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IT Service Status
IT Service Status

IT Governance Executive Committee

The IT Executive Committee, chaired by the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, is responsible for all major IT decision-making for the University and provides guidance, as well as sets IT priorities to enable the University to balance its improvement goals with available resources in alignment with the University’s strategic goals and mission.

The committee evaluates input received from the following campus IT governance advisory committees and makes IT recommendations to, and receives direct feedback from, the Dean’s Council two times per fiscal year. 

Structure

The Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer serves as chair. Members are senior administrators at the University, including the Chief Operating Officer, Vice President for Research, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Vice Provost for Administration and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Provost, and Chief of Staff in the Office of the President.

Purpose

  1. Establish overall direction and priorities for information technology (IT) at the University in concert with the University's Strategic Plan.
  2. Review relevant policies and provide input into IT planning and investment.
  3. Ensure significant opportunities for leveraging technology are considered, significant technology-related risks are addressed, and the use of University IT resources is optimized.

Objectives

  1. Ensure IT infrastructure and services are aligned with academic and administrative direction and priorities, assessing the fit of major new IT initiatives and emergent technologies within the context of Northwestern’s mission, goals, and priorities.
  2. Ensure policy exists to establish authority, accountability, and responsibility relating to information and technology.
  3. Administer the IT governance framework, establish priorities for advisory committees, and consider recommendations they bring forward.
  4. Ensure the University has a sustainable institutional funding model for IT infrastructure and services. 
  5. Ensure existing and emerging technologies that enable the pursuit of academic and administrative excellence are broadly available to the Northwestern community.
  6. Ensure the University has an effective IT and information security framework with appropriate IT controls.
  7. Support requests for major IT initiatives, where appropriate, and provide advice for allocating resources for these initiatives.
  8. Oversee development of strategic planning processes for IT.
  9. Provide direction to prevent, where appropriate, unnecessary redundancy or non-sustainable service implementations and their resulting inefficiencies and risks.

Operating Principles

Meetings are held quarterly or as needed.  

Members

  • Sean Reynolds, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (Chair)
  • Luke Figora, Chief Operating Officer
  • Eric Perreault, Vice President for Research
  • Amanda Distel, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • Lorraine Goffe, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Jake Julia, Vice Provost for Administration and Chief of Staff, Office of the Provost
  • Greg Stripp, Chief of Staff, Office of the President