuses, Regional centers and Research centers
to satisfy their need for connectivity and to reduce the costs
and deficiencies of this service from other suppliers.
All the
main servers should be concentrated at the same place (DTIC),
which fulfills the following requirements:
•
Air conditioning system
• Air cleaners and extractors.
• Electrical back-up system (power plant).
• Permanent monitoring.
• Channels for high-speed communication with the servers.
• Structured wiring.
• Alarm system and protection against fires.
III.c.ii. Information Systems
Academic
Registry System
The University
has as its policy to develop an automated academic registry
system that in an efficient way handles and processes the
academic information at central level, in faculties and in
regional centers.
The objective
is to improve the access to the information through an integrated
system that allows:
• To realize the registry of personal student information.
• To analyze the results of subjects.
• To realize the Pre-matriculation and matriculation
• To execute the procedure of allocation of students
to the study plans
• To control and to register the result of the proficiency
tests.
• To control and to register regular-, parallel- and
summer-courses.
• To provide information on access of resources and professors.
• To handle the calendar of classes.
• To control curriculum of the different study plans.
• To control the financial situation of the students
(credits).
• To provide a database system on line (via Web) for
consultations of marks for the students and of information
related to their files.
Financial
Information System
The University
has as its policy to develop an automated financial Information
System that in an efficient way controls and applies the processes
of financial administration at central level, in faculties,
regional centers and in research centers.
The objective
is to improve the access to the information through an integrated
system that allows:
•
To generate shorter processing cycles.
• To process and to inform up to date financial statements
for the decision making by the authorities that so require.
• To provide direct access to the system for budget consultations.
• To consolidate the financial information.
• To register the daily financial transactions.
• To generate procedures of budget control.
• To elaborate procedures of control for investment of
funds.
• To process procedures for control of scholarships.
• To generate reports used by Audit.
• To generate control procedures for Funds from external
sources.
• To update controls for financial necessities as costs
of matriculation, government funds, scholarships and investments.
• To control the authorization of payments, institutional
costs and incentives.
• To generate the payment list.
• To construct modules that executes the accounting.
• To construct procedures that help to control the assets,
income and debits.
• To construct modules that processes the inventory control.
• To provide tools of financial analysis based on the
Web.
Library Information System
The University
has as its policy to develop an Information System for the
automated Library with efficient and practical real time access
(via Web) for all its operations and services at central level,
in faculties, regional centers and in research centers.
The objective is to improve the access to the information
through an integrated system that allows:
•
To increase the quality of the education.
• To create and to update the bibliographical data bases.
• To facilitate the interchange between libraries and
documentation centers.
• To diversify new bibliography required by the different
study plans.
• To improve the level of personal qualification of the
students.
• To lend and to search on line (via Web).
• To access to catalogues on line (via Web).
• To share information with other Universities.
• To access (via Web) to services such as: Bibliographical
indices, Abstracts, etc.
• To generate reports for statistics and control.
• To digitize the information.
Human
Resource System
The University
has as its policy to develop an automated Human Resources
Information System that in an efficient way controls and applies
the processes of administration at central level, in faculties,
regional centers and in research centers.
The objective is to improve the administration of the human
resources through an integrated system that allows:
• To improve the control of the activities within the
University.
• To consolidate the prestige of the University.
• To improve the relations University-Society-Government.
• To provide updated and reliable information that allows
decision-making about the education and training of the personnel.
• To shorten the processing cycles.
• To update databases that contains information on the
human resources.
• Provide information that permits:
• To establish a policy for human resources.
• To plan short and long term requirements of personnel.
• To contract personnel
• To evaluate performance
• To train personnel.
• To control wages.
• To define administration funds for pensions
• Monitor and to evaluate personal with prolonged leaves.
III.c.iii.
Data communication services
The University
has as its policy to develop and to implement services of
data communication to assure an anticipated availability of
all ICT resources, in any workplace within the university,
these services must be applicable as well to the network infrastructure
as to applications for the end user.
The services
of data communication constitute an essential element within
the network of UNAN since they allow:
•
To access to the information from remote places
• To provide means that allow effective and low cost
communication.
• To make the daily work more efficiently.
• To share information of common use or of general interest.
• To transfer and to receive ideas as well as information.
The services
of data communication that will be provided at user level
are:
•
Service of Electronic Mail.
• Access to Internet and Intranet services.
• Information and Communication Systems for the end user.
• Services of computing tools for the offices.
To reach
a high degree of effectiveness it is not only required to
have the infrastructure of an appropriate network, but also
training adapted for the personnel is needed.
III.c.iv. Training of users
The University
has as its policy to educate and train the students, academic
and administrative personnel so that they can exploit the
ICT resources to the maximum.
For the
suitable handling of ICT resources it is necessary that:
•
The students will be obliged to take introductory courses.
• The academic personnel should demonstrate an acceptable
level and in case of not having it, to develop skills in short
term.
• Each department and study plan counts on a minimum
of one computer for each ten students.
The final
objective is that all the users are able to:
•
To use ICT technology in the most efficient way possible.
• To contribute to the specifications, design and implementation
of ICT applications.
• To contribute in a responsible way to the care for
equipment and software.
Different
programs for qualification should be developed and applied
according to the level of the user who access and/or handles
ICT resources. These training programs will have to be given
in parallel with the implementation of the ICT technologies
and services. The content, level and selection of what will
be given first will depend on the form in which these services
are implemented.
The organizational
conditions necessary to carry out the suitable training programs
have to be created with educated personnel and adequate laboratories
that assure the continuity of the permanent education and
training within the University.
The training
will be oriented to cover as much as possible within the different
levels that are defined and will have to include all the users.
The objective is not to create "high level experts"
but to give the knowledge in a form so that it allows the
users to handle ICT resources and to prepare them for maintenance
and update (modernization) of those.
III.c.v.
Research development
It is
the policy of the University to focus towards the area of
investigation of ICT resources that will allow for the implementation
of projects and investigation programs.
The objective
is to develop a network that connects all the faculties of
the University to the databases that exist in other universities
at the national and worldwide level.
To facilitate
to the teachers a rapid access to recent information to impart
in their classes.
To equip
the teachers-investigators with the tools necessary to prepare
educative projects containing precise and reliable information
at the international level.
To facilitate
the generation of socially useful knowledge among the teachers
and the teachers-investigators from our University.
IV. Budgetary Policies
The University
has as its policy to watch for the development and auto sustainability
of ICT resources, through the search for internal and external
financing.
The objective
is:
- To review
the allocation of the funds available to the development of
ICT.
- To implement
a financial plan of investment for the acquisition, maintenance
and renovation of technological products associated with ICT.
- To plan
the hiring of the human resources necessary for the adequate
functioning of the Information and Communication Technologies.
V.
Recommendations
- To include in the agenda of the University Council and the
Facultative and Technical Councils, the development of ICT.
- To create
the Division of Information and Communication Technologies.
- To guarantee
the allocation of resources for the development of ICT.
- To integrate
ICT in the strategic plans
