The ITU will be responsible for its management structure and staffing, to support the objectives of planned management and growth of our computing resources, maintenance of clear operating policies and continual improvement in the quality of service in all areas. To achieve this, the ITU has been formed as an integrated IT team, working out of a single area and with responsibilities that cover all aspects of the department's computing needs. The ITU will maintain a staff development plan to ensure that it has the staff resources and skills to meet its objectives.

In order to ensure connectivity, manageability, maintainability and useability, a set of standards for equipment, software, and systems will be established, implemented and followed. They should follow, wherever appropriate, the standards adopted by the University.

The ITU will take full responsibility for the support of all systems, excluding those that are supported privately by agreement, such as certain of the research group systems. System developments must involve wide user consultation, with the client being actively involved in all phases of the project.

The ITU, through the director, must create and maintain plans for system and network development, manage allocation of resources, and prepare annual budgets. Packaged systems should be used wherever possible. Economies of scale should be pursued at all times.

The ITU will work with the research groups in the Dept to support leading edge technology as required by research projects. Specialist IT needs of research groups will normally be the responsibility of the groups concerned. Assistance can, however, be provided when resources permit. Research groups and staff can also subcontract to the ITU to support specialist needs.

The ITU must cultivate a high level of service ethos, together with the highest capabilities in the human resources area, with particular emphasis on the interpersonal and technical skills required to deliver quality services, and effective communication with users.

The ITU will absorb the activities of the Educational IT group, and will promote the use of IT in teaching and learning, by supporting the IT services required for approved courses, such as engineering simulation, analysis and design packages, providing authoring tools to facilitate the generation of CAI materials, browsing tools and search engines to access the CAI material and tutoring tools for on-line question and answer sessions. The aim will be to provide tools which support full multi-media, including audio and video segments, provide further development of networked multimedia teaching and learning systems, and plan the delivery of networked courseware, communications and information systems across the EIE department, in order to provide the highest quality undergraduate education, recognising the value of both interdisciplinary understanding and linkages as well as intradisciplinary specialisation.