Reporting to the Executive Vice President, the Vice President for Information Services and Technology is both the head of the central information technology (IT) organization at MIT and the senior IT officer on campus.
As head of Information Services and Technology (IS&T), Dr. Jerrold M. Grochow is responsible for ensuring that MIT's IT resources are aligned with the strategic priorities of the Institute, and that IT services are consistent, reliable, easy to use, and cost efficient. He establishes criteria for performance and customer service, and for implementing mechanisms to monitor and improve the organization's effectiveness.
IS&T supports MIT's core missions of education, research, and service by working in partnership with faculty, students, and staff to maximize the value of information technology to their work. IS&T has a wide range of responsibilities, from critical day-to-day operations to strategic planning for IT. The organization provides an array of "commons" services, including the campus network and connectivity to the Internet; high-capacity data storage and backup; server hosting and operations; the primary MIT email and calendar systems; third-party software acquisition and support; the Athena computing environment; cable television; and the MIT telephone system. IS&T is also responsible for the development and operation of major enterprise systems, such as the SAP financial and human resources systems, payroll, and underlying e-commerce capabilities.
IS&T was formed from a merger of Information Systems and Financial Systems Services in November 2003. In July 2005, Student Services Information Technology also became part of IS&T. Under Dr. Grochow's direction, IS&T has focused on expanding its service orientation and collaborating with the many other groups on campus that provide computer facilities and support.
In his role as MIT's senior IT officer, Dr. Grochow is responsible for facilitating the development of IT policies, procedures, and standards. He chairs the Information Technology Strategic Planning and Resources Coordinating Council, which advises the Provost and Executive Vice President on priorities for IT infrastructure and services across the Institute. Recommendations from the Council feed directly into the decisions for capital allocation, annual budgets, and rate structures.