IT Governance at WSU

Washington State University (WSU) has established a governance structure to formulate Information Technology (IT) strategy and policy and to manage IT investments. WSU’s IT governance framework is administered by the WSU System Leadership Collaborative, which is responsible for all major IT decision-making for the university. To guarantee significant opportunities for leveraging technology are considered, the System Leadership Collaborative solicits and evaluates input from the Information Technology Strategic Advisory Committee (ITSAC) on all areas related to IT. The System Leadership Collaborative then makes decisions and/or makes recommendations to the President, as appropriate. The System Leadership Collaborative or the President decides, finalizes, and acts upon the recommendations formulated by the ITSAC and ensures that it is in alignment with the university’s strategic vision and plans.

The middle tier of the IT governance structure is the ITSAC. ITSAC members are appointed by the Campus Chancellors, Vice Presidents, and Deans of the Colleges. These representatives understand and articulate their area’s IT needs and how they align with their organization’s business priorities and vision. They collaborate with other university representatives on prioritizing IT services, initiatives, and investments from a strategic, university-wide perspective.

The ITSAC also commissions several subgroups that are focused on specific topics, such as high performance computing, instructional technology, IT security and privacy, IT procurement, IT accessibility, and more. These groups form the third tier of the IT governance structure. The recommendations developed by the subgroups are evaluated by the ITSAC.

In turn, the ITSAC submits input to the System Leadership Collaborative, which decides or advises the President on WSU IT strategies, priorities, services, and policies.