Information Technology Change Management

Change Management is a set of processes adopted by Mt. SAC to prevent disruptions to the stability and integrity of our college systems, applications, and data. Change management allows changes to be introduced to production environments in a controlled fashion that minimize disruption and maximizes efficiency. The process ensures that a standardized set of procedures is used to promptly handle all requests for change. Change management ensures that all changes are recorded, assessed, approved, prioritized, and deployed in a manner that meets business requirements and protects the stability and reliability of critical IT systems.

What Constitutes a Change? A change is the addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have an effect on IT services. Changes usually result in a modification to a specific component of the IT infrastructure or one of the key business applications.

Examples of Changes	NOT a Change
Upgrades to Banner	Setting up a new user account
A modification to a firewall	Installing a new PC
Swapping out network equipment	Purchasing new software
Database maintenance	Changing a user password

• • Benefits of Change Management

    IT Benefits	Business Benefits
    Fewer change-related incidents and outages	Fewer service disruptions
    Faster change turnaround time	Faster response to requests for new and enhanced functionalities
    Higher rate of change success	Align change with college/department needs and strategies
    Improved communication	Early involvement of end users/stakeholders
    Minimize support calls related to poorly communicated changes; thereby improving customer service	Increased visibility of changes; reducing negative impact of change
    Provide a structure and strategy for IT related changes	Stable services and increased user productivity

  • Types/Categories of Changes

    Routine/Standard	Minor/Normal	Major	Emergency
    Predefined, repeatable changes Straightforward Low risk or known-risk Pre-authorized Well known procedure	Low impact, low risk Important to college operations Does not require a significant amount of preparation/planning Requires Change Approval Panel authorization	Medium to high risk Requires a significant amount of preparation and planning Requires Change Approval Panel authorization	Urgent High risk of failure Lack alternative or workaround Requires Change Approval Panel authorization
    Examples:
    Website updates or modifications Software patching and updates	Renewal of an SSL certificate Computer configuration update (shortcut added to desktop so users can access software applications)	Banner upgrades, year-end closing, etc. Major firewall upgrades, patches, and ACL updates Implementation of a new application requiring SSO, integration, SFTP, etc.	Registration issue preventing students from properly adding/dropping classes that may require a Banner upgrade/patch Security breach where the change results in or presents a significant risk of an interruption to a critical service

  • Change Management Approval Process

    The goal of the Change Approval Panel (CAP) and Change Review Group (CRG) is to safeguard system availability and minimize impact to those dependent on the college’s services.

    Change Approval Panel (CAP)

    • Provide technical insight for all change requests.
    • Provide final approval of all change requests.
    • Review and approve Emergency Changes.
      
      

    Change Review Group (CRG)

    • Assist in the review of all change requests during each meeting.
    • Ask detailed questions when necessary during Change Review meetings.
    • Use your specific knowledge of the campus to provide insights for potentially overlooked issues with change requests.

Requesting a Change

If you would like to request a change please fill out our Change Request Form.

Change Requests - Pending and Completed