The Shared IT Services (SITS) program continues to move forward. Unit migrations to SITS remains a top priority of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor of IT at Washington University in St. Louis. In their latest milestone, the SITS project recently surpassed 19,846 workstations migrated to the new modern technology environment.
With the challenge of WashU building closures, SITS is continuing to transition WashU campuses to Shared IT Services. Workstation migrations are on pause currently, as migrations are physically completed by WashU IT technicians. However, our teams continue to work virtually, one way is through our Discovery process and virtually locating user workstations through our Computer Location Survey. Our Computer Location Survey is a tool we use to gather user information provided by the user in the form of an automated pop-up survey when the user logs in. This information is vital in finding correct locations for users across WashU campuses for our Discovery Team.
SITS is currently focused on completing several small units across campuses. The key units include BAMCO, Whittemore House, Faculty Practice Plan, Vice Chancellor for International Affairs (VCIA), McDonnell International Scholars Academy (MISA), Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and Institutional Diversity and the WashU Nursery School.
Last month, SITS announced its long-awaited entrance into the School of Arts and Sciences on the Danforth Campus. Amid WashU building closures, the Discovery phase continues in the first 3 divisions; Administration, University College and the Department of Humanities. SITS will strategically plan the migration of the School of Arts and Sciences in 5 key areas; Administration, University College, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.
SITS has also been revamping our training manuals and delivery process in 2020. This process includes added sessions, more information, and a refined view of support after migration. SITS will offer user training to departments ahead of migration day. These are group sessions, typically lasting one hour. The approach to scheduling training sessions is usually reviewed with Department Leadership, but typically lasting an email is sent to customers letting them know various times during which user training will be offered. These sessions are provided throughout the migration period and as requested by the department. The goal is to give a high-level overview of what to expect during the migration process, key changes, and how to request support after migration. SITS strongly recommends attendance, as many of the topics addressed will help customers can smoothly acclimate post-migration. Users can access more information and additional training guides here.