Documents Contributed by ECAR and IT Staffing

This research bulletin explores the methodology used by the Georgia State University Information Systems and Technology division to manage large, cross-divisional IT projects and track all IT staff time. The bulletin shares the data collection methodology and Georgia State's findings and describes a time-recording model for IT projects that can be applied at other colleges and universities.

Citation for this work: Alberts, Randall, and Karen D. Oates. “Measuring IT Staff Time at Georgia State University” (Research Bulletin, Issue 4). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Federal law requires higher education entities to ensure that qualified students with disabilities have equal access to programs and services, including those that use information technology. In 2004, ATHEN, the Access Technologists Higher Education Network, an association of 96 professionals who are responsible for IT accessibility at their higher education institutions, conducted a study to identify current practices in staffing, procedures, funding, and policy related to IT accessibility. This bulletin presents the findings of that study and discusses the implications for higher education.

Hiring and retaining IT workers is a chronic challenge. When knowledge workers leave and must be replaced, institutions incur significant costs. Often, replacement costs far outstrip the additional compensation it would have taken to retain an employee. This Research Bulletin describes a framework for assessing the costs of IT staff turnover, including costs associated with separation, acquisition, and development.