The Unified Digital Campus: Bridging Access & Fostering

SuccessPresenters:

Janice Forsstrom – VP of Admin & Finance

Gary Ham – Chief Information Officer

North Shore Community College

Background Info • One of 15 Public

Community Colleges in MA

• 4 campus locations

– 4000 FTE

– 2500+ non-credit

– 80+ prog. of study

• Career,LA,Transfer

• Technical Training

– 130 Full-time faculty

– Approx. 400 adjunct

Recent Awards

• “1st Place Best of the Web” - Center for Digital Government 2004 (tied with Lehigh)

• MIT / Accenture 2004 – 1st Place -“Higher Ed. Technology Innovator of the year”

• Regional Paragon Award for Online Services, Silver (2006) NCMPR - National Council for Marketing & Public Relations

• National Paragon Award for Online Services, Bronze(2006), NCMPR

• Medallion Award for Website, Silver (2005)NCMPR

Current SystemsSunGard Products:

• Banner (7.x April, 2006)• Luminis Portal with Integrated Intranet• Self-Service (faculty, student, finance, adv.)• Extender (Imaging)

Other Products:• Blackboard 7.x• Evisions• Touchnet payment gateway

• e-check & credit card payment options• Intranet with numerous CMS tools and paperless

processes• Personal Web Server (internally developed)

State of Technology – (98-99)

• Strategic IT mgmt. partner (Sungard) contracted • Basic infrastructure foundation improvements• Getting more strategically focused• Web site outsourced

– Static out of date info, Provided no value• Zero Online Services• Basic Banner functionality – untapped areas • Alumni on small database system• Infancy of Distance Learning• Student/adjunct faculty email accounts via request

– nobody used this service

What We Wanted Year 1 (99 - 2000)

• Increase communications among all constituents• Advising - remove barriers & highlight the benefits• 24 x 7 access to teaching and learning services• Cure inefficiencies, automate and streamline

processes, and reduce back-office support • Enhanced support and service for students and

faculty• Integrated email and learning mgmt. system• Acceptance of Web as the way we deliver services

Vision & Planning

ServiceTechnologies

Learning&

Teaching Technologies

Business& Communication

TechnologiesUDC Portal

Unified Digital Campus – Vision

•No integration•Difficult to administer•Not Scalable•Disparate Logins•Harder for users•Less Effective

If NSCC Had not Adopted Unified Strategy

Other Apps

1. Easier Administration2. Scalable3. Consistent Interface4. Single Sign On5. Ease of use6. Maximize

effectiveness.

NSCC With Unified Strategy

Other Apps

Student/Faculty Services

UDC LuminisPortal

Our How To’s (Framework)

• Build vs. Buy? – out of the box integration

• Assessed internal expertise (requirements / limitations)

• Executive sponsorship

• Integration was primary consideration for all aspects of services

• Recover investments & streamline processes with no additional IT staff

Our How To’s (Execution)

• Obtainable initial targets (3 mos. to develop pilot)

• Self Assistance tools (Extremely important)

• Team Approach for many decisions

• Training (ensured consistent strategy by all)

• Phased in approach for new services

• Continual communication and behind the scenes support

Online Demo

Timeline (yrs. 1-2)

Timeline (yrs. 3-4)

What We Have @ 2006

• Improved communications:– Prospect and follow up – Targeted messaging via email and portal– Course resource areas for every course– Dynamic email distribution lists for faculty for all courses– Many paperless processes and content mgmt. tools

• Identified Return on Investment and Value (3 yr. return)• Disparate services between campuses now equalized• Integrated online teaching and learning available 24x7• Dramatically improved student and administrative services• Increased enrollment and retention• A community connected through a unified digital campus• Flexible, adaptable and scalable system for future needs• Elevated reputation

Tracking Efficiency & Effectiveness• State Performance Measures:

– Increased enrollments, retention and financial ratios

• Consistent interface to leading to high usage– Online services utilization, Unique logins– Online course growth & enrollments

• Satisfaction surveys• Return on investment – tracked in detail• Cultural (soft but can be used as measurement)• Community wants more and more services• Communication Enhancements

Return on Investment• Online Web Admissions – 30+ per day• Web Recruit - 100% electronic – 5000+ prospects annually• Online registrations 90%+ Consistently• Returning students register much earlier • Enrollment and retention increases• Student schedules and grades no longer mailed• FA awards and book vouchers through portal• Faculty obtain class rosters, schedules and enter grades online as

Standard Operating Procedure• Significantly reduced postal mail • Advising - Online Degree Audit available to students• Integrated and more efficient LMS support • Dynamic account generations with single sign on• Consolidated helpdesk• Course resource areas - available for all courses • Automated email distribution lists available for all courses• Personal Web Space – supports curriculum & resource areas• Intranet with many online services and paperless processes

Investments Include:•All Hardware, All Software•Third party software – LMS, Touchnet, etc.•All Maintenance•Security & Monitoring•All Training, All IS Staff time

Return on Investment/Value Summary

FY2001 FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005

Fiscal Year Timeline100K

200k

300k

400k500k

600k

700k800k

900k1 million

1.1 million

1.2 million

Return/Cost Avoidance

Investm

ents

= $1,098,000

= $ 933,400

Net Return 164,600

Utilization Rates & Satisfaction

• 31,000 activated accounts

• 10,000 Unique users monthly

• 2000-4000 unique logins daily, 6000 weekly– 95% of credit registrations online– 6798 of 6910 fall credit students use the system– 347 of 349 adjunct faculty use system

• More than 80% of students rate online services good or excellent in surveys

Cultural & Organizational Changes

• Online Services are embedded into culture• Forced us to better utilize (ERP) Banner• Higher level of critical thinking

– More customer service, function & process oriented– Student Enrollment Centers

• Combined STFS and FA • Creative ideas consistently discussed and implemented to

further enhance overall communications• Assisted in breaking down departmental silos• Increased cross functional thinking and consideration

– Digital Imaging in Admissions/Financial Aid Offices and extending

What’s Next

• Busines Intelligence (BI) Datawarehouse:– Portal channels reporting from warehouse– Executive portal dashboard reporting

• Web for Finance – Online Budget query & requisitions• Advancement (Alumni Portal)• Further Intranet development• Advising Improvements:

– Cyber Advising, E-portfolio

• Flexibility for future • Ease of use leading to High utilization rates and

adoption is a key factor in our successes • Provided Integrated building path for enhancing

communication (academic and administrative), instructional support and redesigning services

• Additional value from extended integration to internally developed systems and applications.

• Data collected from surveys, usage rates, additional services requests and overall satisfaction proved its value as a good business and customer service model for NSCC

Summary

Q&A Resources http://myweb.northshore.edu/users/gham/educause2006 • NSCC Portal Interactive Overview (10 minutes)• ROI worksheet• Student Satisfaction Survey(s)

Contacts:

Janice Forsstrom, VP Administration/CFO jforsstr@northshore.edu

Gary Ham, CIO gham@northshore.edu