SC State to assess, improve info technology systems | Local

That’s why South Carolina State University is launching a complete audit of its information technology networks, applications, processes and capabilities with the ultimate goal of enhancing technology to help attract, teach, retain and graduate more students.

SC State President Alexander Conyers has brought on a consulting firm to analyze the university’s IT infrastructure and develop recommendations for improvements. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Branchville Inc. will conduct assessments of SC State’s IT projects in development, existing systems and software, and the University Computing and Information Technology Services division’s organization and capabilities.

“We know that technology is among the many keys to success in the modern campus environment,” Conyers said. “Everything we do at South Carolina State University involves technology at some level. For us to serve today’s students and families, we must make sure robust systems are in place for a seamless experience. We have some critical IT functions that must be addressed in short order to keep up the momentum we have built at SC State.

“I trust that Branchville will successfully help us identify the strengths and weaknesses in our current networks and offer solutions that ultimately result in better communication, more efficiency and unencumbered interactive learning both on and off the campus,” Conyers said.

Branchville CEO Kevin Summers, who named the company for his hometown of Branchville, South Carolina, and his business partner Quentin Cantlo visited the campus earlier this week to discuss strategy with SC State leaders.

Summers noted his ties to the campus include 26 family members who have attended SC State, so he was excited by the opportunity to help the university. Summers worked in IT management for such global companies as Coca-Cola, Lowe’s and Whirlpool and launched Branchville in retirement to aid universities and other businesses with technology. Clients have included other Historically Black Colleges and Universities, such as Howard and Delaware State universities.

Branchville’s first priority will be to evaluate projects already in the works at SC State, including resolving issues with the campus telephone system, networks, wireless technology and network security. The university experienced a security interruption last September that affected all network functions. Another “inflight” project is the installation of 700 cameras and 27 emergency call boxes to enhance safety and security on the campus.

“The first thing is helping restore the experience for students, for their parents, for faculty (and) for the administration,” Summers said. “We need to make sure we understand what those projects are and help make them successful.”

Secondly, Branchville will do a deep dive on the entire IT profile at SC State.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to really look at all the systems on the campus and do a systems audit … the usability of features, the functionality and the integration,” Summers said. “We will look at how they work together for the administration, the faculty and the student.

“We’re going to go deep into the infrastructure – the network, the data centers, the wiring and the workstations,” he said.

Along with evaluating the current state of IT at SC State, Branchville will help the administration delve into the university’s short-term and long-term needs in managing finances, enrollment, instruction, research, retention efforts, grades and other student records.

“What is the technology needed to do that?” Summers said. “It’s the whole student life cycle. Technology drives everything.

“We want to uncover where the breakpoints are – things that prevent you from having a great student experience, having a great faculty experience or a great administration experience,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. How can the technology help in that whole process?"