Thank you for agreeing to serve on the Information Systems/Information Technology Committee. Among the largest universities in the United States, Rutgers is distributed across nearly 700 physical buildings located in three principal locations: Newark, New Brunswick, and Camden, which are separated by rivers, highways, cities, and 90 miles. The physical reality is exacerbated by the communication service needs of 48,000 students (14,000 of whom live in university housing), 2,500 faculty and significant numbers of administrators. Moreover, the development of sophisticated video, voice, and data communication systems makes it possible to project the university throughout the state and beyond, with the potential to reach thousands of non-resident students, business and industry, K-12 schools, and researchers across the nation and around the globe. At the same time, the explosion in knowledge and technology presents a tremendous challenge to our library system which currently features 20 libraries with approximately 3.5 million volumes and annual expenditures of greater than $23 million. New databases must be made available, training in the use of information systems must be provided and frequently updated, the balance between print and electronic media must be determined, and wide electronic access to the system must be provided. You are being asked to take an in-depth look at the current status of information access and supporting technologies and systems that are rapidly transforming the delivery of higher education and are crucial to the fulfillment of the University's mission. Additionally, please assess the adequacy of existing plans to enhance them with particular attention to funding strategies. A first draft of the Committee's report should be submitted to the steering committee by March 14, 1997 and a final report by June 2, 1997.

In your report, all of these issues should be addressed with a descriptive section, followed by an analysis, and concluded with a section on recommendations. Each section ideally should be no more than 10 pages in length. Supporting documentation in the form of tables, charts, graphs, and reports/studies/plans should be included as appendices to the report.

Some questions to consider in your preparation of the descriptive section include the following:

What is the national context for computer/information systems at research universities?

What is the existing status of Rutgers' information systems infrastructure and what role does it play in the life of the University and fulfillment of its mission?

What role is envisioned for information systems in the University's strategic plan? How will the University's library system be affected by these plans?

How is this role articulated in plans (RUNet 2000) for the further development of the University's infrastructure in this area?

What is the current balance of the holdings of the library system with regard to discipline and campus distribution?

What has been the impact of growth in the number of graduate/professional programs upon the ability of the library system to support information needs?

What is the current balance between print and electronic resources and what is the existing context for the maintenance and development of both types of resources within the library system?

What is the state of library system physical facilities?

With regard to the analytical and recommendations sections of your report, please consider the following:

Can the role projected for information systems infrastructure within the University strategic plan be accommodated within existing University resources?

What funding strategies should be considered to realize the goals of RUNet 2000 and the strategic plan?

What strategy should the University adopt to meet present and future information needs of the University?

Is there an imbalance among campuses and programs with regard to information needs, and, if so, how should this be addressed?

Should more consortial arrangements for sharing library resources be pursued, and, if so, what types?

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