2021 IT Organization, Staffing, and Financing

This module contains questions about central IT organization, staffing, and financing. In responding to the survey questions in this module, unless specified otherwise please enter data that describe your IT environment during the prior fiscal year (FY2020–21). "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

  • Throughout the survey, "central IT" refers to the centralized information technology services and support organization reporting to the highest-ranking information technology administrator/officer in the institution.

  • Please refer to the CDS glossary for definitions of other terms in the survey.

Institutional Information

1a. Fiscal Year Month End

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021. This definition of prior fiscal year is different from previous definitions of prior fiscal year for the CDS survey.

  • In the United States, most higher education fiscal years end in May, June, or August.

In which month and year did your institution's prior fiscal year end?

( ) September 2020

( ) October 2020

( ) November 2020

( ) December 2020

( ) January 2021

( ) February 2021

( ) March 2021

( ) April 2021

( ) May 2021

( ) June 2021

( ) July 2021

( ) August 2021

( ) Other (please specify) ____________________________

1b. (non-U.S. institutions only) Currency and Exchange Rate

  • If your institution primarily uses a currency other than US dollars, we ask that you convert all amounts from your local currency to USD.

  • In an effort to ensure consistency across exchange rates, we ask that all respondents use the same currency conversion tool with the rate effective on August 1, 2021.

    • Please use the currency converter tool from OANDA (https://www1.oanda.com/currency/converter/).

    • Under "currency I have," select your local currency and enter "1". Under "currency I want," select US Dollar from the menu. In the "Date" field, select August 1, 2021.

    • The amount that appears in the box under US Dollar should be entered below as your response to question 1b. Please also enter the name of your local currency.

Exchange rate for 1 US dollar on 1 August 2021: __________

Name of your local currency: ________________

1c. Multi-Campus Systems

  • A system is a multi-campus organization with two or more institutions of higher education under the control or supervision of a common administrative governing body. Governing bodies generally have the power to act in their own name, to hire and fire personnel, enter into contracts, etc. A coordinating body without these powers or a section of a state agency usually would not be considered a system office. (see https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/public/glossary)

  • A system institution refers to a single institution within a multi-campus organization.

  • An administrative unit is the system or central office in a multi-campus organization.

  • A system institution/administrative unit is an institution of higher education within a multi-campus organization that also acts as the administrative unit for the multi-campus organization.

Please select the statement that best describes your institution and your completion of this module:

( ) Single institution, not part of a system. My institution is not part of a multi-campus organization. The response to this module represents all IT expense, staffing, and service data for a single institution and any associated campus sites.

( ) System institution; responding for my institution only. My institution is part of a multi-campus organization but is not the administrative unit for the multi-campus organization. The response to this module represents all IT expense, staffing, and service data for ONLY my institution.

( ) System institution/administrative unit; responding for my institution only. My institution of higher education is also an administrative unit for a multi-campus organization. The response to this module represents all IT expense, staffing, and service data for ONLY my institution and the administrative unit.

( ) System institution/administrative unit; responding for all institutions within my system. My institution of higher education is also an administrative unit for a multi-campus organization. The response to this module represents all IT expense, staffing, and service data for all institutions within the multi-campus organization, including my institution and the administrative unit.

( ) Administrative unit only; responding for my unit only. My organization is an administrative unit for a multi-campus organization. The response to this module represents all IT expense, staffing, and service data for ONLY the administrative unit.

( ) Administrative unit only; responding for all institutions within my system. My organization is an administrative unit for a multi-campus organization. The response to this module represents all IT expense, staffing, and service data for all institutions within the multi-campus organization, including the administrative unit.

2. Context Notes for Funding and Managing Central IT - Optional

The questions in this survey are intended to provide institutions with comparable IT financial and staffing data. Considering the many ways in which institutions fund and source IT services, making these comparisons can be challenging without the appropriate context. Please describe any special circumstances related to the way IT is provisioned at your institution that may impact the comparability of your financial and staffing data. For example, please describe any arrangements for outsourcing IT services or any ways in which IT is subsidized through services or enterprise systems provided by a system office or some other entity.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Spending

3. Central IT Prior Fiscal Year Expenditures

Please enter the total amount of funds that central IT spent during the prior fiscal year:_____________________________ (USD).

  • Please exclude all depreciation or amortization expenses.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

4. Central IT Expenditures by Expense Type

4a. Out of the total amount of central IT expenditures reported in question 3, what amounts were spent in the following areas (USD) in the prior fiscal year?

  • Please exclude all depreciation or amortization expenses.

  • If central IT spent no funds in an area below, enter "0." Otherwise, enter your amount spent and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If your institution has spending in an area but you are unable to estimate a dollar amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Please also indicate any anticipated changes in spending for the current fiscal year as compared to the prior fiscal year.

  • While these areas are mutually exclusive, the total of your estimates below does NOT need to sum to the "prior fiscal year expenditures" figure from question 3.

  • Please include compensation for all student employees, regardless of funding source. Student employee FTE data are requested in the staffing section of the survey. 

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

4a. Capital expenditures: _______________ Expenditures to buy, install, maintain, or improve an institution's information technology fixed assets, such as equipment or systems (including cloud-based systems or offsite server space). Generally, these assets exceed an established "capitalization" dollar threshold and are expected to provide service for more than one year.

  • 4b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 4c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

4a. One-time expenses: _______________ Expenses for services, activities, or things that are not expected to re-occur on a regular basis and do not fall under the institution's typical operations (central IT operating spending) or capital expenditures.

(Expenses of this type include unforeseen expenses that were not necessarily budgeted for).

  • 4b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 4c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

4a. Operating expenses: ____________________ Expenses for providing regular, ongoing infrastructure and services necessary for the operation of the institution (e.g., annual software contracts, utility payments, maintenance agreements, supplies, vendor payments, and other expenses for daily activities to keep central IT running).

  • 4b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 4c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

4a. Compensation: ____________________________ This includes salaries and benefits for all central IT staff and students (regardless of source of funding):

  • 4b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 4c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

4a. Central IT staff professional development:_______________________ (training, education, and training-related travel):

  • 4b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 4c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

4a. Memberships and Subscriptions:_______________________ (Memberships and subscriptions (e.g., Gartner, EAB, EDUCAUSE, etc.):

  • 4b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 4c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

4d. The questions in this survey are intended to provide institutions with comparable IT financial and staffing data. Considering the many ways in which institutions choose to define one-time, capital, and operating expenses, making these comparisons can be challenging without the appropriate context. Please describe any considerations that should be taken into account when reviewing your responses to this question. For example, please describe any ways in which your interpretation of capital spending may differ from that of others and how that variance is represented in your response.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. Central IT Expenses: Emerging or Key Technologies - Optional

The questions on this page are new to the CDS survey in 2021. They are optional, but we encourage you to complete them. These are data points we hope to collect as required information in following years. At the end of this section, you will be able to provide some brief feedback on the question(s).

For the following areas of emerging or key technologies, please enter the total amount of funds that central IT spent during the prior fiscal year (USD).

  • Please do not include staff compensation or benefits in the amounts listed for each category.

  • If central IT spent no funds in an area below, enter "0." Otherwise, enter your amount spent and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If your institution has spending in an area but you are unable to estimate a dollar amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Please also indicate any anticipated changes in spending for the current fiscal year as compared to the prior fiscal year.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

5a. Cloud-based services: _______________ Includes expenses for storage, compute, networking, security, and other monitoring services provided via a public cloud tenancy (examples include, but are not limited to, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform).  Does not include SaaS expenses outside of a public cloud tenancy.

  • 5b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 5c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

5a. Artificial Intelligence: _______________ Includes expenses for the integration of AI capabilities or products (for example, natural language processing [NLP], cognitive systems, and analytics) into applications, systems, or bots.

  • 5b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 5c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

5a. Multi-factor authentication (MFA): ____________________ Includes expenses for electronic authentication methods in which a device user is granted access to a website or application only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism.

  • 5b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 5c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

5a. Endpoint detection and response: ____________________________ Includes expenses for technologies, products, or systems focused on detecting and investigating security threats by real-time monitoring of endpoint data.

  • 5b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 5c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

5d. To add context to your response, please describe some of the types of expenses you included for each of the following:
Cloud-based services_____________________________________________
Artificial intelligence______________________________________________
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)____________________________________
Endpoint detection and response___________________________________

6. Central IT Current Fiscal Year Budget

6a. Please enter the total amount of funds that central IT is expected to spend, or has budgeted to spend, for the current fiscal year (USD). ______________________________

  • Please exclude all depreciation or amortization expenses.

  • Enter Central IT's budgeted amount and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate a dollar amount for Central IT's budget, please leave the field(s) blank.

6b. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

7. Distributed IT Expenditures and Budget

7a. Please enter the total amount of funds that distributed IT spent during the prior fiscal year (USD). __________________

  • Please exclude all depreciation or amortization expenses.

  • If IT at your institution is mostly or completely centralized (75–100% centralized), meaning there is very little or no distributed IT spending, enter "0." Otherwise, enter your amount spent and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If your institution has distributed IT spending but you are unable to estimate a dollar amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Recommendations for measuring the cost of distributed IT were developed by ECAR Working Groups and are published in Calculating the Costs of Distributed IT Staff and Applications.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

7b. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

7c. Please enter the total amount of distributed IT expenditures budgeted for the current fiscal year (USD). ______________________

  • Please exclude all depreciation or amortization expenses.

  • If IT at your institution is mostly or completely centralized (75–100% centralized), meaning there is very little or no distributed IT spending, enter "0." Otherwise, enter your amount spent and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If your institution has distributed IT spending but you are unable to estimate a dollar amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Recommendations for measuring the cost of distributed IT were developed by ECAR Working Groups and are published in Calculating the Costs of Distributed IT Staff and Applications.

7d. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

8. Spending Section Feedback - Optional

Please provide any comments about the questions in the Spending section. Specifically, we'd like to know how useful you find the questions to be for peer benchmarking, how difficult or easy they are to answer, and if any additional guidance would be helpful in writing your response. You may also want to include any notes about how pandemic-related spending or budget issues affected your responses to this section.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Staffing

9. Central IT Staffing Prior Fiscal Year

How many full-time equivalent (FTE) staff and student positions were in central IT in the prior fiscal year?

  • Consider the number of full-time and any part-time positions under central IT in the prior fiscal year. In other words, do not consider whether a position was filled the entire year or whether there was turnover. For example, if you had 10 FTEs in central IT at the start of the fiscal year and one FTE departed but no replacement had been hired by the end of the fiscal year, that still counts as 10 FTE.

  • Student numbers should be entered in FTE. This may be different from the total number of student workers in central IT. For example, 4 students working 10 hours a week each would count as 1 FTE. The following methods may be used to calculate this number:

    • If you know the total number of student worker hours allocated to central IT during the fiscal year, divide that number by 2,080 (number of hours per year, based on a 40-hour work week).

    • If you know the total number of dollars used for student workers, divide that number by the average hourly wage and then divide the result by 2,080.

  • Please include fixed-term employees.

  • Enter your FTE amount and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate an FTE amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate an FTE amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

  • Please also indicate any anticipated changes in staffing for the current fiscal year as compared to the prior fiscal year.

9a. Central IT staff FTE ____________

  • 9b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 9c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

9a. Central IT student employee FTE ___________

  • 9b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 9c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

10. Central IT Staffing by Role

Of those central IT FTEs specified in the prior fiscal year (excluding students), how many FTEs were in each of the following roles?

  • The total FTEs in the rows below do not need to total to the number of staff FTE listed in question 9.

  • If central IT does not have staff in an area below, enter "0." Otherwise, enter the number of FTE for each area. If you are able to estimate FTE staff but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If your institution has FTE staff in an area but you are unable to estimate the number, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Please also indicate any anticipated changes in staffing for the current fiscal year as compared to the prior fiscal year.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

10a. Database administrator_______________ Staff member who maintains effective and efficient operation of a computer database. Ensures database runs properly, keeps database current, makes access readily available and timely, and formulates and designs new database applications. Makes decisions regarding procedures for set up of, access to, and operation of database. Refers decisions relating to major policy changes or the purchase of new software to supervisor.

  • 10b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 10c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

10a. Business analyst_________________ Staff member responsible for creating, enhancing, and documenting maintainable analytical solutions in solving strategic problems for a business unit, department, or school. May lead or assist in gathering stakeholder requirements, translating those requirements to technical solutions and providing support for application enhancements and products. May work with outside vendors in developing solutions. Collaborates with stakeholders in communicating solutions and iterating on project efficacy.

  • 10b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 10c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

10a. Data scientist_____________________ Staff member responsible for analyzing complex data and providing data-driven advice for the unit. Manages statistical data and creates predictive models based on the unit's needs. Possesses advanced analytical skills, as well as oral and written communication abilities. Processes research information for easier consumption and transforms it into actionable plans. Provides value to the unit through findings and thoughtful insights.

  • 10b. Accuracy of estimate:

    ( ) accurate
    ( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
    ( ) unable to estimate

  • 10c. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:

    ( ) plans to increase spending
    ( ) plans to keep spending as is
    ( ) plans to decrease spending
    ( ) unsure of plans

11. Central IT Staff Turnover and Underrepresented Group Hires

11a. During the prior fiscal year, how many staff FTEs (exclude students) departed central IT? ____________

  • By "departed," we mean an employee's voluntary separation, involuntary termination, permanent layoff, a fixed-term employee's term running out, or transfer to another campus unit so that the position no longer reports under central IT. Please do NOT include temporary furloughs or any kind of leave of absence/sabbatical.

  • For part-time employees, record values as decimal points relative to their number of hours in a 40-hour week. For example, a departing part-time employee who worked 20 hours per week would be recorded as .5. If central IT had a total of 2 full-time employee departures and one 20-hour-week employee departure, the total value would be 2.5.

  • The total should represent the number of staff who left in terms of the FTE hours they were working before departure. In other words, do not take into account the time of year in calculating an FTE value. A full-time employee who departed in October counts the same as one who departed in March. 

  • If you are able to estimate FTE staff departures but feel the number could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate an FTE amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

11b. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

11c. During the prior fiscal year, how many staff FTEs (exclude students) were hired into central IT in the following situations?

  • For part-time employees, record values as decimal points relative to their number of hours in a 40-hour week. For example, a newly-hired part-time employee who works 20 hours per week would be recorded as .5. If central IT had a total of 2 full-time employee hires and one 20-hour-week employee hire, the total value would be 2.5.

  • If you are able to estimate FTE staff hires but feel the number could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate an FTE amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

To fill a vacancy, regardless of how long that vacancy had been open (i.e., the data scientist resigned in December and we hired a new one in March): _____________

11d. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

Into a position new to central IT during the prior fiscal year (i.e., a new role was created or posted for the first time, or an FTE that reported to another unit on campus was transferred to central IT): _______________

11d. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

11e. During the prior fiscal year, how many staff FTEs (exclude students) were hired into central IT from underrepresented groups?_________________

11f. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

  • We define "underrepresented groups" as groups of the population that have historically held a smaller percentage of professional roles within a field or institution as compared to the percentage of that group in the overall population. Examples of the characteristics these groups are based on include, but are not limited to, race and/or ethnicity, sex and/or sexual orientation, religion, disability status, and veteran status.

  • For part-time employees, record values as decimal points relative to their amount of hours in a 40-hour week. For example, a newly-hired part-time employee who works 20 hours per week would be recorded as .5. If central IT had a total of 2 full-time employee hires and one 20-hour-week employee hire, the total value would be 2.5.

  • This number will 'overlap' with numbers from question 11c. For example, if you had 2 FTEs fill a vacancy, one of whom was from an underrepresented group, and had 0 hires into new positions, then record 1. Do not change your answers to question 11c.

  • If you are able to estimate an FTE number but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate an FTE amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

12. Distributed IT Staffing: Prior Fiscal Year

Please specify the number of FTE staff and FTE students who held distributed IT roles during the prior fiscal year.

  • Student numbers should be entered in FTEs. This may be different from the total number of student workers in central IT. For example, 4 students working 10 hours a week each would count as 1 FTE. The following methods may be used to calculate this number:

    • If you know the total number of student worker hours allocated to distributed IT during the fiscal year, divide that number by 2,080 (number of hours per year based on a 40-hour work week).

    • If you know the total number of dollars used for student workers, divide that number by the average hourly wage and then divide the result by 2,080.

  • Please include fixed-term employees.

  • If IT at your institution is mostly or completely centralized (75–100% centralized), meaning there is very little or no distributed IT, enter "0." Otherwise, enter the number of FTE. If you are able to estimate FTE staff but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If your institution has distributed IT FTE but you are unable to estimate the number, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Recommendations for measuring the cost of distributed IT were developed by ECAR Working Groups and are published in Calculating the Costs of Distributed IT Staff and Applications.

  • "Prior fiscal year" is defined as the most recent fiscal year ending before September 1, 2021.

12a. IT staff FTE outside central IT_________________

12b. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

12a. IT student employee FTE outside central IT______________

12b. Accuracy of estimate:

( ) accurate
( ) loose estimate (+ or - 10% of estimate)
( ) unable to estimate

13. Staffing Section Feedback - Optional

Please provide any comments about the questions in the Staffing section. Specifically, we'd like to know how useful you find the questions to be for peer benchmarking, how difficult or easy they are to answer, and if any additional guidance would be helpful in writing your response. You may also want to include any notes about how pandemic-related staffing issues affected your responses to this section.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

14. IT Services, Responsibility, Spending, and Staffing

This section asks about responsibility for the eight IT service categories from the IT service catalog, with further detail on spending and staffing for those services for which central IT is responsible. The structure of the categories and services is outlined below. To see full descriptions of categories and services, please see the IT service catalog.

  1. Category: Administrative and business—Services that support the administrative and business functions of an institution. Includes business capability and process automation, financial and procurement systems, human resource systems, library systems, and student information systems.

    • Data, Reporting and Analytics

  2. Category: Communication and collaboration—Services that facilitate institutional communication and collaboration needs. Includes conferencing and telephones, email and collaboration services, media and audio/visual, and web services (including both internet and intranet web services).

    • Conferencing and telephones

    • Email and collaboration services

  3. Category: Desktop and mobile computing—Services that support access and use of community members' devices and related peripherals. Includes desktop and mobile device support, printing and related services, and software and applications distribution.

  4. Category: Infrastructure—Foundational services that support the operation and management of the enterprise IT environment. Includes data center services, database management, network and connectivity management, and server and storage management (including on-premise, remote, and cloud-based data centers).

    • Data center services

    • Database management

    • Network and connectivity management

    • Server and storage management

  5. Category: IT professional services—People-based services that support the management of IT for the institution. Comprises consulting services not related to specific services identified in other categories. Includes enterprise architecture, continuous improvement and innovation, digital accessibility, IT communication and documentation, IT service delivery and support, portfolio and project management, and training and outreach.

    • IT service delivery and support

    • Portfolio and project management

  6. Category: Research—Services supporting the institution's research activities, including advanced or specialized storage and applications, research data services and software, and lab management systems.

  7. Category: Information security—Services that provide security, data integrity, and compliance for institutional activities. Includes identity and access management, security consulting and education, incident response and investigation, and security policy and compliance.

    • Identity and access management

    • Secure computing

  8. Category: Teaching and learning—Services providing instructional technology and resources directly supporting teaching and learning. Includes learning management systems, instructional technology and design, assessment and learning analytics, lecture capture, and polling and surveys.

    • Academic technology and support

    • Instructional technology and design

    • Learning management

14. From the options described below, please indicate the one that best describes how each of the categories is structured at your institution:

  • Central IT (the institutional central IT unit reporting to the highest-ranking IT administrator/officer in the institution) primarily funds, organizes, staffs, and delivers these types of services. This option is best for institutions in which central IT staff and leadership make decisions about which software/service vendors to offer to campus users (faculty, staff, students), own the cost center for such services, ensure that services are successfully installed/delivered to new users or on new campus hardware (as applicable), and are responsible for end-user support in most cases (there may be non-IT staff who also offer some end-user support, especially for large campuses).
  • Another campus unit (that does not report to the highest-ranking IT administrator/officer) primarily funds, organizes, staffs, and delivers these types of services. This option will make the most sense for some service categories over others. For example, at some institutions, services under teaching and learning are managed by academic affairs or library services. By selecting this answer, you indicate that a non-IT campus unit makes decisions about which software/service vendors to offer to campus users, owns the cost center, and is responsible for installing/delivering the service.
  • An external organization/vendor (but NOT another campus unit—you may also refer to these scenarios as "outsourcing" or "contracting") primarily organizes, staffs, and delivers these types of services. Some institutions have situations in which staff from the external organization are responsible for managing a service, supporting end users, performing maintenance, and the like.
  • Mixed responsibility. This option should be selected when you cannot reasonably select one of the above categories because responsibility is split between more than one unit (a combination of central IT, other campus units, and outsourced organizations). Central IT should have at least some responsibility for aspects of this service area—you will be asked to enter expenditure data. If you cannot attribute at least 75% of the service category responsibility to one of the options above, select this option.
  • Unable to estimate. Select this if, after examining the description of the service area, you cannot report expense or staffing data related to the service area.

    Administrative and business ___________________________________
    Communication and collaboration _______________________________
    Desktop and mobile computing __________________________________
    Infrastructure _________________________________________________
    IT professional services ________________________________________
    Research ____________________________________________________
    Information security ___________________________________________
    Teaching and learning _________________________________________

[for any service categories indicated as "Another campus unit," please write in the name of the campus unit below - optional.]

14a. Name of campus unit that primarily funds, organizes, staffs, and delivers these types of services:

Administrative and business ___________________________________
Communication and collaboration _______________________________
Desktop and mobile computing __________________________________
Infrastructure _________________________________________________
IT professional services ________________________________________
Research ____________________________________________________
Information security ___________________________________________
Teaching and learning _________________________________________

[for any categories indicated as "Central IT" or "Mixed responsibility," proceed to question 14 by filling out the rows for those categories and services.

For categories where you indicated another type of responsibility, proceed straight to END OF MODULE FEEDBACK, question 15.]

IT Service Category Spending

Please enter the total amount of funds that central IT spent on service categories indicated as "Central IT" or "Mixed responsibility" in the prior fiscal year:

Include:

  • Software licenses and any related expenses that make key applications and other technology available (for example, maintenance costs and hardware costs that support the application)

  • Installation, maintenance, and any related costs that directly support hardware needed for these services (i.e., for things such as data center and network connectivity)

Do NOT include:

  • Salary/compensation expenses for staff supporting the service area (often, staff support more than one area or are part-time in one area, etc., making compensation expenditures too difficult to estimate; instead, we collect data on the number of FTEs that support the service category)

  • If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate a dollar amount for a category, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Please also indicate any anticipated changes in spending for the current fiscal year as compared to the prior fiscal year. 


A. Total amount of funds (USD):

B. Accuracy of estimate:

C. Anticipated changes in spending in the current fiscal year:


Accurate

Loose estimate

Unable to estimate

Plans to increase spending

Plans to keep spending as is

Plans to decrease spending

Unsure of plans

N/A

14.1 Administrative and business

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.2 Communication and collaboration

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.3 Desktop and mobile computing

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.4 Infrastructure

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.5 IT professional services

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.6 Research

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.7 Information security

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.8 Teaching and learning

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

IT Service Category Staffing

Please indicate the number of central IT FTE staff supporting service categories indicated as "Central IT" or "Mixed responsibility":

  • At many institutions, staff members support multiple areas. To answer this question in a comparable way, you may need to partition an employee's FTE using decimal points. 

    • For a full-time equivalent employee for whom 75% or more of their duties pertain to teaching and learning, record 1.

    • For a full-time equivalent employee for whom about 50% of their duties pertain to teaching and learning, record .5.

    • For a full-time equivalent employee for whom 25% or less of their duties pertain to teaching and learning, record .25

  • For part-time or hourly staff, record the number of hours spent on a service category in terms of a 40-hour work week. For example, a 10-hour-per-week employee who is fully dedicated to supporting this service should be represented by .25. A 20-hour-per-week employee who spends approximately half their time on this service should also be represented by .25.

  • Please include fixed-term employees.

  • Enter your FTE amount and select "accurate" if you are confident in the number you've entered. If you are able to estimate an FTE amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate an FTE amount, please leave the field(s) blank.

  • Please exclude student employee FTEs with the exception of the Teaching and learning category (see additional row below).


D. FTE amount:

E. Accuracy of estimate:


Accurate

Loose estimate

Unable to estimate

N/A

14.1 Administrative and business

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.2 Communication and collaboration

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.3 Desktop and mobile computing

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.4 Infrastructure

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.5 IT professional services

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.6 Research

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.7 Information security

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.8 Teaching and learning (staff FTE only)

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.8 Teaching and learning (student FTE only)

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

IT Services Spending

To the extent possible, please break down the total spent on the following IT services within each category indicated as "Central IT" or "Mixed responsibility" as defined by the IT service catalog:

  • If you are able to estimate a dollar amount but feel it could be inaccurate by about 10%, please indicate this by checking "loose estimate." If you are unable to estimate a dollar amount for a service, please leave the field(s) blank.


F. Total amount of funds (USD):

G. Accuracy of estimate:

Category

IT service

Accurate

Loose estimate

Unable to estimate

N/A

14.1 Administrative and business

Data, reporting, and analytics

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.2 Communication and collaboration

Conferencing and telephones

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Email and collaboration services

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.4 Infrastructure

Data center services

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Database management

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Network and connectivity management

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Server and storage management

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.5 IT professional services

IT service delivery and support

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Portfolio and project management

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.7 Information security

Identity and access management

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Secure computing

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14.8 Teaching and learning

Academic technology and support

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Instructional technology and design

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Learning management

  ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

15–20. End of Module Feedback - Optional

15. Please provide, in a paragraph or two, any background information about IT organization, staffing, and financing in your institution that could be useful to other CDS participants who may be using your data in their benchmarking. Examples: "We hired a consultant to redesign our funding model" or "In the past year we migrated student email to a cloud service."

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

16. Please provide the name and email address of the person to contact regarding your institution's responses to this survey.

Name: ________________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________

17. EDUCAUSE welcomes your feedback on this survey module. Please let us know of any technologies, innovations, or challenges important to your institution that are not addressed or are inadequately addressed in this year's survey. We'd also like to know if any questions in this module are not relevant to your institution. How else could this module of the CDS survey be improved?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

18. How many people participated in preparing and completing the answers to the questions in this module?

( ) 1
( ) 2–4
( ) 5+

19. Approximately how much time did you spend on the following?

  • Acquiring and processing question data prior to entering data into the survey: _______ (hours)

  • Entering data into the survey: _______________(hours)

20. How easy or difficult was it for you to complete this module? Please take into consideration the amount of time it took, the ease of gathering information needed to answer the questions, the ease of identifying people at your institution to supply the answers, the clarity of the questions, etc.

( ) Very difficult
( ) Difficult
( ) Somewhat difficult
( ) Somewhat easy
( ) Easy
( ) Very easy