Victoria University is undergoing major restructuring of its information technology services.
Derek LeDayn, for the past five years general manager IT and business development at Customs, takes over at Victoria on August 1 in the new role of information services director. LeDayn is already working half-time at the university as he winds down his job at Customs.
The university’s long-servicing MIS manager, Frank March, has been seconded to Vicnet, the ISP owned by Viclink, a wholly owned subsidiary that markets and delivers research and consultancy to the private sector.
LeDayn, a graduate of Victoria, says he began discussions with the university a month ago. The changes arise out of a study a year ago by an Australian consultancy into the way the university does its business. “Previously, IT services provided all internal client support,” LeDayn says. “The new organisation will focus on management of infrastructure plus future development and support of business systems, as well as the convergence of ‘old techologies’ such as books with electronic information.”
IT services, library services and related activities in educational technology will now all report directly to
Le Dayn.
Some jobs have gone in the restructuring — LeDayn isn’t sure how many — and some staff have been hired. Other staff have been moved into the faculties at a support level. “The impact on IT services is cost neutral,” he says.