The university has four major divisions, whose functions are diagrammed here. Each division is managed by
a Vice President, and has a management structure with Deans managing Colleges, and
Directors managing other major service-providing offices and departments.
Information Systems background
Two views of SDSU's overall information technology architecture are shown here:
coarse, fine. A number of these pieces were
working quite well, notably Networks, Email, Websites, and many Servers. Our focus was on
the information systems portion of the picture.
SDSU's information systems are managed in a highly decentralized fashion, a legacy of
two influences:
Most systems came into being as "local automation" of formerly manual
processes. These systems tend to support chiefly the office owning the system (the
accounting office, or the purchasing office), and not the many customers of the service of
that office (say the account holders, or the offices requisitioning purchases.).
There has never been an enterprise-scope information office.
There are several dozens of operational systems, managed independently. Here are some
of them:
Student Information Management System: student admissions, grades, class registration,
class/faculty/room scheduling.
Financial Accounting System
Numerous peripheral accounting systems, for functions like accounts receivable, student
fees, accounts payable, budget and so forth.
Financial Aid (as many as half the students receive financial aid, with many receiving
several sources).
Human Resources (several pieces)
Student Housing
Facilities management
"Development"
A whole separate collection of systems relating to SDSU Foundation to manage research
activity and other grants.
