[:en]ABOUT[:af]OOR IT[:]
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The IT Division comprises some 130 staff members ranging from support technicians, through system administrators, engineers, software developers to business analysts. It plans, provides and maintains cyber-infrastructure (such as networks, central servers, identity management, e-mail and telecommunications systems, amongst others) and various applications, information systems and services that are essential to the university’s core academic and administrative functions, and supports users in the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT). Uniquely amongst South African institutions, it maintains a significant, internal software development capability. Traditionally the IT Division has concentrated on user support, providing cyber-infrastructure and administrative systems for finances, human resources and student and curriculum administration – with a particular emphasis on technology. However, the IT Division is intent on meeting the ever-growing information needs of the university by increasingly focusing on:
- becoming a strategic partner for functional entities within the institution, especially academic faculties and departments
- providing information services and systems that support the core academic functions of teaching and learning, research and community outreach
- understanding and analysing academic and institutional processes with a view to providing appropriate information solutions
- aligning its offerings with the strategic objectives of the institution.
Simultaneously, the division is aware of and is tracking the rapidly-changing cyber-landscape where ubiquitous, always-on, high-speed information networks, mobility, social media and the advent of cloud computing are presenting new challenges and transformational opportunities. The IT Division recognises that it has to become more agile and responsive to the insitution’s needs, but also realises that ICT’s essential role in knowledge production and sharing requires that its services are reliable, resilient, secure and transparent.
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IT DIRECTORS
IT MANAGEMENT
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Die IT Afdeling bestaan uit sowat 130 personeellede, insluitend ondersteuningstegnici, stelseladministrateurs, ingenieurs, programmeerders en besigheidsanaliste. Die afdeling beplan, voorsien en onderhou die kuberinfrastruktuur (soos bv. netwerke, sentrale bedieners, identiteitsbestuur, e-pos, telekommunikasiestelsels, ens.) en verskeie rekenaartoepassings, inligtingstelsels en dienste wat noodsaaklik is vir die Universiteit se kern-akademiese en administratiewe funksies, sowel as om ondersteuning aan gebruikers in die effektiewe gebruik van informasie- en kommunikasietegnologie (IKT) te bied. Uniek onder Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite, beskik die universiteit oor ‘n beduidende, interne programmatuur-ontwikkelingskapasiteit.
Die IT-afdeling het dit tradisioneel op gebruikersondersteuning, die verskaffing van kuberinfrastruktuur en administratiewestelsels vir finansies, menslike hulpbronne, studente en kurrikulum – met ‘n spesifieke klem op tegnologie – toegespits. Die IT-afdeling is egter daartoe verbind om die Universiteit se groeiende inligtingsbehoeftes te bevredig deur toenemend op die volgende doelwitte te fokus:
- Om ‘n strategiese vennoot vir funksionele entiteite, veral akademiese fakulteite en departemente, binne die instelling te wees;
- Om inligtingstelsels en -dienste rondom die kern-akademiese funksies van onderrig en leer, navorsing en gemeenskapsinteraksie te verskaf;
- Om akademiese en institusionele prosesse te verstaan en te ontleed sodat toepaslike inligtingsoplossings gevind kan word;
- Om die IT-aanbod met die Universiteit se strategiese doelstellings te belyn.
Die afdeling is terselfdertyd bewus van en besig om die vinnig-veranderende kuberterrein dop te hou, waar alomteenwoordige, altyd-beskikbare, hoëspoed inligtingsnetwerke, mobiliteit, sosiale media en die koms van “cloud computing” aan almal nuwe uitdagings en transformerende geleenthede bied.
Die IT-afdeling is daarvan bewus dat dit meer proaktief teenoor die Universiteit se behoeftes moet optree, maar besef ook dat IKT se kernbelangrike rol in kennisproduksie en -oordrag daarvan afhanklik is van dienste wat betroubaar, veerkragtig, sekuur en deursigtig moet wees.
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IT DIREKTEURE
IT BESTUUR
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