Here these duties are spread out among multiple IT employees and a
couple of administrators.
The Manager of Information Systems handles the SIS (PowerSchool) and
the data feeds the school is required to send to University databases.
Two of three division report grades using the SIS. He is also our
point person on working with the University when they revamp admin
data systems we are obliged to use (this is "non-trivial" in standard
IT techspeak). This person also oversees our tech support operation,
supervising one f/t and three p/t workers.
Managing FileMaker systems for Admissions, purchasing, Middle School
grade reporting, inventory, facilities, after school programs, summer
school, and a couple dozen others are part of the Office Technology
Coordinator's job. Most of these dbs are homegrown, one or two are
purchased. This person also handles our purchasing, IT inventory,
repairs, UC telecom liaison, and assists me with budget management.
The Library Tech Coordinator handle the online catalog system.
The System Administrator and his assistant handle databases embedded
in the back end of mail, file, backup, and other assorted servers and
services.
The Webmaster runs a couple of SQL dbs to pump data into the web site.
These folks all report to me either directly or indirectly. I report
to the Associate Director.
The Registrar and her assistant make changes to SIS information, and
create custom pages, reports, scripts and new fields as needed. The
Registar also composes the feed to go to the University's Bursar's
office. The Registrar also reports to the Associate Director.
Our IT team is very good about internal communication on these
different efforts. We all wish we had more time to devote to database
work and empowering database users to use them optimally, but we have
enough resources to keep things moving forward even if it isn't as
much or as fast as we'd like. We have been working with a consultant
for the last year or so to help us streamline data practices across
administrative offices; the dialogue around this effort has been
really fascinating, and we have a great deal of work to do, but the
new level of shared commitment to making things work better is
encouraging. I also try to make sure I know what's going on with
University system changes, but communication around these changes is
always challenging despite everyone's good intentions.
Curt Lieneck
Director of Information Technology
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
On May 21, 2008, at 9:54 AM, Fred Bartels wrote:
> I'm very curious what independent schools are doing in terms of
> database
> management staffing. How many positions, where the positions are
> located
> within the organizational structure, and what the impact is on
> staffing of
> various approaches to providing database services... are the major
> questions I have. Before creating a survey I thought it would be
> helpful
> to brainstorm the idea a bit to help clarify what information would be
> most helpful to collect... and of course share.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts you are willing to share on the subject.
>
> Fred
>
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