The answer to how Purdue University officials will cut $15 million from the campus’ information technology spending will become clearer next week.
But the issue of job loss could remain unsettled for some time.
“Consolidation of services and reducing redundancy regardless of the area will be considered. So the answer is, it depends,” said Chris Martin, co-chairman of a committee looking at IT savings. “Is part of the solution outsourcing? If outsourcing is the alternative that is deemed to be the most effective and maintain our current capabilities, then it is a possibility.”
On March 11 a summary of a plan to reorganize the campus information technology departments and identify ways to trim costs will be published on a Purdue Web site. This is in advance of a March 31 final report that will be forwarded to President France Córdova.
“Part of our charge from the president was to vet this as wide as possible,” said Connie Lapinskas, assistant provost for financial affairs, who is overseeing the plan. “We are trying to bring people along for the process.”
On Monday, Lapinskas and other Purdue administrators held the first of three forums this week at Stewart Center to explain the ongoing process to find savings. No concrete solutions were offered, but possibilities ranged from merging areas where services overlap, conserving energy use, changing student computer labs and consolidating printers.
One goal is to bring the campus information technology services under the office of the vice president for information technology. There are about 30 IT groups on campus.
Officials said any changes would have to keep the level of service high and efficiencies would need to be seen at the department and institutional level.
“This is not about cutting capabilities but offering the same or better capabilities in a more efficient manner,” Martin said.
The information technology departments have been told to cut $15 million — $5 million this fiscal year, which ends June 30, and $10 million in the next two fiscal years — as part of an expected $67 million deficit.
The $67 million deficit in the next two-year budget cycle, which starts July 1, 2011, is based on several assumptions: flat state appropriations; no increase in student fees; a 3 percent salary increase; a 1 percent increase in other costs; and maintaining scholarships.
Rethinking how computer labs are used could uncover savings, said Julie Kercher-Updike, associate vice president of IT customer relations.
About 5,500 computers are spread between 280 labs on campus for general, instructional and specialized use.
Brian Brinegar, who works in the engineering computer network, asked if savings will be captured over the long term through new methods or if budgets will be cut immediately and new methods will deal with the loss.
The answer is likely both.
Lapinskas noted the timeline for the information technology plan was aggressive but said employees will have multiple options — forums, department meetings and offer suggestions via a Web site — to voice their ideas and concerns.
“We don’t want this to be a surprise to anyone,” she said.
About 1,000 information technology employees are on campus. Of those, 50 percent work for Information Technology at Purdue, 30 percent in academic areas and 20 percent in administrative areas.
Since departments have varying definitions of what information technology consists of, Lapinskas said, the total amount of general fund money spent on information services is unknown.
Sourcehttp://www.jconline.com/article/20100302/NEWS0501/3020337/IT-outsourcing-not-off-Purdue-s-table
