Vice Chancellor for Information Technology

Status and Activity Report for December 2023

Prepared by Timothy M. Chester, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO

1. Key Items and Announcements

• University System of Georgia (USG) Unified-ERP Preliminary Assessment Continues.

The Office of Strategic Initiatives, in collaboration with ISG, is facilitating the
preliminary assessment for the Unified ERP Project. Nineteen out of a planned 39
workshops have been completed thus far, with strong participation of USG-wide
representatives from financial, human resources, and student services. This assessment
establishes a foundational set of requirements to guide future competitive procurements
for a unified software system and associated implementation assistance. The workshops
are scheduled to conclude by January 18th. Following their completion, the consolidated
list of requirements will be made available for review and feedback from all stakeholders
across the USG.

• Planned Managed File Transfer (MFT) Policy Proposed as Part of Post-MOVEit Data
Loss Improvements. This USO policy aims to limit the long-term storage of data within
the MFT system and lower the risk of this data being compromised. The MFT policy
mandates deleting data transferred between systems after 45 days unless an exception is
granted. To address concerns raised by USO stakeholders, we are developing alternative
solutions for business cases requiring longer data retention. For certain data types, such
as files supporting automation or those shared with external users, exceptions may be
granted to continue using MOVEit or store on a USO network drive. Once the alternative
solutions have been developed, we will share these options with USO stakeholders and,
upon executive approval, publish the policy. Following approval, ITS will create
automated data cleanup procedures and collaborate with stakeholders to manage data
flagged as exceptions. Ultimately, we plan to incorporate this policy into the USG IT
Handbook and implement it across all USG schools.

2. Support for Strategic Initiatives

• Assessment of Banner Shared Technology Platform (STP) Underway. Ellucian is

currently conducting preliminary assessment workshops with state college schools of the
University System of Georgia (USG) to evaluate the suitability and appropriateness of
the STP. They have already conducted five workshops with over 35 key stakeholders
from ABAC, South Georgia, East Georgia, Coastal, and the USO. In January, they will
conduct additional workshops for the remaining five state colleges (Atlanta Metro,
Georgia Gwinnett, Gordon, Georgia Highlands, and Dalton State). The initiative is
expected to be completed by February 2024, and Ellucian will provide recommendations
accordingly.

3. Services for USG Schools and the USO

• Transition of Degree Works to Ellucian’s Cloud Continues. The final group of Banner
Managed Service (BMS) schools, which included Atlanta Metro, Dalton State, Georgia
Southwestern, and Savannah State, went live with Degree Works in the Cloud on
December 4th. While minor issues have been identified, such as the processes and
timelines for software updates, the transition to this cloud-based service is working well.

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 We continue to document the lessons learned and are now working with Ellucian to offer
this service to those USG schools hosting their Degree Works system on-premises.

• Planning for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Updates for BMS
customers. ITS is prepared to implement Banner patches and software updates to
support significantly revised FAFSA forms, which students will use to request federal
financial aid support. After delays from the Federal | Student Aid Office, we expect the
next release of software updates from Ellucian to arrive on January 5th. ITS is tentatively
planning to make these updates available to BMS schools in early January for testing in
pre-production environments. ITS will upgrade production Banner instances by mid-
January if testing is completed within this timeframe. While further delays by the
Federal | Student Aid Office could push these dates back, the BMS team actively
monitors and prioritizes evolving federal changes. We will move aggressively to meet
USG institution needs.

• Upgrades to PeachNet Residential Network (Resnet) bandwidth. As of November 1,

2023, ITS has announced a major pricing update for PeachNet Resnet customers. The
monthly pricing for internet bandwidth will be reduced by 50%, from $2 to $1 per Mbps.
As a result, their bandwidth capacity will be doubled, resulting in significant cost savings
for USG schools. These updates will improve network services and offer greater value to
PeachNet customers.

4. Other Items of Interest

• Phase 2 of MOVEit Data Loss Investigation of Files Continues. In December, USG

Cybersecurity finished analyzing the second batch of approximately 1.2 million files
taken during the MOVEit service breach with support from the University of Georgia
Office of Information Security. Currently, the team is working on removing duplicate
records to create a single source of information for notification purposes. This single
source of records must also be categorized based on the state of residence, Personally
Identifiable Information (PII), and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) to apply the notification requirements accurately. Once finalized, the release of
approximately 800,000 notifications is expected for January 2024.

• ITS Mentorship Program Launched to Provide Professional Development

Opportunities. ITS is thrilled to announce the re-launch of its mentorship program. This
program aims to support and promote staff in achieving their career aspirations.
Mentees will receive guidance and insights tailored to their specific goals while also
allowing mentors to sharpen their leadership and communication skills. The program is
open to all ITS staff members, with participants from various departments, including
cybersecurity, web services, service management, and administrative services. With a
diverse range of mentors and mentees from different levels and areas, the program
ensures that all participants receive enriching experiences and professional growth
opportunities.

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