Information Technology Series at a Glance:

YESTERDAYTODAY  TOMORROW Harvard's administration has emphasized decentralization of information technology, a move epitomized by changes made in the Office of Information Technology's (OIT) staff and mission. Indeed, OIT's replacement University Information Systems, focuses on serving the schools, not promoting a centralized vision.  Most of the support, training and planning for information technology and academic computing at Harvard is handled by individual departments and schools, leading to a highly decentralized system throughout the University which hinders coordination and communication among Harvard's disparate schools and centers.  Decentralization is troubling for the FAS and its support arm--the Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services (HASCS), which has been plagued by technical problems. HASCS's focus on simply keeping the systems operating prevents the FAS and HASCS from creating and following a larger vision for information technology.