March 11, 2004

Information systems upgrades to benefit entire University

Major effort will improve sponsored research, administrative and CUFS systems

The University has launched a comprehensive program to upgrade and enhance the administrative and research information systems that serve faculty, students, and staff in their teaching and research work.

The improvements will address the increased demands on the financial and research offices caused by the significant growth of the research enterprise and the increase in government regulations, according to President Henry S. Bienen. They will also address recent Program Review findings indicating the need for the University to provide faculty and staff with better access to administrative data in a more integrated manner.

External consultants and recent Program Reviews have identified the need for three distinct but closely related systems initiatives:

• Development of a mechanism to provide faculty and administrators with more user-friendly, online access to information that integrates financial, human resources, research, student, and space data in support of the sponsored research;

• Broad integration of data across the University’s administrative systems;

• Replacement of the financial management system (CUFS).

Bienen said, “The immediate priority will be development of mechanisms that enhance faculty and staff access to reports and data in support of sponsored research.” Planning is under way, and implementation efforts will begin this spring.

The second major initiative — to integrate data across major administrative systems — is now in a preliminary planning stage. This effort will be closely linked with the research data and CUFS replacement projects, Bienen said.

The replacement of CUFS is a longer-term project that will engage a wide range of faculty and staff. Preliminary planning has also started on this initiative, with an initial goal of developing a requirements, system selection, and implementation plan, as well as a project timeline.

Initial planning for these projects is being led by the University’s Enterprise System Executive committee (ESEC), composed of Provost Lawrence B. Dumas, Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Eugene S. Sunshine, Vice President for Research C. Bradley Moore and Vice President for Information Technology Mort Rahimi, who chairs the group.

The ESEC has appointed Jake Julia, assistant vice president for change management, to provide overall direction for the projects as part of his duties for the Office of Change Management.

“Each of these initiatives is, on its own, an ambitious undertaking,” commented Rahimi. “We must manage our capacity as an institution to address these significant areas of need by carefully coordinating the pace with which we address our systems’ needs.”

The first and major emphasis of the broad initiative will be enhancement and strengthening of the research administration support systems, a critical need identified in a study conducted last year for the Office of Research by the Huron Consulting Group. Following that initial analysis, Huron was retained to develop a strategic plan to address the needs outlined in the study, with significant input from a faculty/staff advisory committee chaired by Jon Widom, professor and chair of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology.

The advisory committee recommended that the highest priority be given to implementing a web-based Research Data Integration and Access mechanism to provide faculty and administrators with user-friendly access to sponsored research related data.

“It is imperative that we strengthen our information systems support for faculty researchers and their support staff,” commented Moore. “The focus of this effort will be on ensuring that faculty are provided with improved electronic access to sponsored project related data.” This effort is being facilitated by Julia and is led by Lewis Smith, associate vice president for research, and Patricia Todus, associate vice president for information technology.

The initiative is guided by the Research Data Integration and Access Planning Advisory Committee chaired by Peter Stair, professor of chemistry and director of the Catalysis Center.

Several substantial efforts are now under way to support the work on these initiatives. These include development of administrative systems integration architecture and a core set of data definitions; enhancement of administrative systems security; implementation of an institutional Web portal; and addressing short-term recommendations outlined in Huron’s final report.

Several groups have been established to provide oversight, advice and action as efforts move forward. The groups and their roles include:

Enterprise System Executive Committee (ESEC): oversight and strategic direction of all administrative systems initiatives

Administrative Systems Advisory Committee: advice and input on the preliminary planning for the replacement of the CUFS system and on the coordination of the major administrative systems initiatives as they are planned and implemented

Administrative Data Council: supporting efforts to maximize the effective use of administrative data, coordinating efforts with related administrative systems activities across the institution and effectively engaging a broad set of technical and functional staff

HRIS Data Definitions Committee: development of a core set of data definitions related to HRIS functions

Research Data Integration and Access Advisory Committee: counsel and input for development of a detailed plan for enhancing access to administrative and research data for faculty and their support staff.

“The work of these groups, and other faculty and staff across the University, is a very key element of the success of these initiatives,” said Dumas. “We must have information systems that effectively support our daily work at Northwestern, and, with the engagement of the University community, we will upgrade our administrative systems to do this.”

New initiatives will complement systems upgrade

As work moves forward on the major administrative systems, other related initiatives are being implemented or considered in the Office of Research, other research administrative offices and business and finance.

These include establishment of a research integrity/compliance office in the Office of Research; development of a revised effort reporting process, supported by enhanced technology; a new organizational structure in the Office of Research; and hiring a significant number of new personnel in Office of Research units and Business and Finance units.

Other measures include redesign of many business processes within Office of Research units and Business and Finance units; development of a competency model approach for recruiting, hiring and training personnel; development and implementation of key performance measures for the Office of Research; and replacement of financial systems.

Research Data Integration and Access Planning Advisory Committee

Peter Stair, Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Catalysis Center, is chair.

Committee members are:

Fay Cook, Professor, Education & Social Policy and Director of the Institute for Policy Research; John Disterhoft, Professor, Physiology; David Ferster, Professor and Chair, Neurobiology and Physiology; Richard Longnecker, Professor, Microbiology-Immunology; John Torkelson, Walter P. Murphy Professor, Chemical Engineering, McCormick, and Director, Materials Research Center; Warren Tourtellotte, Assistant Professor, Pathology and Neurology, and the Neuroscience Institute

Heather Haberaecker, Associate Dean for Finance and Budget, Feinberg; Warren Kibbe, Research Assistant Professor and Director of Bioinformatics, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University; Rick Morris, Associate Dean for Administration and Finance, Communication; Ruth Reingold, Assistant Dean for Computing Technology, Weinberg; Adair Waldenberg, Associate Dean for Business and Finance, Weinberg; Jay Walsh, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, McCormick

Jimmy Gurchek, Business Administrator, Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg; Holly Falk-Krezinski, Assistant Chairperson, biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology, and Associate Director, IBIS, Weinberg; Ellen Feldman, Business Administrator, Institute for Policy Research

Suzanne Anderson, University Registrar and Director, SES; Tom Board, Director of Information Systems Architecture, Information Technology; Betty Brugger, Director, Management Systems, Information Technology; Mike Daniels, Director, ASRSP; Bruce Elliott, Director, Chicago Campus Office of Sponsored Research; Bill Hayward, Director of Analytical Studies, Office of Administration and Planning; Steve Kahrs, Associate Director, Management Systems, Information Technology; Meg McDonald, Director, Director, Office of Research Operations and Planning; Cindy O’Connor, Associate Controller and Director of Cost Studies, Controller’s Office; Kathy Tessendorf, Director, HRIS; Suneetha Vaitheswaran, Project Manager, Controller’s Office; Todd Van Neck, Assistant Director, Office of Budget Planning; Paul Weller, Director of Facilities Planning; John Wood, Director, Information Management Group, Office of Research

Ex Officio committee members are:

Jake Julia, Assistant Vice President, Office of Change Management; Sepi Sepasi, Director, Office of Change Management; Lewis Smith, Associate Vice President, Office of Research; Patricia Todus, Associate Vice President and Deputy CIO, Information Technology

Administrative Systems Advisory Committee

Michael Besancon, Associate Dean for Administration, Finance and Planning, McCormick; James Elsass, Associate Vice President for Budget and Planning; Deborah Lucas, Clark/Household International Professor of Finance, Kellogg School; Meg McDonald, Director, Office of Research Operations and Planning; Jake Julia, (Chair); Jeffrey Miller, Senior Executive Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer, Feinberg School; Barbara O’Keefe, Dean, School of Communication; Brian Peters, Director of University Services; Ingrid Stafford, Associate Vice President for Finance and Controller; Patricia Todus.

Administrative Data Council

Suzanne Anderson, University Registrar and Director of Student Enterprise Systems; Michael Besancon; Betty Brugger; Frank Cervone, Assistant University Librarian for Information Technology; Jim Conway, Associate Vice President for University Development; Dona Cordero, Director of Change Management, OCM; Cathy Grimsted, Associate Dean for Finance and Technology, Kellogg; Bill Hayward; Jake Julia.

Jonathan Lewis, Director of Management Information Systems, Feinberg; Rene Machado, Associate Dean for Administration, School of Music; Cindy O’Connor, Associate Controller and Director of Cost Studies; Susan Ross, Director, Evanston OSR; Chris Simoni, Law Librarian, School of Law; Ingrid Stafford; Kathy Tessendorf; Suneetha Vaitheswaran; Todd Van Neck; Adair Waldenberg; Paul Weller.

Ex Officio members are Dona Cordero and Jake Julia.