Central IT services – institutional framework at Prešov University

The University of Prešov in Prešov was established on January 1, 1997, it was established by Act No. 361/1996 Coll. on the division of the University of Pavel Jozef Šafárik in Košice. The creation of the first specialized central IT workplace at the PU Rectorate dates back to 1 April 1997 and was temporarily staffed by 1 employee. However, this situation was only very provisional and insufficient to meet the requirements of informatization of the university's central workplaces, and therefore the Informatics Department of the PU Rectorate was soon established, which operated at the university from 1 October 1997 until the end of 1999. The department was located in the building at Nám. Legionnaires 3 in Prešov. When this department was created, it consisted of 3 employees (in 1997 – Ing. Pisarský, Ing. Bačinská, Mr. Chlapeček) but soon it dynamically expanded to 9 employees in 1999. The department also took over the administration of the university's central servers in 1998, and thus its detached workplace was established at the University of Applied Sciences at Ul. 17 November 1. As the Informatics Department of the PU Rectorate mainly focused on providing services for the rector's workplaces and central administration, the need to provide central ICT services for other target groups - especially students and teachers of the university - gradually grew. Therefore, it was decided to lean towards a more traditional model of the functioning of such workplaces, common at other universities, which represents the status of an independent university-wide workplace at the level of a separate part of the university. For these reasons, it was established by the then rector prof. PhDr. Karol Feč, CSc Center of computing technology PU (hereinafter referred to as "CVT PU") as of June 28, 1999, which has been operating continuously until the present day. At the time of its creation, it consisted of 9 workers, whose number has grown to the current 17 workers. CVT PU gradually took over the management of the introduced central parts of the university's information system and central computer networks, and later also of digital telecommunications, access and monitoring technology.

PU computing center

The university-wide ICT workplace of CVT PU continuously followed up on the activities of the former Informatics Department of the PU Rectorate, which had been providing its services, including several with a university-wide reach, since 1997. The mission of CVT PU since its inception was mainly:

• Ensure the basic needs of PU in Prešov in the area of ​​computerization.
• Ensure the operation and development of the parts of the PU information system managed by the PU Rectorate (central parts of the PU information system).
• Ensure the operation, expansion and management of computer networks and communication systems at the central level, coordinate the building of local networks of individual PU entities.
• Provide service on computing systems of a university-wide nature, as well as provide these services according to the capacity possibilities for individual PU subjects.
• Ensure the operation and development of the parts of the PU information system managed by the PU Rectorate (central parts of the PU information system).
• Ensure the operation, expansion and management of computer networks and communication systems at the central level, coordinate the building of local networks of individual PU entities.
• Provide service on computing systems of a university-wide nature, as well as provide these services according to the capacity possibilities for individual PU subjects.

The most important projects and activities of CVT PU since its inception

The most important projects and activities of CVT PU since its inception include:

1. LOTUS NOTES – information system for university management in the years 2001 - 2014, the project was fully financed by EU funds (Tempus Phare).
2. AIS – academic information system from UPJŠ Košice in 2002-2008.
3. LCS Noris - economic information system in 2003-2006.
4. ANET - catering IS in 2004-2009.
5. EMStudent, university terminals for students - smart card management since 2004.
6. CMS bart.sk – system for managing the unipo.sk website since 2005, currently the second generation is in operation.
7. SAP - financial IS (Sofia project) since 2007.
8. MAIS – modular academic information system since 2008.
9. KREDIT – catering information system since 2009.
10. iCard – attendance information system since 2010.
11. WIFI – the university's central wireless network since 2011.
12. Zimbra - email system for employees in 2011 - 2014.
13. MS Exchange ONLINE – electronic mail system for students in 2011 - 2014.
14. Significant participation in the implementation of two high-budget projects financed from EU structural funds and aimed at extensive innovation of the university's ICT infrastructure - Modernization of ICT and infrastructure of the University of Prešov and Second stage of modernization of physical infrastructure and ICT systems of the University of Prešov, which were implemented in the years 2009-2012.
15. Office 365 – cloud office system, including an email system for all students and employees of the university since 2014.

Foreign and domestic activities, publication activity of CVT PU

CVT PU employees participated and regularly participate in important events of the professional community. This includes participation in European congresses organized by the pan-European association EUNIS (in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014) and active participation with contributions in proceedings at several international conferences organized by the Czech and Slovak national associations EUNIS CZ and EUNIS SK (since 1999), contributions at Siemens and Novell conferences and seminars, authorship and co-authorship of several CVT PU employees in publishing various manuals (one was also published as a book). CVT PU was the organizer of the national conference with international participation UNINFOS 2011, which took place in Prešov on 7-9. September 2011.

The website of the UNINFOS 2011 conference can be found here: open

Development stages of central ICT workplaces at the University of Prešov

At the University of Prešov, it is possible to define several stages of the development of central ICT workplaces, which are mainly determined by the then socio-historical framework and the introduction of ICT technology:

1. PU management (1997-2003) - during this period, the initial institutional foundations of the central ICT workplaces were created and the initial computerization of the university took place. The fact that the number of ICT workers increased from 0 to 14 in a relatively short time also testifies to the dynamic development of this period. In addition to the first rector, prof. PhDr. Karola Feč, CSc. the then vice-rector for development prof. PaedDr. Jozef Pavelka, PhD.

2. Management of the PU (2003-2007) - during this period, all IT services were gradually stabilized and the foundations of all the key information systems of the university were completed and thus the entire complex of central ICT services was implemented. The then rector prof. PhDr. František Mihina, CSc. and vice-rector for development doc. Ing. Peter Kuzmišin, DrSc.

3. Management of the PU (2007-2015) - in this period, in addition to the replacement of some older information systems, mainly large investments in the field of ICT were realized from projects financed by EU funds. In addition to the rector, prof. RNDr. René Matloviča, PhD. 3 vice-rectors for development, informatization and quality assessment also contributed to the development of the IT area, so far the largest extent doc. Ing. Jana Burgerová, PhD and doc. Ing. Peter Adamišin, PhD.

 

SOURCE:
PISARSKÝ, V. History of the introduction of central IT services at the University of Prešov. In University in the context of changes . Prešov: Prešov University Press, 2014, pp. 491-495. ISBN 978-555-1279-2.