The Network Communications Funding Model project is progressing on schedule. The objective of the project is to develop a sustainable model for providing network communications services to the campus. The estimated implementation schedule is fiscal year 2009–10. To date, the work completed on the project includes:
- A review to identify where the current model has succeeded and where it has failed.
- A full accounting of the costs to design, develop, and maintain the communication network.
- A full accounting of estimated revenues.
- Research to evaluate communication network models at other higher education institutions.
- The development of an advisory committee that includes representation of campus network users.
- Development of design rules or principles for the Advisory Committee and project sponsors to use to objectively evaluate the model options for the benefit of the whole campus.
- Lengthy discussions to reduce the number of model options, and to develop scenarios based upon those options, that would potentially work at UC Berkeley.
In late June, the Advisory Committee selected a model based on FTE for further study in the next phase of the project. In this model, the total cost of supporting the communications network is distributed using the campus' FTE data. Each department pays a percentage of the total costs based upon the department's number of FTE. The team's research indicated that the FTE model is the most common model used at other universities. The next phase of the project is now beginning and will focus on analyzing the impact of the model at the departmental level. Once the analysis is complete and the model has been modified based upon the input of the project sponsors and the Advisory Committee, it will be shared with the larger campus community.
For questions, contact Project Manager Peggy Huston,
More information
Communication Network Funding Model project. iNews, February 2008.