They said “Go for it!” – Now what?

1. They said “Go for it!” – Now what? University of Colorado at Boulder’s CUConnect...the Student Portal Project

2. University of Colorado at Boulder • Founded in 1876 • Offers 3400 courses in 150 fields of study • 9 colleges & schools • One of 5 campuses (Boulder, Central, Denver, Health Sciences & Colorado Springs) • 32,041 students • 3,626 instructional & research faculty • 3,254 staff

3. Portal – Strategic Direction No pressure: • Spring 2002 IT Strategic Planning Process key recommendation: provide excellent, unified web-based student services tailored to individuals based upon their affiliation with CU-Boulder • September, 2002: Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs commissions the Student Portal Project • CU’s President Hoffman references the portal in her university-wide Vision 2010 presentations.

4. Portal Project Objectives • Meet student requirements: academic, administrative and student life – as articulated by students and by service providers. • Foster campus-wide collaboration encompassing web-based service delivery, policy, quality, integration of services, standards and support. • Select and implement a scalable technical framework. • Ultimately, provide a comprehensive student portal, encompassing all student services and programs.

5. Success Factors High-level sponsorship Campus-wide involvement Build upon previous successes Remember! It’s not just about technology Funding Challenges Strong champions bring high visibility Tall & wide silos Successes bring high expectations Mucking with culture and all new technology No dollars, no new staff Success Factors & Challenges

6. ProjectChampion Announcements Testing Academic Outreach Deployment Sub-Teams Project Team Structure Political conduit. Sustains momentum. Provides detailed project work & conducts regular meetings Core Team Provides analysis, design, development, testing. Key decision-makers. Communication through monthly meetings Technical Team Steering Team

7. Project Core Representation Not quite knightly – but the representatives include:Academic Advising, Bookstore, Bursar, Continuing Ed, Housing, ITS, Libraries, Registrar, Student Affairs, Student Government, Univ. Management Systems and Web Communications– and we have learned to work together around the table.

8. Project Steering Representation Decision-makers include:Executive Director of ITS (Chair), Student Government Tri-Executive, Assistant VP of Information Technology, Associate VC of Undergrad Education, Dean of Students, Exec. Director of Financial Services, Exec. Director of Enrollment Services, Exec Director of University Communications, Director of Arts & Sciences Advising.

9. First Things First: Naming • Not exactly the very first thing, but naming received lots of attention. • Two months of team meetings, discussion, email, research. • Student survey (6 names to rank, comments box & one suggestion box), 534 responses. • Subsequent action items: Legal, rebrand CUConnect, reserve in domain, logo, outreach.

10.  Academic tools  Account management  Academic Advising Site Link  Address change  Advising  Advisor look-up  Announcements  Ask Ralphie  Bill balance  Bill detail  Bill detail history  Bill pay  Bookmarks  Book swap  Catalog  Campus news  Campus events  Campus maps  Career Services  Central listing of course info  Classifieds  Conditional Drop/Add of Courses  Course descriptions  Deadlines  Degree audit  Department home pages  Dining menus  Direct deposit  Directory Lookup  Entertainment listings  Estimated expenses  Event ticket sales  FAQs  FCQs  Fact of the day  Financial aid app status  Financial aid award status  GPA calculator  Grades  Health insurance waiver  Housing reservations  ID Card info  IM or Chat  Internet File System  I-vote  Library content  Library reserve  Library record  Math modules  National News headlines  Off campus housing search  Parking permit  Parking citation info & payment  Personal Calendaring  Picture of the day  PIN number change  Prepared links  Print balance  Professor home pages  Purchase books from CU Bookstore  Registration  Schedules  Schedule planner  Scholarship app  Scholarship news  Search  Skins  SmartForce integration  Sports updates  Stops  Student employment  Student group activities  Student government news  Student survey  Support links and info  Student Profile  Transcript request  Telecom bill  Tuition recalc  Unofficial transcript  Waitlists  Weather WebCT  WebMail Portal Features: a lot of ideas • Student survey (1804 responses) • Services with most/least interest • Most: GPA Calculator • Least: Housing reservations • Information with most/least interest • Most: Central listing of courses • Least: IM or chat • Surprise: Students stressed focus on CU • Student focus groups • Prioritize by vote within Core Team • Prioritize by vote within Steering Team • Prioritize by feasibility within Tech Team

11. Main ACADEMICS FINANCIAL Student Life My Page Search PLUS PLUS Student Employment Web Mail Dept Pages Advising Billing & Pmt Events Course Schedule Announcements GPA Calculator Student Services. Profile Weather Course Info Financial Aid Campus News Calendar FAQ Off Campus Housing Bookmarks Portal Support Schedule Planner One-Time Pmt Registration E-Bill Library Two-Pmt Plan Academic Tools Direct Deposit Academic Record Health Insurance Portal Features Prioritized Schedule Bill balance Campus news Calendaring GPA calculator Book swap Announcements Academic tools

12. Portal Features: Security(the one feature we all agreed upon) • Traffic encrypted • Secure Login • IdentiKey and password • Establish student profile via Directory • Pass through authentication(fewer signons)

13. CUConnect Portal Pilot CUConnect Pilot June, 2003

14. CUConnect Communication • Student Surveys – six surveys during prototype (frequency of use, info access, specific features, speed, value rankings of features and CUConnect) • EMail address for comments

15. CUConnect Communication • Detailed Communication Plan • Monthly articles in ITS-campus newsletters • 110 presentations  campus-wide understanding

16. CUConnect Marketing • Targeted email to specific deployment groups (Residence Halls & Colleges/Schools) • Table tents and posters in target areas • One campus-wide announcement in “Buff Bulletin” • Press release in student and Boulder newspaper • Reference on home page • ….word of mouth ever since • Next: introduction with orientation, ememos, references on labs, kiosks, and popular websites, encouragement from schools/colleges.

17. CUConnect Time Line

18. Challenges Strong champions bring high visibility Tall & wide silos Successes bring high expectations Mucking with culture and all new technology No dollars No new staff Outcomes Fostered campus-wide understanding & buy-in Tall & wide representation Successes bring strong foundation & experience Integrated cultural and technical transformation Student fee-funded Highly talented, highly motivated staff. Challenge outcomes

19. CUConnect Usage Buff Bulletin & Press Release EMemo to Housing Grades available EMemo to Arch, Ed, Leeds, Music

20. CUConnect Ratings • Survey Jan. 21 – March 8: 457 responses • How do you like/rate CUConnect: 1.6 (where 1=Very high; 5=Very low) • 401 of 457 gave a very high or high rating;8 rated it low; 3 rated it very low. • Favorite quote from survey:“This is Freaking GREAT!!! I can set this thing up to be my exclusive homepage with all the information and resources I will need!!! Someone deserves a big bonus or raise. Keep up the great work!”

21. CUConnect Information Channels • Custom channels: • Student profile (Enterprise Directory queries) • Student Schedule, books & grades (SOAP calls to SIS) • Law School student schedule & exam number • Advising links (personalized) • Web Proxy channels: • Academic Calendar, Catalogs, Ask Ralphie • Boulder weather, CU Images, WebCam • JA-SIG clearinghouse channels: • Announcements (targeted) • Academic, Financial & Student Services links • Student employment • RSS News • (CU, Health & Wellness, Student Gov’t, Int’l Ed, Housing, Career & Internship, ITS, schools & colleges)

22. CUConnect Service Channels • Custom Channels • Student Poll • Course Lookup & Schedule Planner • GPA calculator • Web Proxy Channels • CU Search • JA-SIG Clearinghouse channels • WebCT (single signon) • Personal bookmarks • Inline Frame • PLUS transactions (single signon, separate time out) • Personal calendaring (single signon) • WebMail (separate signon)

23. CUConnect – next... • On-Line bill pay (summer deadline) • Static bill view (summer deadline) • Campus Events Calendar (July) • Centralized course information (August) • Libraries channel (August) • Account management • Student File System • Financial Aid applications (October window) • uPortal upgrade …and much much more

24. CUConnect Demo https://cuconnect.colorado.edu

25. Portal Project Contacts • CUConnect Web Site:https://cuconnect.colorado.edu • Project Web Site:http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/portalproject/ • Project Manager: Paula J. VaughanPaula.Vaughan@Colorado.EDU • Web Communications Director: Malinda Miller-HueyMalinda.Miller-Huey@Colorado.EDU • Technical Lead: Gary PollockGary.Pollock@Colorado.EDU • CU images from www.colorado.edu/Publications/pdb/index.html • Roundtable picture source: Philip S. Jennings, Medieval Legends. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1983, p.123