Position Description Questionnaire

Department: Computing and Information Technology

Incumbent: Roger Lawson

Title: Associate Director

1. Basic description of job: describe the job in detail. Give approximate portion of total time/effort for each major task, for a total of 100%.

Generally assist the director in planning, organization, operations, and management of the Division of Computing and Information Technology (CIT). Assume responsibility for the division in the absence of the director.

Effort Duties And Responsibilities

30%

Assist the director in matters related to operations, management, planning, decision making, and human resources organization planning.

 

30%

Guide, coordinate, and manage activities of component departments.

 

30%

Work with client departments, faculty representatives, computing principals and vendor representatives to understand our information technology needs and help our clients meet their computing needs.

 

10%

Maintain management and technical skills through journals, conferences, seminars and contacts with colleagues on the Internet and Bitnet.

2. Qualifications: describe the basic requirements for this job. Specify which are minimally necessary and which are desirable.

A. Formal education/training (diploma, degrees, certificates, licenses)

Masters in a related field (e.g. Computer Science, Business Administration, or Electrical Engineering) or a Bachelors in a related field plus equivalent business experience.

B. Necessary or useful skills, knowledge and experience (type and number of years):

Ten or more years of varied experience including general management, business systems analysis and programming; academic computing; technical support and project management. Good interpersonal and communications skills are essential.

3. Orientation And Training

a. What specialized or technical skills and knowledge must be mastered in order to do this job properly? Focus on skills and knowledge usually learned on the job.

 
• Thorough knowledge of appropriate management and fiscal principles and practices.
• Comprehensive communications skills in writing, presentation and interpersonal activities at all levels of the division and institution.
• Detailed knowledge of modern computer and networking hardware and software products (representing a variety of manufacturers).
• Detailed knowledge of computer operating systems.
• Comprehensive knowledge of telecommunications and networking concepts.
• Comprehensive knowledge of administrative applications.
• Comprehensive knowledge of instructional and research usage of information technology.
• Comprehensive knowledge of higher education, University and division policies and procedures.

B. What would be the average length of time required for a person with minimum qualifications to become familiar with the basic routines and cycles of activities of the job, master specialized skills and knowledge usually learned on the job, and develop effective working relationships with persons most frequently contacted on the job?

Two years.

4. General complexity of work

A. Describe the most difficult and complex tasks performed in this job (related to planning, designing, interpreting, analyzing and so forth).

• Working with clients, management, colleagues and our staff to encourage and foster cooperative application of information technology and to avoid conflict, incompatibilities and waste in a distributed environment
• Determining the optimum application of our limited financial and human resources to meet the University's information technology needs.
• Anticipating potential problems created by the introduction of new computing and information technology; planning to avoid crises and to cope with unanticipated problems when they inevitably occur.

B. Describe the most important decisions and judgments required by this job, and the most significant kinds of errors that might be made.

The most important judgments are related to the selection, recommendation, and approval of new information technology solutions, and the planning and coordination efforts necessary for smooth and expeditious implementation of this technology.

Misjudgments could result in waste in University resources, costly delays, inadequate information systems and/or frequent, unnecessary interruption of computer to the students, faculty and staff.

5. Supervision Received

A. Immediate Supervisor:

Norman Imamshah, Director, CIT

Others Who May Assign Or Direct Work:

None within CIT; Vice Provost of Research in the Director's absence.

B. What Do Typical Assignments And Directions Consist Of? How Often Are They Given? To What Extent Do They Require The Individual To Plan Activities And Design Or Choose Specific Work Methods? Give An Example.

Typical assignments are usually projects of weeks or months in duration. Detailed instructions are not usually given, but some discussion of the desired result may take place. Considerable planning for allocation of time and use of methods is necessary because a large portion of the duties are event driven and cannot be scheduled and because use of methods depends on detailed knowledge of available information technology.

C. Are written rules, instructions and procedures available to guide most activities of this job? Do precedents or standard practices and techniques usually apply? Does this job require the individual to modify or interpret standard rules, instructions, practices, or techniques? Explain briefly.

Other than University policies and procedures, no written procedures apply to this job. However, this job is instrumental in the interpretation, preparation and implementation of information technology policy.

D. How often and in what ways are work in progress, completed work or results of work checked or monitored?

Informal communication with the director takes place daily. Formal meetings with the Director are held frequently. Formal written reports are prepared as needed.

E. How often and in what ways does this staff member represent or substitute for supervisors or senior staff members?

Responsible for the division in the absence of the Director.

6. Contacts. Describe the nature and extent of non-supervisory contacts with others that are essential for proper performance of the job. Identify who is contacted; why, for what purpose; and how often. Distinguish between contacts within the immediate department, with other departments, within the university at large, and outside the university.

DIVISION MANAGEMENT STAFF:
Contact	Frequency	Purpose
Assistant Director for Computer Operations	daily	Coordinate and discuss operational issues, technical support policy, problems, strategies, etc.
Assistant Director for Admin. Info. Systems	daily	Coordinate and discuss information systems projects, policy, problems, strategy, etc.
Assistant Director for Academic Computing Services	daily	Same, but related to academic issues.
Assistant Director for CIT Client Services	daily	Same, but related to general client services issues.
Assistant Director for Micro Computer Services	weekly	Related to the management of microcomputing services.
Manager of Network Services	weekly	Same, but related to telephony and campus networking issues.
ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS:
Contact	Frequency	Purpose
Administrative Departments management and computing clients	daily weekly	Discuss user needs, system problems, proposed changes, etc.
ACADEMIC CONTACTS:
Contact	Frequency	Purpose
Faculty members	varies	Respond to inquiries, discuss instructional and research requirements, problems, etc.
Students	weekly	Same as above.
VENDOR CONTACTS:
Contact	Frequency	Purpose
Computer Marketing Reps.	Weekly monthly	Discuss University needs, current issues, plans and vendor offerings.
Vendor Software Engineers	daily weekly	Discuss needs and how the vendor may be able to provide technical solutions.

7. Supervision of others: identify other positions supervised directly or indirectly by this staff member and describe the type of supervision involved: planning, assigning, check, and approving work; training & instructing; performance appraisal; interviewing, hiring, disciplining, firing; recommending or determining pay rates; organizing and managing staff unit.

All the management responsibilities of direct professional management and indirect supervision are shared with the director. See the attached organizational chart for detail.

What is the overall % of time/effort devoted to supervisory duties?

90%

8. Describe the nature and extent of personal responsibility in the following areas. Identify quantities and values, and authority to sign official documents where appropriate.

A. Financial resources: cash, checks, major fund or accounts.

None.

B. Operating budgets: number and dollar amount of budgets; whether duties involve review of expenses against budget, maintenance of budget records, approval of expenditures, development of budget recommendations, preparation of budget requests and written narrative, approval of budget requests for other departments, etc.)

With the Director, participate in budget planning; evaluate and approve expenditures, propose and establish spending priorities.

C. Physical resources: equipment, plants, animals, art objects, chemicals, building, etc.

Responsible for the central computer facility, including several host computers, their peripherals, associated telecommunications equipment, instructional microcomputers laboratories.

D. Data records/information of major importance to the function of the department or of a sensitive or confidential nature.

With the Director, responsible for the university's centralized information systems.

9. Physical effort & environment

A. Does this job involve significant physical strain or activity?

No.

B. What unusual working conditions are associated with this job (lighting, heating, ventilation, odors, noise, animals, infectious diseases, exposure to inclement weather, etc.)?

None.

C. To what extent does this job require working beyond normal office hours?

Work beyond the normal office hours is routine.

10. Helpful information on related jobs

A. What other jobs in the department or section involve the same basic duties as this job?

None.

B. What other UVM jobs appear to be similar to this job?

None.

C. What other UVM jobs would appear to qualify a person for this job?

A variety of experience in the management of CIT constituent departments.

11. Data on incumbent (to be completed by person currently in this position)

Roger Lawson, 238 Waterman Building, 656-3316.

A. For how long have you performed this job essentially as performed above?

Five years.

B. What formal education and training did you have when you took this job? Specify fields of study and highest degree or year of school completed.

Bachelors degree in electrical engineering;

(plus 21 credit hours in graduate level computer science course work).

C. What previous experience helped prepare you for your present job?

5/68 - 5/69 Programmer for electrocardiography research.

University of Vermont, Electrical Engineering.

 

9/69 - 9/71 Programmer for industrial engineering applications.

IBM, Advanced Industrial Engineering.

 

9/71 - 5/72 Programmer/analyst for university administrative applications. University of Vermont, Management Information and Computing.

 

6/72 - 9/77 Programmer/analyst for government administrative and engineering applications (1 year).

Systems Programmer (1 year).

Senior Systems Programmer (1 year).

Chief of Programming (1 year).

Senior Systems Analyst for Transportation Systems (1 year).

State of Vermont, State Information Systems.

 

9/77 - University of Vermont (see below)

D. What other UVM jobs did you hold prior to taking this position? (Include present job if it has changed a great deal since you took it.) Specify dates.

9/77 - 12/78 Systems Programmer.

1/79 - 6/79 Acting Data Center Manager

6/79 - 12/82 Assistant Director of Administrative Computing

1/83 - 12/84 Associate Director of Administrative Computing

1/85 - 6/90 Associate Director of University Computing

7/90 - 1/92 Interim Director of University Computing

1/92 - present Associate Director of Computing and Information Technology

E. What formal on-the-job training or instruction has been provided by the university since you took this position (internal or external; courses, training programs, conferences, etc.)?

Management Development Series

Management by Objectives

Effective Delegation

Quality Performance Appraisals

Total Quality Management

Internal Training:

Many, many "short courses" given by Academic Computing staff.

Technical training programs:

One week intensive course in computer telecommunications.

One week intensive course in Digital Equipment's Vax computers.

One week intensive course in IBM's Systems Network Architecture.

Computer user conferences:

Attend information technology conferences one or more times per year, e.g. EDUCOM and Yankee Computer Directors.