Ready, fire, aim! A bold approach to implementing a campus portal

Ready, fire, aim!A bold approach to

implementing a campus portal

Rick BuntJonathan Moore-Wright

Lea PennockSharon ScottTodd Trann

University of Saskatchewan

To be courteous to others, please turn off all cell phones and pagers.

Acting boldly and seizing their chance

With no promise of funds in advanceA team of mere mortals

Unacquainted with portalsPut one in by the seats of their

pants.

September 30, 2004Ready, Fire, Aim! 3

PAWS - Personalized Access to Web Services


Presentation Outline

• Background; institutional need

• Project strategy and services

• Challenges

• Lessons Learned


The University of Saskatchewan

• Located in Saskatoon

• Medical-Doctoral University– 18,000 undergrads, 2,000 grad– 7,500 faculty and staff– 14 colleges and schools with a full range of

programs


Our ERP Timeline

• May 2002 – Approval for SI project; selection process begins

• November 2002 – RFP issued• May 2003 – Banner selected• June 2003 – Contract signed; project

planning begins• September 2003 – PAWS launched• May 2005 – Finance rollouts• Dec 2004 - April 2005 – Student rollouts


The need for a portal

• What we had:– Institutional readiness– Existing work– Lists of desired services to deliver

• What we didn’t have– Process to implement– Support (read: budget)

• uPortal chosen as way to “break in”• Then, along came Si!


The Luminis decision

• Serendipity – Luminis came as part of SIS replacement project

• Not our first choice, but a good one:– Leveraged uPortal knowledge– Provided vendor partner– Project credibility


Project Strategy

• First tangible deliverable of large-scale SIS replacement project

• We required a bold approach– Tight scope, focus on quick wins– Nimble governance, “just-in-time”

project management– Evolutionary budgeting– Staged rollout


Org Structure and Governance

• Need to engage and involve the campus

• Need to clarify– Stewardship of content, roles,

communication, users, permissions…– Responsibilities for data, images,

policies


Project Timeline

May 03 Sep 03 Mar 04 NOW

Adjustments

Train Users

Faculty Pilot

Implement

Tech training

Plan

Banner Prep

3.2 Upgrade

3.2 Beta

3.1 Upgrade

New Server

Sign Contract

Loud Launch

SoftLaunch

Email

MyTaxForms

MyGrades

MyFiles

Calendar

Courses

MyFees

Groups


Functionality & Services

• Just-in-time delivery: leverage existing work

• Out-of-the-box functionality– Email, calendar, groups, courses,

announcements

• Grab the “low-hanging fruit”– RSS, XML, WebProxy, CPIP

• Throwaways


Things don’t always follow the plan…

Rick,

The portal is not yet live due to an unforeseen requirement to re-install the entire portal…

—Todd


Many Challenges

• Both technical and organisational

• Portal is a great “exposer of existing issues”

• Enterprise-wide coordination


Authentication

• Issues– Centralised authentication– Login credential distribution

• Strategies:– Leveraged previous work to establish

a campus-wide identifier– Chose LDAP, maintained via existing

management system


Email

• Issues:– Multiple existing services– No central directory– Coincident email system upgrade

• Strategies– “Bless” one system, guess for the rest– Go live with old email server


Instructor Data

• Issues– No instructor data for >5000 class

assignments– Many existing manual processes and

applications– Negative impact on MyCourses

• Strategies– Opportunity for change– Collect with “throwaway” application


Eligibility

• Issues– How to assign and control access to

services?– Who is eligible for portal access?

• Strategies– Calls for clear definition of roles– Use existing account management

system– (Continually) redefine “university

community”


Defining responsibilities

• Issues– Not “just an IT problem”– No clear responsibility for

communications

• Strategies– Establish “Content Lead”– Clearly separate responsibilities

(management, steering, operations)– Co-development model


Staffing

• A special challenge: no budget for staff. Relied on “contributed” resources

• Core skills needed:– Technical lead, systems and database

admin, developers– Content lead– User support and training


A quick look at PAWS…


1-Sep-03 1-Jul-041-Mar-041-Dec-03 1-Sep-04

Soft launch

Christmas break

Spring break

Loud launch

End of term

NSID distribution

Classes resume


In retrospect

• Our bold approach paid off– Clear vision, build the plan as

required

– Leverage existing work

– Staged rollout, to everyone


In retrospect

• Changing processes takes time

• Some architectural challenges– Test vs production environment– All on one server (scale)– Banner SSO

• Email not the carrot we thought

• Open-source vs vendor


Now What?

• Tie-in to Banner (Student and Finance)• WebCT integration• Integration – legacy middleware and role

of LDIS• Enhancements to Luminis• More services

– integration with legacy systems (eg. PS HR)– New channel development


With PAWS, we are…

• Responding to expectations • Building a base for additional services

and new audiences• Facilitating faculty adoption of

technology• Enhancing U of S reputation • Leveraging existing brand

awareness


With PAWS, we are…

• Communicating more effectively with all constituents– Targeted messaging – reduced email clutter– Building communities of both users and

content providers– Continuing to work with our vendor in feature

development– Proving value through usage – the system

sells itself


Lessons Learned

• Set appropriate governance• Take advantage of quick

wins• Be ready• If you build it, they will come


Questions ?

Please fill out the evaluation form for this session and hand it to the moderator on your way out.

Ready, fire, aim! A bold approach to implementing a campus portal

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Transcript of Ready, fire, aim! A bold approach to implementing a campus portal