NKU Office of Information Technology Annual Report 2012-2013

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ANNUAL REPORT

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INTRODUCTION

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WELCOME The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is pleased to share our progress over the past year. We have accomplished much towards the strategic goals defined in the 2011-16 Campus Technology Plan and are actively planning our work for the next fiscal year and beyond. We continue to look for your feedback on how to make our technology and services impactful to NKU’s mission.

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INTRODUCTION page 1

WELCOME

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LETTER FROM CIO

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LETTER FROM PROVOST

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TRENDS

WHO WE ARE page 8

16 FY14

OBJECTIVES

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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IMPACT STUDENT SUCCESS

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OPTIMIZE UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS

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STRIVE FOR IT OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

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STRENGTHEN IT INFRASTRUCTURE

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FY14

ABOUT OIT

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SERVICES

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PORTFOLIO

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GOVERNANCE

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COMMITTEES

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AWARDS

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INTRODUCTION

LETTER FROM THE CIO How technology touches your daily life varies by individual. Many of you rely on the Office of Information Technology (OIT) for only basic services such as file storage, phones and Wi-Fi signal, while others are using more advanced online scheduling tools or lecture capture.

While OIT is dedicated to meeting the basic needs of the university, the portfolio of services we offer goes way beyond basics. We work diligently to provide services on campus that are advanced, innovative and, in many cases, revered by our higher education peers. We launched one of the first mobile phone apps for students, implemented a sophisticated system to best manage student and employee information, implemented a state of the art technology destination for students called the Norse Tech Bar, installed a system that allows users to print from anywhere from any device, created a loan program that puts iPads into the classroom...and many more. We’ve won national awards for innovation and leadership.

I encourage you to join us as we continue to leverage technology to impact NKU and higher education. We ask that you play an active role by providing feedback on the services you use and technologies you would like to be implemented. Last spring we hosted several open forums to gather your opinions and this input has been tremendously valuable as we make plans for the upcoming years. The forums are one way we listen but don’t hesitate to contact us directly throughout the year with your ideas and concerns.

Over the next year, we invite you to step out of your comfort zone—try a new application or borrow one of our devices. Be curious, explore, play. Don’t be afraid of technology because we are here to help. We offer classes, written and video documentation, workshops and a 24-hour IT Help Desk.

Be innovative with your use of technology and let us know how we can help.

Sincerely, TIM FERGUSON associate provost and cio, office of information technology

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LETTER FROM THE PROVOST Technology has had a transformational impact on higher education during the last decade, impacting not only the efficiencies and effectiveness of our business operations, but also the way we interact with students, teach, learn and do research. Indeed, technology has shifted from a supplemental resource to an integral part of how we go about our work.

Under the visionary leadership of CIO Tim Ferguson and with the support of our forward thinking staff in the Office of Information Technology, NKU has embraced the power of technology to enhance our work. As a result NKU has earned a reputation as an innovative leader in the appropriate use of technology in education.

Students value the technological maturity of NKU not only within their academic programs but also on the campus in general. We are pleased to offer a wide variety of technical services all geared towards student success—mobile apps, anytime/anywhere access, virtual labs and a newly opened Norse Tech Bar (based on the Genius Bar concept), just to name a few.

Faculty and staff at NKU have grown accustomed to and reliant upon the high level of support, services, training, collaboration and innovation that is provided by OIT. The work of our IT colleagues directly supports our overall vision and mission to be a premier comprehensive, metropolitan university that prepares students for life and work in a global society. I’m proud to reflect on the tremendous positive impact that technology adoption has contributed to NKU to date. The strong foundation existing today in our infrastructure and overall IT services and products ensures that NKU is well prepared for future opportunities.

I offer my sincerest thanks to all our IT colleagues for the many ways they contribute to our work. This report gives evidence of the tremendous scope of their work. However, it is difficult to capture the true impact they have on our campus through their visionary leadership, problem solving ability, service mentality, dedication and commitment to the greater good of the entire university. Thank you.

Sincerely, GAIL WELLS provost and vice president, academic affairs

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INTRODUCTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Every year the Office of Information Technology must actively maintain all aspects of technology on campus, while simultaneously preparing NKU for changes in technology. As part of our Campus Technology Plan, we focus on four main strategies.

F Y 1 3 A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S B Y S T R AT E G Y A R E A S S T R AT E G Y # 1 : I M PA C T S T U D E N T S U C C E S S OIT works to positively impact student success inside and outside of the classroom. We upgraded Smart Classroom equipment with various new technologies for first-hand exposure to 21st century technologies. Our instructional designers worked with faculty to improve design of classes both in-person and online. We loaned iPads carts for classroom use and tablets individually to faculty and staff. We upgraded Blackboard to support the 14,763 students who use it. Faculty recorded over 4000 lectures. We facilitated 500+ training sessions for academic technology and web-based applications. Outside the classroom, OIT implemented wireless Norse Print stations. We placed academic technology analysts inside certain buildings on campus to provide personalized, just-in-time assistance for faculty. We opened the Norse Tech Bar, which places emerging technology at students’ fingertips.

S T R AT E G Y # 2 : O P T I M I Z E U N I V E R S I T Y O P E R AT I O N S Systems across campus must be monitored and updated regularly to ensure NKU runs smoothly. We added new software and systems, such as those that support various paperless initiatives. We rolled out new communication tools to better utilize online meetings and instant messaging. We developed an athletics-only mobile app, GoNorse, in addition to an app for the Chase College of Law. We created custom web applications and continued the transition of websites to the new content management system. We continued the development of myNKU within the areas of Student Lifecycle Management, Human Resources, Finance and Reporting.

S T R AT E G Y # 3 : S T R I V E F O R I T E X C E L L E N C E Within the Office of Information Technology we continuously strive for IT excellence by reviewing our internal and external efficiencies. OIT solicited feedback from the campus community in forums and surveys. We hired a third party vendor to conduct a series of security audits that tested NKU’s network for vulnerabilities. We hosted multiple events, such as the Business Intelligence Summit, that allowed the higher education community to network with technology leaders from around the country. We refined the IT project prioritization process and implemented software to better bill for phone charges.

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S T R AT E G Y # 4 : S T R E N G T H E N I T I N F R A S T R U C T U R E Providing improvements to the infrastructure allows us to stay up-to-date with technology. Over the past year we improved the campus infrastructure in order to accommodate the transfer to Division I. We implemented upgrades to the network firewall and increased the campus bandwidth, which allows for faster download and upload speeds. We increased our disaster recovery efforts with Murray State University, which allows us to recover Blackboard and other key systems within a short period of time.

I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y T R E N D S F O R T H E F U T U R E While OIT works to maintain and improve NKU’s current technology needs, we are also looking to the future.

Technology topics that are news today, such as MOOCs and tablet computing, will move out of the way for newer trends such as wearable technology and consumer-based 3-D printing. OIT reviews technology research from industry leaders such as Gartner and Educause to inform our decisions regarding future directions.

TOP OBJECTIVES FOR FY14 Establish the NORSE TECH BAR as the student technology center on campus.

Continue enhancing myNKU FUNCTIONALITY per university priorities.

Improve IT COMMUNICATIONS to faculty, staff and students.

Work toward enabling more ANALYTICS to empower NKU as a data-driven university.

Implement additional PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE. Expand PAPERLESS initiatives.

Redesign certain services for increased COMPATIBILITY with mobile and/or personal devices.

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TRENDS

T R E N D S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N Technology changes quickly.

OIT relies on technology information industry leaders, such as Gartner and Educause, to predict trends as well as identify key issues we must overcome. The following lists technology to watch, trends and issues.

T E C H N O L O G Y T O WAT C H

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Now

Soon

Future

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MOOCs

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Games & Gamification

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3-D Printing

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Tablet Computing

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Learning Analytics

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Wearable Technology

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Mobile Learning

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Micro Surveys

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Fewer Labs, More Virtual

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KEY IT TRENDS (2012) »»

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Area of EXPLORATION for NKU

Area of FOCUS for OIT

Area of EXPLORATION for NKU

Area of FOCUS for OIT

Openness—concepts like open content, open data, and open resources, along with notions of transparency and easy access to data and information—is becoming a value.

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Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are being widely explored as alternatives and supplements to traditional university courses.

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The workforce demands skills from college graduates that are more often acquired from informal learning experiences than in universities.

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There is an increasing interest in using new sources of data for personalizing the learning experience and for performance measurement.

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The role of educators continues to change due to the vast resources that are accessible to students via the internet.

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Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning and collaborative models.

TOP TEN IT ISSUES (2013) »»

Leveraging the device explosion on campus

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Improving student outcomes through an approach that leverages technology

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Developing an institution-wide cloud strategy to help the institution select the right sourcing and solution strategies

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Developing a staffing and organizational model to accommodate the changing IT environment and facilitate openness and agility

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Facilitating a better understanding of information security and finding appropriate balance between infrastructure openness and security

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Funding information technology strategically

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Determining the role of online learning and developing a sustainable strategy for that role

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Supporting the trends toward IT consumerization and bring-your-own device

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Transforming the institution’s business with information technology

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Using analytics to support critical institutional outcomes

Source: www.educause.edu

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WHOOIT WE ARE PORTFOLIO

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ABOUT THE OFFICE OF IT VISION To empower and serve the university community through accessible, collaborative, innovative and advanced technology solutions that provide an enriching academic experience to our students, and to strengthen the ability to educate the public we serve.

MISSION The mission of the Office of Information Technology, in support of the strategic goals of the university, is to provide highest-quality service and delivery through innovative and efficient technology for students, faculty, staff and the community.

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STAFFING The Office of Information Technology was reorganized in June 2013 to streamline our operations and be more efficient and responsive. Currently, OIT is divided into four main functional areas (yellow boxes) with two support areas (gray boxes).

O F F I C E O F I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y CIO and Associate Provost for IT

special projects »» »» »»

Special Projects IT Communications Liaisons

administration and budget »» »» »»

Administrative Support Budget and Contract Administration Records Management

academic technology group The Academic Technology Group provides faculty, staff and students with innovative learning resources such as workshops, seminars, individual consultations, etc.

business support group The Business Support Group provides support for the myNKU administrative systems and implements system enhancements in partnership with the business areas.

»» »» »» »» »» »»

»» »» »» »»

Learning Management Support (Blackboard) Instructional Design Instructional Technology Norse Tech Bar Technology Training Academic Technology Analysts

enterprise systems group The Enterprise Systems Group is responsible for application software development and support as well as project management across the IT organization. »» »» »» »» »»

Administrative Systems Applications Business Intelligence/Warehouse Mobile Applications Development Web Services and Development Project Management Office

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Student Information Systems Business Analysts Human Resource Business Analysts Finance Business Analysts Enterprise Reporting and Analytics Business Analysts

infrastructure and operations group The Infrastructure and Operations Group is responsible for making sure that technology is operating properly and securely across campus. »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

Help Desk Information Security/Disaster Recovery Network Administration and Telecom Application/Database Support Data Center Administration Client/Desktop Support Multimedia/Event Support Smart Classroom Support Program Management

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ENHANCE

APPLICATIONS

STRIVE BUILD

S E C U R I T Y BY

WIRELESS

DATA WAREHOUSE

SECURITY

A reporting application that combines data from NKU business systems to create a centralized reporting system.

FINANCIAL The accounting system manages purchasing, accounts payable, asset tracking, general ledger, grants management and budgeting for the university.

Systems and hardware such as spam filters, virus checkers and firewalls that reduce campus security risks.

DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC SYSTEMS

HUMAN RESOURCES

Specialized software within student curricula enhances the learning experience.

The employment management system maintains payroll, benefits and employee services for campus.

ENTERPRISE PORTAL This system, also known as myNKU, provides a web-based interface to students, faculty and staff services.

MISSION CRITICAL IT SYSTEMS

UNIFIED COMMUNICATION Email, instant messaging and other communication tools that allow students, faculty and staff to exchange information.

BUSINESS SYSTEMS

LEARNING MANAGEMENT

Specialized business software within campus departments that supports core functions.

Tools like Blackboard, lecture capture and video streaming that enhance student learning.

FINANCIAL AID

ENDPOINT MANAGEMENT Multiple administrative systems that maintain, protect and secure campusowned electronic devices.

STUDENT INFORMATION The campus management system houses course, enrollment, grade, major, transcript, degree and class data.

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The financial aid system provides NKU the ability to award, manage and report, as well as, provide students the ability to request and accept financial aid and scholarships.

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SERVICES Academic Technology Instructional Technology Lecture Capture Group Instructional Design Faculty Support & Training IT Technology Training and Support Learning Management System Training and Support myNKU Training Mobile Device Training & Support Mobile Devices in the Classroom Clickers in the Classroom Student Technology Walk-In Support Student Technology Training High-end and 3-D Printing Services Student Equipment Checkout

Enterprise Project Management myNKU Portal myNKU Business Warehouse myNKU Application Development Mobile Application Development Web Application Development Web Services Integration Services

Systems Group

Central IT Campus Technology Plan Budget Administration Change Management Governance Standards and Policies Innovation

Functions

Infrastructure Smart Classrooms Computer Labs: Virtual and Physical Help Desk Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Network Management Telephone and Voicemail Data/System Security Services Database Administration Desktop, Laptop, and Mobile Support Cloud Computing Email Software Distribution and Imaging Integration Services Application Support Data Center Enterprise Architecture Program Management Computer Replacement Software Licensing

and Operations Group

Business myNKU Finance myNKU Human Resources myNKU Student Lifecyle Management myNKU Reporting & Analytics

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Support Group

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APPLICATIONS

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PORTFOLIO 8%

9%

2%

10%

11%

2012

2011

90%

82%

2013

8%

RUN Represents ongoing operations and is usually associated with nondiscretionary investments.

GROW Represents investments needed to provide IT solutions that fundamentally support a changed business model. These are nondiscretionary investments.

TRANSFORM Represents investments needed to develop or enhance IT solutions to support scalable business growth. These are usually discretionary investments.

80%

C O S T A S S O C I AT E D W I T H S I G N I F I C A N T F Y 1 3 O B J E C T I V E S 100,000

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academic software

$140,000

computer replacement program

$400,000

disaster recovery planning

$600,000

personal device support and wireless printing

$125,000

security (firewall upgrade)

$550,000

smart classrooms

$600,000

wireless upgrades

$250,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

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GOVERNANCE

OIT collaborates with several NKU governance organizations to support communication, decision-making and

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Faculty Senate, Chairs, Campus Groups

IT POLICY COUNCIL

myNKU ADVISORY GROUP

This council is composed of the vice presidents

This council is composed of faculty and staff with

reporting to the university president. They meet on a

specific focus on initiatives relating to student life cycle

monthly basis. IT policies and IT projects affecting the

management, human resources, finance and reporting

campus community are discussed, and this council is

systems. Participants within this council provide input

the body that approves changes in IT policies.

on enhancements and communicate enhanced functionality to their respective areas.

IT ADVISORY COUNCIL This council is composed of faculty, staff and students.

IT STUDENT ADVISORY GROUP

It is chaired by faculty on a rotating basis. To obtain

This group is composed of representatives from NKU’s

information in support of the work of ITAC and its

Student Government Association and other student

subcommittees, surveys are issued to faculty, staff and

organizations. IT staff work with this group to better

students.

understand the IT needs of our students. This group has provided valuable feedback to OIT, which has led to the expansion of virtual labs and the exploration of ePrinting solutions.

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COMMITTEES The OIT team has been able to establish and maintain a national presence for NKU by participating in industry leadership groups and presenting at national conferences. Building quality, collaborative relationships with our strategic IT partners is extremely important. These relationships and partnerships allow us to find out about new products and services prior to their release and, in some cases, shape the new product or service. These relationships also allow us to learn from our peers, share our experiences with others and ensure that NKU’s needs and values are properly conveyed to our partners and the technology community.

The OIT team represents NKU on the following committees: »»

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Leadership Board for CIOs—A nationwide

group of higher education CIOs and senior IT

technology in higher education.

professionals throughout the commonwealth that

Dell Platinum Advisory Council—A partnership

meet quarterly to identify challenges and discuss

connecting “thought leaders from Dell’s strategic

issues related to information technology. Members

customers” with senior Dell executives for frank

participate with peers to share information and

discussions and close collaboration that help guide

experiences and exchange best practices.

council is a partnership between SAP higher-

Blackboard on product development.

K-12 Technology Leadership Committees— Members of OIT participate on various K-12

their challenges and requirements to SAP, driving

leadership committees including the Steering

priorities for future areas of SAP development.

Committee for Grant County Career and

CIO Summit Advisory Board for UBTech 2012—A

Technology Center. »»

Reflections Board—The reflections board is

participate in special sessions at higher education’s

organized by Radiant Technologies and discusses

premier technology, leadership and vision

relevant audio-visual technology issues. It

conference.

encompasses a broad range of regional leadership

IT Leadership Forum—A regional CIO roundtable

to help share insight and direction for future

with membership from organizations like P&G

audiovisual strategic paths.

Cincinnati CIO Roundtable—A cross-industry IT consortium that bridges the gap between higher education and corporations.

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»»

Universities are able to collaborate and voice

and Toyota. »»

Blackboard Idea Exchange—A senior users and administrators group that provides feedback to

group of top higher-education CIOs who

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SAP Higher Education Advisory Council—This education customers and SAP executives.

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Kentucky CIO Forum—This forum is an interactive

board that serves as a think-tank on the topic of

business strategy at Dell. »»

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AWARDS STAFF AWARDS Last year, we asked the NKU community to nominate IT professionals who they thought demonstrated superior service. Many were nominated, and the following staff members were recognized at the OIT Annual Staff Meeting last December.

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“Thanks to him, our faculty are better online teachers, our students have greater interactivity and responsiveness and our course evaluations are improving.”

“She is patient, willing to listen and exceeds our expectations of providing top notch customer service.”

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“Matt Beck is an incredibly valuable employee. He is knowledgeable, helpful, patient and extremely serviceoriented.”

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“...really knocked our socks off with his ideas and implementation...Very professional and a pleasure to work with.”

OIT AWARDS IDG’s CIO magazine named Northern Kentucky University as a recipient of the 2012 CIO 100. The 25th annual award program recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology.

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FY14 OBJECTIVES OIT PORTFOLIO

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FY 2014 OBJECTIVES S T R AT E G Y # 1 : I M PA C T S T U D E N T S U C C E S S & L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S This strategy places learners and their learning at the center of all we do at the university. It focuses on students’ technology experiences inside and outside of the classroom, ensuring academic quality. »»

Impact student success by providing exceptional support directly to students. This includes expansion of services offered by the Norse Tech Bar, enhanced myNKU functionality, research benefits of an individualized student portal and personalized notifications.

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Impact learning outcomes by enhancing the learning environments. This includes continuing upgrades of Smart Classrooms, enhancements to Blackboard and associated tools, as well as, exploring analytics tools and collecting data to support retention efforts.

S T R AT E G Y # 2 : O P T I M I Z E U N I V E R S I T Y O P E R AT I O N S This approach seeks to enhance the university’s technology-based operations and systems, increasing both OIT and institutional effectiveness. »»

Continue enhancements to myNKU as prioritized by the IT Policy Council, including reporting, analytics, integration with other campus systems and documentation.

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Develop a strategy to better support personal devices on campus, open source and cloud-based software solutions, and provide better mobile solutions for accessing NKU information.

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Continue support of various paperless projects on campus such as advising, personnel records and electronic RPT portfolios using Blackboard. Also, roll out collaboration applications to encourage better communication with less paper waste.

S T R AT E G Y # 3 : S T R I V E F O R I T E X C E L L E N C E This plan of action aims for the highest standards of excellence in every dimension of our work, including service, resource management, policies and standards. »»

Enhance IT Governance model by incorporating more transparency into our general operations. This includes better documentation of business processes, formalized service level agreements, catalog of services and modifying the Campus Technology Plan to support the impending NKU strategic plan.

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Improve internal operations by creating a project management office and leveraging software and best practice solutions for better collaboration and customer service.

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Formalize a communication and outreach plan for facilitating timely, two-way interactions between IT and constituents.

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S T R AT E G Y # 4 : S T R E N G T H E N T H E I T I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

This strategy addresses ways to build upon the university’s current information technology infrastructure, creating a more powerful and secure foundation for daily use and in the event of a disaster. »»

Proactively institute security and disaster planning precautions to protect the university in the event of disaster.

This includes expanding our current data center backup at Murray State to include additional systems, increasing internal monitoring and efforts to prevent data loss and breach incidents. Also, increase the security, availability and functionality of our primary systems.

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Improve the on-campus network. This includes improving wireless coverage, infrastructure improvements to further support the move to Division I, renovations to the Campus Recreation Center and expanding the IP phone system.

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Enhance strategy for software/hardware replacement. This includes working to consolidate similar software used on campus, better identifying most used hardware to replace that equipment sooner and creating a program management office that will improve the processes within OIT to make the replacements more efficient.

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CONFIGURE

PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS I M PA C T S T U D E N T S U C C E S S

LECTURE CAPTURE

This strategy places learners and their learning at the center of all we do at the university. It focuses on students’ technology experiences inside and outside of the classroom, ensuring academic quality.

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM »»

Upgraded equipment in 102 Smart Classrooms according to requirements of the colleges.

»»

4000

RECORDINGS PER YEAR

iPad Carts for classroom use were reserved 150+ times. Over 140 individual items such as tablets, cameras, etc., were checked out by faculty and staff.

»»

MORE THAN

TRAINING SESSIONS

Lecture Capture (recording of classes or other academic activities for online distribution) usage has grown. Last year 257 faculty recorded 16,133 hours.

»»

Administrative assistance was provided to the College of Arts and Sciences for the 355 students who completed the Successful Online Learning Tool. This optional, Blackboard-based course is filled with exercises and assignments designed

MORE THAN

500

to teach students how to use the tools (Blackboard, Tegrity, etc.) available, so

PER YEAR

faculty can focus on teaching the content of the course rather than how to use the online tools.

PRINTING

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM »»

Implemented at least one Norse Print station in every IT computer lab across campus. Norse Print allows students and employees to print wirelessly from personal devices quickly and easily.

»»

Launched the Norse Tech Bar as a student center for technology on campus (see spotlight). Played an integral role in the overall development of the newly

$101,000

347,091

IN FREE PRINTS

PRINT JOBS

launched Student Success Center. »»

Began delivery of specialized academic technology assistance within colleges

SMART CLASSROOMS

via the hiring of three academic technology analysts who serve the College of Business, College of Health Professions and various College of Arts and Sciences academic departments including: Mathematics & Statistics; Psychological Science; English; History & Geology; Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy; and World Languages & Literature. Over 300 faculty members have benefited from individual consultations with one of the academic technology analysts. Extension of the assistance to other colleges will grow as funding is identified.

18

2012

2013

6:291 6:304 In 2012, six support staff members were responsible for 291 smart classrooms.

Today, six support staff members are responsible for 304 smart classrooms.

S P O T L I G H T: N O R S E T E C H B A R At NKU, student success comes first. One of the ways OIT can assist students in being successful is by providing them with access to 21st century technology resources that can be accessed any place, anytime.

In spring of 2013, OIT implemented an innovative and unique solution—the Norse Tech Bar. The Norse Tech Bar (NTB) is the student-centered, technological destination at NKU based loosely on the Apple Genius Bar concept. Implemented as part of the university’s strategy behind the Student Success Center, the NTB joins forces with Norse Advising, Career Services and other support services to provide students with a centralized location where they can get the help they need. The NTB provides: »»

In-person assistance from a student technology specialist.

»»

Open collaboration spaces with LED screens.

»»

Windows and Mac lab computers, many with advanced software such as Adobe Creative Suite.

»»

Check-out program for tablets, computers and cameras.

»»

Norse Print station for black and color.

»»

Large format printers for posters and photography.

»»

Hardware repair by an on-site vendor.

»»

A comfortable and inviting place to work and play.

Over the next year, we plan to expand services to include technology based training and 3-D printing.

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CONFIGURE

PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

L U E SRECOVERY

E S TA B L I S HFORUMS P

A

R

T

N

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I M PA C T S T U D E N T S U C C E S S OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM »»

COMPUTER LABS

(continued)

Conducted 503 training sessions with 1641 attendees (including EdTech Institute mentioned below). Revamped tablet utilization sessions to be more inclusive of other tablet products now available on the market.

»»

Offered the first-ever EdTech Institute consisting of three days of concurrent

SUPPORT MORE THAN

workshops based on technology used in academic and administrative settings.

85

LABS ACROSS CAMPUS

Over 111 people attended one (or more) of 33 unique sessions. »»

Two Online Faculty Institutes provided 28 faculty members with a student-based perspective by participating in a five week, asynchronous online course covering best practices in online course design and pedagogy.

»»

BLACKBOARD

Instructional design staff assisted more than 70 faculty with the development of approximately 90 online courses across multiple disciplines.

893

Faculty use Blackboard

14,763

Students use Blackboard

“

I cannot thank you enough for giving us an ATA [academic technology analyst]. It has made teaching with the technology in the building so

“

much easier. Because we can now troubleshoot a classroom technol-

ogy issue “in the moment,” the ATA makes all us better teachers from the perspective of our students.

--Comment from satisfaction survey

20

“

‘The future ain’t what it used to be,’ said the sage, Yogi Berra and it is probably truer today than it was when he said it.

The future of higher education is no exception and we need to heed his advice. It is probable that I, a 60ish dean returning to the faculty, could end my educational career doing pretty much what I have done in my classes for the past 35 years.

But why would I want to? The potential for enhancing deep, personally meaningful and impactful learning is greater today than it has ever been.

Much of the enhanced opportunity for increasing significant learning has become available due to increasingly powerful and ubiquitous instructional technology combined, at least here at NKU, with up close and personal, just-in-time support from educational technology experts and course designers. This unleashes a potential for student engagement and learning at unprecedented levels while freeing faculty to experiment with new and better ways to delve both deeper into content and broader into related disciplines. Now that is what I’m looking forward to most.

Any of us faculty folks (especially those who plan to be doing this 5, 10 or 20 years from now) have no choice but to be all over the new opportunities provided by the synergy of technology and learning. We must be pushing the content out of our classrooms and onto better learning platforms; hybridizing delivery methodology to accommodate the ever more hectic life pace of current students; and, at the same time, individualizing our instruction to meet diverse learning styles,

“

needs, and dreams of today’s students.

Forward looking programs (and universities) will realize that thriving and surviving in the rapidly changing educational marketplace will depend on building and in maintaining engaging, personally meaningful learning relationships among faculty (and staff) and students. The melding of human and technological resources make this an adventure well worth pursuing...and embody the notion that the future is such that we cannot teach classes anymore; we must teach students.

m. mark wasicsko, ph.d.

dean and bank of kentucky chair in educational leadership, college of education and human services, northern kentucky university

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PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

L U E SRECOVERY

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OPTIMIZE UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS This approach seeks to enhance the university’s technology-based operations and

EMAIL

systems, increasing both OIT and institutional effectiveness.

PAPERLESS AND EFFICIENCIES »»

Expanded use of a paperless advising software called ImageNow. Norse Advising was the first to convert 11 file cabinets worth of paper records to electronic files. Also, created electronic forms to streamline processing by utilizing digital

115,000

Emails delivered per day to NKU students

50,000

Emails sent per day from NKU students

signature pads and All Card readers that allow auto-fill of certain data fields (see spotlight). OIT is currently working on additional paperless advising projects with the College of Education and Human Services, College of Informatics and College of Health Professions. »»

Worked with Business Operations and Auxiliary Services to replace computer lab

300,000

Emails daily from off-campus addresses that are safe to deliver to students, faculty & staff

printers with more economical multifunctional device printer/copiers. »»

During the first week of each semester, staff were stationed at tables in every classroom building to quickly answer questions, address issues in Smart Classrooms and provide a helpful, welcoming atmosphere. Over 1000 hours from all areas of IT were contributed.

1.2 million

Emails caught by spam filters daily

C O L L A B O R AT I O N »»

Installed an enterprise solution for web conferencing called WebEx. The user can download the WebEx Client Application and the software is integrated into our

MOBILITY

phone system which allows users to create their own ad hoc meetings. »»

Implemented a secure campus instant messaging system utilizing Microsoft Lync.

MOBILE AND WEB »»

Launched an Android version of the iNKU mobile application. Added new features such as a virtual tour of campus and campus recreation center, as well as options to alert Campus Police through “Alert the Norse.”

»»

Created mobile applications for the Chase College of Law and Athletics (Go Norse, see spotlight).

»»

Entered final phase of transferring all university websites (now numbering over 100) into the new content management system, Adobe CQ5.

»»

Created custom web applications such as the syllabi bank for students to view past syllabi before they register for a course.

»»

Switched our emergency communications service to a new vendor, Rave. The move will increase reliability and provide more service options.

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MORE THAN

6,500

DEVICES CONNECT WIRELESSLY DAILY

SPOTLIGHT: DIVISION I The Office of Information Technology played a key role in NKU’s transition to the Atlantic Sun conference.

OIT configured NKU sports facilities to allow live streaming on ASun.tv. With this upgrade to the network and equipment, NKU now can stream graduation ceremonies, presidential speeches and other university events.

We developed GoNorse, an athletics-only mobile application. The app is the first of its kind in the division and provides news, schedule, ticket information and event promotions.

We enhanced myNKU to meet the rigorous demands of NCAA reporting and compliance requirements. The enhancements provide a one-stop Athletics application to facilitate more convenient viewing and maintenance of student athlete data.

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CONFIGURE

PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

L U E SRECOVERY

E S TA B L I S HFORUMS P

A

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OPTIMIZE UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS

(c o n t i n u e d )

myNKU STUDENT LIFECYLE MANAGEMENT »»

Implemented the Change of Program workflow, allowing students to use an online form to change their programs of study.

»»

Enhanced the Event Planning to accommodate approximately 95% of all course scheduling situations, allowing academic departments to be more self-sufficient in schedule construction.

»»

Implemented Paymetric to address student credit card payments in accordance with PCI Compliance.

»»

Revised the Dunning process and implemented Dunning Level 5 to automate the collection process, including holds, locks and the data file sent to the collection agency.

»»

Implemented write-off module for the Offices of the Bursar and Comptroller to enhance student accounting functionality.

»»

Added Degree Audit for all undergraduate majors.

»»

Implemented procedures to support the Royall Dream Big Admissions application.

»»

Created an interface with the National Student Clearinghouse, giving students the ability to request transcripts and NKU the ability to process requests and receive payment for transcripts, all through the Clearinghouse.

»»

Redesigned Student Account Billing Statements, including rewriting the separation of class fees and correcting inaccurate clearing, drop/adds, tuition calculations, bad descriptions and inconsistencies.

»»

Created a database to streamline the scholarship process for first time freshmen.

»»

Automated the Residential Management System (RMS) interface. The interface updates the myNKU system nightly with any campus room changes/assignments.

»»

In support of the data quality initiative, multiple projects were implemented, including: »»

Updated reporting for resident status and visa type to indicate students who have more than one active visa type.

»»

Created registrar edit reports to address qualification errors.

»»

Implemented a process that correctly assigns main program flag or priority of specialization regardless of registration record.

»»

Added functionality to report on alumni data.

»»

Implemented a database to allow Institutional Research the ability to review section level data from 2000.

»»

Added functionality that assigned a social security prefix of 000 for international students who did not have a social security number, to comply with revisions to the numbering scheme of the Social Security Administration.

»»

Implemented a process that automatically updates the student’s residency when the permanent address changes.

»»

Added functionality that automatically updates the student’s residency and end-dates the visa type of an international student who is now reapplying as a permanent resident.

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CONFIGURE

PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

L U E SRECOVERY

E S TA B L I S HFORUMS P

A

R

T

N

E

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OPTIMIZE UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS

(c o n t i n u e d )

myNKU HUMAN RESOURCES »»

DESKTOPS/LAPTOPS

Established sharing of educational fields between SLCM and HR within myNKU that enabled the conversion of data for faculty (highest degree, terminal degree, CIP code) from Digital Measures into myNKU.

»»

Improved the Grant Effort Certification process in myNKU. Employees are able to log into their myNKU Employee Self-Service tab and certify the hours they have spent working on a grant and have the Grant Principle Investigator and/or Chair approve it.

»»

Added functionality into myNKU that allows new hires to complete benefits

2012

489

2013

705

In 2012, each support staff member was responsible for 489 computers. Today each staff member is responsible for 705 computers.

enrollment via the myNKU Employee Self-Service tab. Also, for annual benefits enrollment, OIT modified the system to accommodate benefit plan changes. »»

SERVICE REQUESTS

Created a file feed from myNKU to the state of Kentucky to meet state requirements of reporting pertinent new hire data.

»»

Reconfigured the enterprise compensation management (ECM) module of myNKU to allow processing of one-time merit payments.

»»

MORE THAN

26,800

Enhanced the myNKU interface to the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) based on revised requirements from the state.

myNKU FINANCE »»

PER YEAR

BOMGAR REMOTE

Simplified the asset inventory and computer replacement processes by creating

ACCESS

reports in myNKU that incorporate the new, NKU-specific fixed asset fields. »»

Worked in conjunction with University Advancement and the NKU Foundation to implement a paperless, automated process for creating new donor accounts in myNKU.

»»

Moved the travel module to the myNKU Employee Self-Service tab. This change

BOMGAR

2012

2,809

2013

2,500

greatly simplified travel request and expense processing, added draft functionality, a trip calendar and new copy and display features.

O N L I N E C H AT S

m y N K U U P D AT E S A N D D E V E L O P M E N T »»

Performed the annual upgrade to the myNKU system in late fall, including hardware, support packs and portal enhancements.

2012

6,326

26

2013

4,500

SPOTLIGHT: PAPERLESS ADVISING Advising at NKU has become more streamlined with the introduction of paperless advising, which is a part of the Office of Information Technology’s contribution to student success.

OIT worked with Norse Advising to develop a centralized digital location where all advising documents can be stored. All Norse Advisors can load advising documents through myNKU utilizing the software ImageNow. Advisors can now focus more on the individual needs of the students, by being more readily equipped for advising appointments, making them quicker and more effective.

Paperless advising makes it easier for students, too. Students swipe their All Card when they enter the advising center to record the advising appointment. The student then meets with her advisor to fill out forms digitally and copies of all forms get sent to the student via email.

In addition to aiding student access, paperless advising also reduces costs and NKU’s carbon footprint. We are currently working on additional paperless advising projects with the College of Education and Human Services, College of Informatics and College of Health Professions.

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CONFIGURE

PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

A

R

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N

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R

OPTIMIZE UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS »»

L U E SRECOVERY

E S TA B L I S HFORUMS P

(c o n t i n u e d )

Created an interface to pull student recruiting information gathered by external vendor contracted by NKU into our systems for analysis. The interface provides a seamless experience to the user and is branded according to Marketing and Communications guidelines.

»»

Developed custom application for accepting tuition payments with an easier to use interface which also allows custom changes as needed.

»»

Worked with Institutional Research to automate creation of custom reports with cleaner data to submit as needed to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education for entry into the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

»»

Created an application for Student Credit Hour Per Full Time Equivalency Reporting, which is NKU’s first attempt to measure faculty productivity based on credit hours taught.

»»

The data quality initiative continues in support of the campus management data project sponsored by Institutional Research. This multi-year project is aimed at reviewing all areas of data to improve quality of data and increase access to data.

myNKU REPORTING »»

Created the following myNKU reports at the request of various departments: Revenue Projection by Student Group, Application Tracking by Student Group, DWFI Trend, Graduation Fees Projection, Mid-term Grades Appraisal, Athletics (End of Semester, Under Full Time, No Booking Activity), specialized reports for Chairs, Course Listing Trend, Veterans (Recruiting, Enrollment, Approved Admits).

»»

Created the BW Report Inventory and Documentation page on the myNKU Help and Reference website, based on extensive work to research frequently access reports.

»»

Standardized usage of commonly utilized Organizational Unit variables within the Business Warehouse (BW) to streamline myNKU data and reporting efforts.

“

Conducted 12 Business Warehouse Reporting (BW100) courses. Co-facilitated for FI/HR Reporting and Grant PI Reporting courses.

“

»»

On behalf of the College of Law, I would like to thank the Office of Information

Technology for the excellent assistance we received. By working long hours on our wireless hardware and network, OIT ensured students in the College of Law could complete and upload their final exams without any issues. michael whiteman

associate dean for law library services and information technology, northern kentucky university

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COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

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STRIVE FOR IT OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE This plan of action aims for the highest standards of excellence in every dimension of

SECURITY

our work, including service, resource management and policies and standards.

SECURITY »»

Organized a four-week, intensive security audit by external vendor, McGladrey, to assess network, web and infrastructure security vulnerabilities. The assessment was organized into five areas: internal, physical, wireless, network, monitoring. Actively working to address the concerns identified, including log and incident management tools.

OVER

OVER

10,000

600

Malware incidents remediated annually

Systems with security mitigations. (roughly 15% of all computers)

EVENTS »»

OIT hosted the third annual Business Intelligence Summit in October. More than 150 individuals from 35 different institutions and organizations attended the two-day summit to collaborate on business intelligence topics.

»»

EVENTS STREAMED

OIT hosted Connect Kentucky’s Tech Day including technology speakers and advocates who provided current views on technology use and updates on broadband initiatives at both the state and national level. Awards were presented to recognize organizations and students advancing broadband technologies in the commonwealth.

»»

OIT hosted the Student Lifecycle Management Workshop for universities running SAP’s student information system to collaborate on recent projects and future system enhancements.

»»

OIT hosted IT Open Forums to collect campus feedback on various IT topics (see spotlight). Feedback was collected through seven open forum sessions held on campus, as well as online form submissions.

INTERNAL EFFICIENCIES »»

OIT continued to refine the IT project prioritization process by enhancing forms and the process for campus to request myNKU system enhancements. A prioritized project list was approved by IT Policy Council in December 2012. New requests are submitted to and prioritized by the council on an ongoing basis.

»»

Implemented CommView software to bill departments for long distance charges and eliminated the need for printed reports.

»»

The OIT organization was restructured to streamline processes and to shift resources to highest priority needs.

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46

Athletics

8

Events

SPOTLIGHT: FORUMS In spring 2013, seven campus forums were held to gather feedback regarding OIT operations on campus. Approximately 175 people participated in-person, and 35 submitted comments electronically. The following themes emerged from the compiled feedback: »»

myNKU is running without significant issues. Most of the myNKU-related feedback involved investing in future enhancements and functionality, increasing the level of self-service functionality and requests for real-time push communications.

»»

University communications could be enhanced by investing in the latest consumer preferred communication tools.

Users want personalized information pushed to them at appropriate times.

»»

Ubiquitous access (anytime, anywhere, any device), in terms of mobile applications and reliable on-campus and off-campus access, should continue to be a priority for the university. Also, continue efforts to decrease the replacement cycle time for smart classroom technologies and NKU-owned devices.

»»

Training and support resources currently exist for most systems and technologies; however, OIT will continue efforts to provide “just-in-time” information and support as a more personalized rather than “one-size-fits-all” approach.

»»

Consistency for student success: indications were that current inconsistencies in campus use of tools, access to systems (lack of central portal/gateway) and technology resources across campus (difference between labs/classrooms) causes confusion and detracts unnecessarily from learning.

The IT Open Forums and the online suggestions/comments provided positive and constructive feedback. From the key findings listed above and the secondary findings included within this document, OIT has developed individual action plans to address the concerns within the five themes. We will also be incorporating many of the good ideas we heard into our future goals and strategies.

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COMMUNITY STREAMING E Q U I P M E N T MAINTAIN

S E C U R I T YA W A R D S V A FY13 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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STRENGTHEN IT INFRASTRUCTURE This strategy addresses ways to build upon the university’s current information technology infrastructure, creating a more powerful and secure foundation for daily use and in

DIGITAL SIGNS MAINTAINED

the event of a disaster. »» »»

Increased the primary campus internet bandwidth connection from 200 MB to 600

2012

2013

MB. This increase allows faster download and upload speeds.

21

26

Set up a redundant instance of Blackboard at our disaster recovery site at Murray State University. If Blackboard servers go down at NKU, this partnership allows us to restore Blackboard completely from Murray State within approximately four hours.

The system makes a data log every five minutes, so at any given time, the university

TERABYTE

is at risk for losing only five minutes worth of Blackboard data (see spotlight). »»

Improved equipment to allow live streaming of important events such as graduation, convocation and sporting events, (as required by Division I, see spotlight). OIT handles filming, announcing (for games), setup and tear down of equipment as well as streaming.

»»

Upgraded the campus network firewall, allowing higher bandwidth and additional

125

TB STORED

campus security.

SERVERS BANDWIDTH USAGE

PHYSICAL

2012

168

VIRTUAL

2013

2012

128

2013

420

349

NETWORKS

DEVICES

WIRELESS access points

routers & switches

2012

550 32

2013

583

2012

847

2013

1118

TOTAL OF

1 TB

INTERNET CONNECTION

SPOTLIGHT: DISASTER RECOVERY In the event of a disaster, the Office of Information Technology is prepared to restore critical systems as quickly as possible with minimal data loss.

In October 2012, OIT conducted a mock disaster to put our preparedness to the to the test. Within four hours most systems that have a backup plan currently in place were up and running. Blackboard, which houses important academic data, lost less than five minutes of data.

This is possible because NKU stores back-up data at Murray State University. In the case of Blackboard, data is logged every five minutes, both at NKU and Murray, creating a redundancy that ensures important data won’t get lost. The backup system works for usernames, passwords, critical databases and crucial parts of the NKU website.

We are also working on disaster preparedness initiatives on campus. The data center, located on the second floor in Lucas Administrative Center, houses state-of-the-art equipment to protect OIT’s servers. Universal Power Supplies ensure power losses or surges don’t stop the flow of electricity to servers. In 2012, we purchased a natural gas-powered generator to further back-up the flow of electricity in the event of a power outage.

OIT understands how important it is for you to be able access NKU information when you need it. We constantly plan and evolve to make sure that in the event of a disaster, there isn’t an IT disaster as well.

33

BEYOND FY14

BEYOND 2014 Small changes can lead to big differences, especially in information technology.

You may notice an increase of swipe style All Card readers installed across campus. You will see them in places you may expect such as Norse Advising, but you will also see them in unexpected places such as in the Norse Tech Bar. Support services are key to student success both inside and outside the classroom. By finding simple ways to collect more data, in this case with just the swipe of a card, we can analyze that data across the student body to identify possible trends in a variety of instances, for example, to determine when services should be applied to be most effective. OIT is working on other ways to collect more data, ensure data quality and implement more tools that turn data into information so that we as a university can have confidence in making data driven decisions to positively influence retention and graduation rates.

You will see fewer personal printers in offices across campus and notice additional installations of multifunctional copiers. The multifunctional copiers cost less to operate and provide additional functionality such as scan to email and fast document feeders. All this leads to less paper, less cost on expensive toners for personal printers and increased daily steps towards the copier.

You will see more friendly OIT staff located in your buildings. We heard at the IT Forums that personalized, just-in-time service is a priority for many of you and we are currently working to establish more academic technology analysts (ATAs) across campus. By being physically located in your building, the ATAs are convenient. By reporting to central IT, they are well-informed. They are a direct voice from your college to our department, so we can better understand your needs and address them in a timely manner. ATAs do more than just answer questions, they are connected to our instructional designers who can jump in with pedagogy expertise, our Smart Classroom support teams as well as desktop support. ATAs are one critical piece of a much larger puzzle dedicated to supporting learning inside and outside the classroom.

Previously, a midterm progress report was delivered to all freshmen. At the request of the Student Government Association and with approval from the provost, beginning this fall all students enrolled in courses below the 500-level will receive a midterm progress report. We hope that students will find this information valuable as they navigate through their degree and that faculty and advisers can also use this information to intervene when needed. We made changes to the grade center in Blackboard so this process is as streamlined as possible for faculty. We have developed classes and documentation on how to set up the grade center to best transfer this information into myNKU. Providing grade information at a critical junction in the semester will help students be more proactive about their own academic success.

OIT is focused on supporting the needs of the university both big and small. Much of what we do is apparent during your normal workday. But much more of what we do is behind the scenes preparing for what is next so NKU can continue to be a leader.

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OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Published July 2013 by: Office of the CIO Northern Kentucky University Lucas Administrative Center 507 Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099 Phone: (859) 572-5272 Website: it.nku.edu Email: cio@nku.edu Twitter: @NKUCIO Copyright 2013, Northern Kentucky University This publication was prepared by Northern Kentucky University and printed with state funds (KRS 57.375). It is Northern Kentucky University’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunities for all persons to take the necessary actions needed to recruit, employ, train, promote and retain qualified faculty and staff, including members of protected groups. Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic or veteran status, is prohibited.

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BRIDGE

OPTIMI ZE

NETWORK

ASSIST

STRIVE B U I L D

E V O LV E

IMPACT

RESPONSIVE S E C U R I T Y

WIRELESS

SK ILL ED

CONNECTIVITY

PROCESS

TEAM

DIVERSE

MODERN

INNOVATE

DATA

APPLICATIONS

STRENGTHEN ENHANCE

S E R V E R

EFFECTIVENESS

ACCESS

COMMUNICATION