Documents Contributed by ECAR, Incident Handling and Response, and Risk Management

This ECAR research bulletin suggests a framework to provide resiliency in higher education by placing such considerations up front in the evaluation, selection, and design of information technology (IT) services and building them into the business practices of the institution. Resiliency is the product of technology, people, and processes that minimize the impact of an event and make transparent that which would otherwise adversely disrupt the normal operation of services for students, faculty, or staff.

In August 2006, EDUCAUSE brought together a group of thought leaders from higher education and the private sector to explore and share effective strategies and behaviors on the important topic of business continuity in higher education. One of these leaders is Catherine Lewis, the information technology administrator who led New Orleans–based Xavier University through the August 2005 disaster of Hurricane Katrina and helped restore academic continuity for the institution. Lewis shares her perspective and insights in the form of this research bulletin.

This study looks at IT unit readiness to foster and support the functioning of colleges and universities that are challenged by disruption. Responding to a well-documented increase of interest in business continuity and disaster recovery issues among higher education CIOs, ECAR designed the study to inform executives about how institutions approach continuity issues and to identify practices that are associated with good BC outcomes. The study methodology included a literature review; consultation with a select group of CIOs and BC experts for the purpose of identifying and validating research questions; a quantitative survey of IT administrators (mostly CIOs) at 340 higher education institutions; post-survey interviews with 15 executives and IT staff members involved in BC; a quantitative survey of institutional business officers (mostly CBOs/CFOs) at 247 member institutions of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO); and four case studies looking at BC planning and operations Florida State University, New York University, Pace University, UC–Davis, and UCLA.

This study looks at IT unit readiness to foster and support the functioning of colleges and universities that are challenged by disruption. Responding to a well-documented increase of interest in business continuity and disaster recovery issues among higher education CIOs, ECAR designed the study to inform executives about how institutions approach continuity issues and to identify practices that are associated with good BC outcomes. The study methodology included a literature review; consultation with a select group of CIOs and BC experts for the purpose of identifying and validating research questions; a quantitative survey of IT administrators (mostly CIOs) at 340 higher education institutions; post-survey interviews with 15 executives and IT staff members involved in BC; a quantitative survey of institutional business officers (mostly CBOs/CFOs) at 247 member institutions of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO); and four case studies looking at BC planning and operations Florida State University, New York University, Pace University, UC–Davis, and UCLA.

This document presents the key findings of the 2007 ECAR study, Shelter from the Storm: IT and Business Continuity in Higher Education. The study looks at IT unit readiness to foster and support the functioning of colleges and universities that are challenged by disruption. Responding to a well-documented increase of interest in business continuity and disaster recovery issues among higher education chief information officers (CIOs), ECAR designed the study to inform executives about how institutions approach continuity issues and to identify practices that are associated with good business continuity outcomes.

This roadmap synthesizes the important issues and recommended actions drawn from the 2007 ECAR study, Shelter from the Storm: IT and Business Continuity in Higher Education. The study looks at IT unit readiness to foster and support the functioning of colleges and universities that are challenged by disruption. Responding to a well-documented increase of interest in business continuity and disaster recovery issues among higher education chief information officers (CIOs), ECAR designed the study to inform executives about how institutions approach continuity issues and to identify practices that are associated with good business continuity outcomes.

This September-October 2006 survey, administered to chief business officers and chief financial officers affiliated with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), seeks to understand higher education's plans, infrastructure, experience, and capability in the area of business continuity. The results of the survey will be reported as part of the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research 2007 study of information technology readiness for business continuity in higher education.

This May 2006 survey seeks to understand higher education's plans, infrastructure, experience, and capability in the area of information technology support for business continuity.

Information security is a process of business risk management that must be performed on an ongoing basis. It is critical to take an approach to information security that examines the risks and security objectives within the environment in which the organization operates. Any comprehensive approach to information security must include a feedback mechanism that measures the performance of the process so that risks are managed appropriately and determines whether the organization's security objectives are being met. Burton Group (www.burtongroup.com) provides technically in-depth research and advisory services for colleges and universities, government agencies, and commercial enterprises. Burton Group's practical and unbiased research and advice helps technologists make smart IT infrastructure decisions in increasingly complex environments. Burton Group covers directories, identity management, application platforms, architecture, and network and telecom infrastructure topics. Like ECAR, Burton Group is an unbiased advocate for the user and more than 80 percent of Burton Group's clients are user organizations rather than suppliers.