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Commissioner of Higher Education

The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) is the central administrative unit of the Montana University System and the Board of Regents. OCHE's mission is to provide comprehensive administrative support and leadership for all units of the MUS and to serve students through the delivery of high quality, accessible postsecondary educational opportunities, while actively participating in the preservation and advancement of Montana’s economy and society.

Goals

Agency Goals and Objectives

State Strategic Plan Goal Reference: Provide Security by Design

Objectives

  • • Enhance IT infrastructure by investing in modernization, scalability, and reliability to support the growing needs of the Montana University System.
    • Implement a comprehensive cybersecurity framework to safeguard critical student, employee, and financial data, protect intellectual property, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
    • Continue to develop and improve an education network that provides high speed telecommunication capabilities that link MUS institutions, provide connectivity to national research and education networks, and expand the reach of the MUS to remote areas of Montana.


    State Strategic Plan Objective Reference: Provide Security by Design

State Strategic Plan Goal Reference: Improve Digital Transformations, Improve Service Delivery, Improve Business Value, Cost Optimization & Efficiency

Objectives

  • • Create a seamless online course catalog for students to discover, register for, and access all online courses across all campuses in the Montana University System.
    • Implement a standardized learning management system and virtual learning platforms to enhance the quality and accessibility of education for students across the state.
    • Provide professional development opportunities and support for faculty in effectively utilizing technology tools for teaching and assessment.

    State Strategic Plan Objective Reference: Improve Digital Transformations, Improve Service Delivery, Improve Business Value, Cost Optimization & Efficiency

State Strategic Plan Goal Reference: Improve Digital Transformations, Improve Service Delivery, Improve Business Value, Cost Optimization & Efficiency

Objectives

  • • Maintain a central application to allow students to apply to any campus in the Montana University System, which is provided for free for all Montana residents
    • Maintain a career and college readiness portal as a single point of entry and to serve multiple audiences
    • Enhance college readiness portal to include affordability, payment, and FAFSA completion assistance
    State Strategic Plan Objective Reference: Improve Digital Transformations, Improve Service Delivery, Improve Business Value, Cost Optimization & Efficiency

Information Technology Resources and Capabilities

Number of FTE: 3.0

Support system-wide initiatives and manage day-to-day intra-office operations to enable OCHE staff to carry out the Board of Regents' primary strategies to access and affordability, workforce & economic development, and efficiency & effectiveness.

Projects

Division OCHE / Academic & Student Affairs
Project / Program Purpose and Objectives Implement chosen single LMS (Instructure’s Canvas) across all MUS campuses
State Strategic Plan Goal/Objective Reference Improve Digital Transformations, Improve Service Delivery, Improve Business Value, Cost Optimization & Efficiency
Estimated Start 1/2/2022 Estimated Delivery 9/1/2025
Estimated Cost 3000000 Comment
HB 10 Request No Funding Sources OTO Restricted State Funds: 3000000 - Comment:
Annual Costs Upon Completion 700000 Comment Ongoing costs will be assumed by campuses upon completion of project.
Status of the project as of March 31, even numbered years. Indicate % completed and status of funds expended. ~$1.6M spent, approximately 50% of project completed.

Division OCHE / Budget, Administration, & Planning
Project / Program Purpose and Objectives Investment in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems is essential to properly secure MUS’s cybersecurity infrastructure. Initial funding for implementation for UM and affiliates as well as operational and enhancement funding for MSU campuses will ensure maintenance of robust security protocols and effectively safeguard digital assets against increasingly sophisticated threat actors. System-wide adoption of SIEM systems is a critical step in our commitment to providing a secure and resilient technological environment for all students and staff.
State Strategic Plan Goal/Objective Reference Security by Design
Estimated Start 7/1/2023 Estimated Delivery
Estimated Cost 1000000 Comment Estimate is highly dependent on options chosen as a result of available funding
HB 10 Request Yes Funding Sources OTO funding, possible HB10 in 2025: 1000000 - Comment:
Annual Costs Upon Completion Comment ~500k, again dependent on HB10 allotment and options chosen
Status of the project as of March 31, even numbered years. Indicate % completed and status of funds expended. Project is dependent on securing additional funding, but MSU has implemented SIEM across its four campuses, ~50%

Summary of Hardware

I have reviewed all of my agency's systems in Assurance CM and certify that it is accurate: No

Total Number of Appliances 10
Total Number of Physical Servers 2 One local, one hosted at UM
Total Number of Virtualized Servers 5 Two local, two housed in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, one housed at UM
Total Usable Storage Space 0 GB
Device Type Quantity Estimated Replacement Value Comments
Desktops 12 14400
Laptops 46 69000
Mobile Device (tablet, phone) 33 16500
Mobile Wifi (Verizon Jetpacks) 11 1100
Printers 28 14000
Cameras 2 2230
Video Conferencing System 1 11750

Agency Contact Information

Agency Director / Administrator
Clayton Christian
406-449-9124
cchristian@montana.edu
560 N. Park Ave., Helena, MT 59601
IT Contact (CIO / IT Manager)
John Thunstrom
406-544-3822
jthunstrom@mso.umt.edu
32 Campus Dr., 102 Corbin Hall, Missoula, MT 59812
Information Security Manager
Justin van Almelo
406-994-7464
justin.vanalmelo@montana.edu
University Information Technology, PO Box 173240, Bozeman MT 59717-3240