Penn Computing Model
Computing is inseparable from Penn's mission and touches every member of
the University community. In Penn's highly decentralized environment, the Penn
Computing Model leverages the University's resources and governs how information
technology services and support are supplied to the University community. The
model encourages collaboration for the common good, even as it values organizational
self-reliance,
and focuses action at the University level on issues of campus-wide
importance to Penn. IT leaders, computing organizations, and process teams
come together
from across
the
University to do Penn's business together.
User
At the center of the Penn Computing Model is the user, representing each
student, faculty, or staff member at Penn. Each user has a computing "home," which
serves as a single point of contact for local services and support.
A computing "home" can
be a school, center, or residence.
Local
services
Schools and centers
are responsible for the frontline support of their own members,
delivering local services and support to
address
their
unique needs. Their primary focus is on academic
computing and direct support of research
and instruction. Local
support can consist of everything from questions about using email lists
for students
to new tools for
teaching
that
use the campus network.
Central services
ISC supplements the computing support services offered by
Penn's 12 schools and provides a computing infrastructure of strategic
campus-wide services shared
by academic, research, and administrative systems. The
campus network connects virtually all of the approximately 180 buildings
(including student
residences), and provides Internet connectivity to the entire community,
as well as Intenet2 connections for the research community.
Technology and security standards provide the broad foundation
for our intranet, internet, business applications, and information access.
Other targeted services, supplied to local providers of computing support
include second tier support that ranges from maintaining Penn’s desktop
standards and supported products to addressing specific issues of interest
to staff. ISC also oversees most of the administrative systems at Penn that
use Penn's central repository of data. Administrative systems are those
used
by all centers and the 12 schools
in
support of academic,
business/financial, and research administration.
Collaboration
ISC brokers support and facilitates the communication (through committees,
advisory groups, user groups, and other channels) that allows Penn’s
distributed model for computing to work effectively. ISC works with colleagues
in schools and centers, collaborating with academic, administrative, and IT
leaders, to explore areas of strategic interest, address campus-wide computing
needs, and set priorities for IT investment.
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