1. 1Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Ready, Fire, Aim! Presented by: Lea Pennock Director, Student Information Systems Sharon Scott Manager of Communications, Student & Enrolment Services Division

2. 2Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Ready, Fire, Aim! A bold approach to implementing a campus portal

3. 3Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Acting boldly, and seizing their chance, With no promise of funds in advance A team of mere mortals, Unacquainted with portals Put one in by the seats of their pants.

4. 4Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan A bit about us… Lea Pennock, Director of Student Information Systems Sharon Scott, Manager of Communications (SESD) University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon –18,000 undergrads –2,000 grad –13 colleges, full range of programs –1 of first 3 in the world and first in Canada to implement Luminis Platform 3

5. 5Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Many IT professionals are rushing to produce portalware and portal-like web pages without fully understanding the scope of a portal undertaking for an institution or even really understanding what a web portal is or should do. —Howard Strauss, 2002

6. 6Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan So…what is a portal?

7. 7Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Characteristics of Portal Technology Consolidation: multiple services via single sign on (SSO) Consistency: common look and feel Community: tailored to specific groups based on institutional role Customization: user-tailorable, in both content and form Channels: to deliver content and services Content Management: tools for managing/distributing content

8. 8Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan And…what should a portal do?

9. 9Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Portal technology changes your institutional web environment… “…from an institution-centric repository of information and applications into a dynamic user-centric collection of everything useful to a particular person in a particular role.” —Howard Strauss

10. 10Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan And… how did we do it? Just-in-time project management Evolutionary budgeting Tightly scoped - focused on quick wins Soft rollout Faculty pilot Two launches - quiet launch first, loud launch later

11. 11Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Governance Advice and Advocacy –Advisory committee with broad campus representation –Leveraged previous needs assessments Decisions and Work –Lean, mean steering committee –Small, practical working team

12. 12Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Ready!

13. 13Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Urging from Director of University Communications Common desire to enhance campus web services –Stakeholders develop preliminary business plan –Various technologies investigated Student dissatisfaction with telephone registration External review recommends virtual one-stop Colleges developing local solutions SIS vendor selection process –Scope — is portal in or out? Do we really need a portal? Momentum Builds

14. 14Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Fire!

15. 15Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan The Stars Align May 8, 2003 - Board of Governors approves Banner Student Project with portal At this point… We had the demand We had the technology We had the institutional will But…

16. 16Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan We didn’t have… A contract A project team Any funding A governing structure

17. 17Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Other Challenges What do we call this portal? Coordination with Student Central and self-service goals College-specific portals being developed Jurisdiction/governance –Need for high-level policy committee –Coordination with Si! Project and UniFI Project –How does the portal fit into the University structure? Content issues –Portal not a technical project, but the default is to assign to IT staff –Who has the authority to publish channels? To send e-mail, post announcements, and to whom? –Who is in charge of the content development and maintenance? –What to put in the portal - establishing content/service priorities –Instructor data not consistently collected and stored

18. 18Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Decision Time Gather forces Determine authority and responsibility Determine scope - what will be included for soft launch? You can’t always plan for opportunity—sometimes you just have to take a giant leap into the unknown! – Lea and Sharon (stranded in airport)

19. 19Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Aim! How do you eat an elephant?

20. 20Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan May – June 2003 Project Manager assigned SCT visit – rush meeting with advisory committee Review of previously gathered requirements What was “out of the box” and what would be doable? Charter document developed Project team established Technical training - Salt Lake City September 1 st target launch date set - What? Are we crazy? Contract signed May 41 st

21. 21Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan July 2003 Technical training continues Content planning begins –Vendor consultants onsite –Broad campus representation Technical team tasks Realization that team needs to address content issues too Weekly Steering Committee meetings - amazing progress!

22. 22Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan August 2003 Continued technical/channel development Content training is needed Scheduling challenges around summer vacations Look/feel design begins What will we call the portal? What do students think? Real cookies work! –My.usask.ca –Paws.usask.ca –Mypaws.usask.ca

23. 23Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan paws.usask.ca wins …paws down! PAWS: Personalized Access to Web Services

24. 24Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Engaging the Campus Luminis demos for stakeholders Dog & pony show - 2-day, 6-presentation blitz across campus! Content administrator training Development & testing environment up and running Fall teaching institute – introduce PAWS to new faculty Targeted Announcers assigned and trained Developed training courses to be offered (ITS Training services) We’re on the eve of the launch, all set to go, guns are loaded…

25. 25Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan September 1, 2003 E-mail to Associate VP (ICT) from Technical Lead… Rick, The portal is not yet live due to an unforeseen requirement to re-install the entire portal —Todd Trann, Technical Lead

26. 26Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan September 4, 2003 Content is king - Content Lead assigned (officially) PAWS Team –Project Manager from ITS –Technical Lead from ITS (and technical staff) –Content Lead from SESD (and designers and writers) –Central Webmaster & WebCT Administrator –ITS Training Services staff –ITS Help Desk staff –Student Information Project Administrative Assistant Team begins meeting weekly to continue development and plan for official launch

27. 27Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Soft Launch Success! Soft launch occurs, just 3 days off target date –Allows for feedback and bug fixing –No hype means no expectations –Go ahead, get your paws wet… Steering Committee amazed at richness of initial release PAWS Team catches up on sleep…

28. 28Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan The Launch Menu

29. 29Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Students…

30. 30Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Students…

31. 31Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Students…

32. 32Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Students…

33. 33Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Students…

34. 34Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Faculty and Staff…

35. 35Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Faculty…

36. 36Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Faculty…

37. 37Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Groups Tools…

38. 38Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan For Alumni…

39. 39Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan If you build it… Stats for week one - over 4,000 users! 7,000 users by the end of October Faculty pilot project begins Fall development continues and more services continue to roll out –Campus Arts Scene Channel –PAWS FAQs Channel –PAWS Training Channel –Huskie Headlines –Huskie Game Schedules –U of S Webcam –Weather Channel CBUC in Oct – PAWSitive feedback Plans begin for “official” launch

40. 40Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Official Launch Planning October to December Student Information Project Communications Task Force charged with launch planning Request from Student Central (one-stop) to co-launch Winter settles in

41. 41Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan January – February 2004 Development continues –AskUS! (Intelliresponse technology) –My Files –My Grades –My Exams –T2202A access –Transcript request with e-payment Winter continues…

42. 42Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Official Launch March 15-19, 2004 Student engagement (volunteers, student newspaper, student societies) Computer lab managers across campus ITS help desk College staff representatives Poster, banners, giveaways, presentations, t-shirts, advertisements, announcements, balloon trees, brochures Winter continues…

43. 43Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Usage Statistics 37,000 accounts with 15,000 users More than 4,000 courses More than 75 unique special interest and administrative groups—and growing! More than 300 faculty, staff and students have taken training courses offered by ITS Training Services

44. 44Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan What did we learn?

45. 45Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Technology is the easy part Need to address business process issues behind content management Need content lead Collaboration is key – portal crosses lines of responsibility –Overlaps in service areas –Uncoordinated communications –Faculty with existing web pages –Colleges with own portals, etc

46. 46Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Needed a high-level policy committee Stewardship –of content, roles, communication, users, permissions… Responsibilities for data –Collection, storage, accuracy, distribution, updating, removal… –Compliance with privacy requirements Image and message consistency Identification of new potential users – prospective students, researchers, service providers…

47. 47Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Risks can turn out to be strengths No plan –Could seize opportunities, quick wins, low-hanging fruit Tight timelines –Forced quick decisions No budget –Can’t go over budget! (don’t try this at home) Early adopter –Co-development with vendor team

48. 48Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Under-sell, Over-deliver!

49. 49Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Bulls eye!

50. 50Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan With PAWS, we are… Responding to expectations (students are ready for this) –Meeting current needs –Building a base for additional services and new audiences Advancing U of S image –Branding (leveraging existing awareness of UofS huskies) –Reputation (among students, colleagues,etc) Facilitating adoption of technology by more faculty (students drive this)

51. 51Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan With PAWS, we are… Communicating more effectively with all constituents –Targeted messaging –Reducing e-mail clutter Building communities –Portal users –Content providers Continuing to work with our vendor in feature development Proving value through usage (system sells itself)

52. 52Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan To what do we owe our success? Talented and committed staff Campus was ready, prior work had been done Commitment and persistence: “doggedness” (despite some nay-sayers) Agility in decision-making Key campus units bought in –Early adopters (SESD, Communications, Engineering…) Vendor support Enthusiastic project sponsor

53. 53Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan Future Targets Delivery of ERP services through PAWS –New systems replacing legacy systems with a focus on distributed self service Content management strategy (as opposed to just Sharon) New channels and services

54. 54Ready, Fire, Aim!University of Saskatchewan We needed a portal because Our website was riddled with flaws So boldly we went For leather hell bent And we managed to limit faux PAWS!