Project Management

In managing the five-year Campus Network Upgrade Project, one of CITES' responsibilities is to ensure that all units receive equal representation; all allocated funds are spent efficiently; and all communications about the project are effective.

The following links provide more detail on the management of the Campus Network Upgrade Project:

• Advisory groups
• Project communication
• Project organization
• External consultant

Advisory groups

In order to involve campus in the planning process, three advisory groups were established, each with different goals, functions, and participating members:

• Academic Deans' Liaisons
• Academic Network Advisory Group

Project communication

Communication to building administration

Communication with deans, building administrators, and network administrators occurs through advisory groups, individual contact, and through initial building meetings. CITES uses individual contact and building meetings to relay anything beyond the scope of the advisory groups.

Deans and Deans' Liaisons are asked to attend the main building meeting (typically held prior to construction start) that explains the Campus Network Upgrade Project in detail.

These items are included on the communications list:

• What is funded by the upgrade
• What is not funded by the upgrade
• Discussion about Communications Equipment Rooms (CERs)
• Project management coordination
• Department responsibilities
• CITES Plant Engineering responsibilities
• Facilities & Services (F&S) Project Coordination
• CITES CIMS (Cabling and Installation Maintenance Services) responsibilities (including installation of wiring, racks, jacks, patch panels, wireless access points, and network hardware)
• CITES Network Designer responsibilities (including purchasing, testing, and configuring network hardware)
• CITES Wireless Designer responsibilities (including documenting wireless design and ordering and testing equipment)

The following people from CITES and F&S attend each meeting:

• CITES Project Manager
• Unit Coordinator
• Dean's Liaison
• CITES Plant Engineer
• CITES Network Designer
• CITES Wireless Designer
• Telecommunications Coordinator
• F&S Project Coordinator

If you are an individual in building administration and feel you would like more communication about the Campus Network Upgrade Project, please contact Mike Smeltzer, Director of Network Communications, at smeltzer [at] uiuc [dot] edu.

Communication to faculty and staff

CITES distributes email to individual faculty and staff members who teach or work in the buildings to notify them of different phases of construction. The emails are sent about one week prior to any construction or demolition begins in the building, halfway through the in-building construction process, and at the end of construction.

Project organization

The Campus Network Upgrade Project has two parts to the functional organization of the project: CITES and F&S. These two branches work in tandem to design and complete the project. CITES staff are responsible for designing and installing the equipment while F&S is primarily responsible for preparing the CERs.

External consultant

Western Telecommunication Consulting, Inc. (WTC) was hired for its expertise in similar projects at peer institutions (e.g., Purdue University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Cornell University).

Questions

If your unit would like more information about the Campus Network Upgrade Project, please contact Mike Smeltzer, Director of Network Communications, at smeltzer [at] uiuc [dot] edu or at 244-3835.