The purpose of this paper is to:
The overriding goal is to develop an automated system for managing information about the physical resources associated with campus and to provide appropriate campus-wide access to that information. This system would build on the data and activities of existing departments and allow distributed control of information among appropriate departments. Although control of data and applications should be distributed, it is necessary to impose some level of centralized or common requirements on participating departments so that information may be shared. Without basic coordination, software and hardware standards, and integrated applications, there will be a fragmented and non-functional system.
This paper is focused on GIS technology, although in its ultimate form the University’s "system" for managing spatial data should integrate other technologies which are used with specialized types of spatial data. For example, some day there may be an automated system for managing information about electrical systems in all buildings. Although this paper does not explicitly address this sort of specialized data, a campus-wide GIS could create the overall framework into which electrical system data can fit. In this context, GIS would be serve as a "system integrator," and the ultimate system might be more appropriately termed a "Spatial Data Management System."
There are numerous GIS applications of interest to academic departments, and there has been considerable collaboration between staff and academic units on activities related to creating a campus-wide GIS. The focus of this paper is, however, on creating a system primarily for use by staff in conducting their day-to-day work of managing the University campus. There are opportunities, some of which are noted below, for future collaboration between staff and academic units that would facilitate overall campus-wide coordination of GIS activities.
This paper will be updated following review by the campus community. It should be noted that the ideas in this paper are the result of two years worth of discussions Campus and Facilities Planning (CFP) has had with many departments across campus, and therefore, a wide range of input and viewpoints have already influenced the thoughts presented below.