Enterprise Architecture

In my EDL 680 course, which is Introduction to Enterprise Architecture, we are reading Scott Bernard's "EA3: An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture." I'll admit that this is a new concept for me, but one that is useful.  The cover of the book intrigued me most when I received it in the mail, as it stated "Linking Strategy, Business, and Technology."  A no brainer in my head, and a concept I am thrilled to spend the next few months learning more about.

I am thrilled about my M.Ed program and this class in particular, as the Academy of Arts and Sciences works on three (3) charter renewals and our Three-Year WASC Study.  The 2016-17 year is of utmost importance for the future and our vision to create a collaborative virtual learning community, inspiring scholars to appreciate the ways in which arts and sciences nurture a curiosity for life-long learning, and prepare scholars to take responsibility for their future success.  I can see how Enterprise Architecture can play a large role in our work, as it "is a management and technology practice that is devoted to improving the performance of enterprises by enabling them to see themselves in terms of a holistic and integrated view of their strategic direction, business practices, information flows, and technology resources."

Deploying this concept will help ensure our staff and stakeholders have the ability to see the big picture of AAS, rather than a singular view from their silo in the organization.  While we have developed five (5) strong divisions: Academic Affairs, External Relations, Information Services, Operations and Strategic Initiatives, the use of Enterprise Architecture will help ensure AAS is working collaboratively to meet our mission and vision of the school, and in turn, ensure we are meeting the needs of those we serve: our scholars.

I believe utilizing Enterprise Architecture will allow us to align our mission, vision and values, with our charter petition, with our Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPS), with our WASC studies, while keeping the organization grounded.  That is to say, all of our purpose statements and governing documents will be aligned with all of the resources at our disposal to execute those plans.

I look forward to learning more with my SDSU peers about this particular concept and how it can be effectively used in education.