NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio Business Plan Co-curricular ePortfolio1.pdf · NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio . Business Plan . ... and provide information for program assessment. Linking

NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio Business Plan Presented by the Department of Research and Assessment Division of Student Affairs October 2006 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................. i INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1

Overview of Co-curriculum Portfolios ......................................................................................................... 1 Advantages for NYU .................................................................................................................................. 2

Co-curricular and Service Learning Goal Development and Career Strategy Training ......................... 2 New Student Service – Competitive Advantage in Seeking Positions................................................... 2 Employer Service .................................................................................................................................. 2 Tool in Student Recruitment .................................................................................................................. 2 Alumni Service and Contact .................................................................................................................. 2 Assessment of NYU Student Participation and Relationship to Achievement ....................................... 3 Synergy Among Departments and Services at NYU ............................................................................. 3

Disadvantages to NYU............................................................................................................................... 3 Adoption rate of the co-curricular ePortfolio .......................................................................................... 3 Sustainability ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Perception of “Big-Brother”.................................................................................................................... 3 Integration of Systems may raise territorial issues ................................................................................ 3 Moving too quickly to assess emerging technologies............................................................................ 4

KEY QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 4 CO-CURRICULAR ePORTFOLIO ASSOCIATIONS AND PRODUCTS ....................................... 4

ePortConsortium ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Overview of Products ................................................................................................................................. 5

Symplicity ePortfolio .............................................................................................................................. 5 Open Source Portfolio e.g. ePortfolio at Bentley College Massachusetts ............................................. 7 Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW)..................................................................... 8 University of Evansville UExperience .................................................................................................... 9 St. Cloud State University Co-Curricular Transcript............................................................................... 9 Blackboard Portfolio .............................................................................................................................10 LaGuardia Community College (LACC), NY ePortfolio.........................................................................10

MARKETING CO-CURRICULAR PORTFOLIO ........................................................................... 11 Target Audience........................................................................................................................................11 Coverage and Rate of Adoption ................................................................................................................11 Fees ..........................................................................................................................................................12 Promotion..................................................................................................................................................12

DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................... 12 Operations.................................................................................................................................................12 System Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................13

In-House Development or Outside Developers? ..................................................................................13 Stand Alone or Integrated System........................................................................................................13

COSTS .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Developmental Costs ................................................................................................................................14

OPERATIONS............................................................................................................................... 15 System Owners and Managers .................................................................................................................15 Operations Costs ......................................................................................................................................15

GRANT POTENTIAL .................................................................................................................... 15 RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................................. 16

An Integrated Co-curriculum ePortfolio: Learning, Reporting, & Assessment ...........................................16 Seniors First. Then All Students and Alumni. Finally Faculty. ..................................................................16 Use an Outside Proprietary Vender or Open Source Portfolio ..................................................................17 First Steps: The Development Committee.................................................................................................17 Development and Operational Cost - $15,000 - $20,000 ..........................................................................17 Operational Cost - $ 140,000 to $160,000 ................................................................................................17

NYU Co-curriculum ePortfolio Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Business Plan recommends developing a NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio. The plan reviews several existing systems and recommends the development and adoption of an integrated Co-curriculum ePortfolio which will allow student to define their co-curriculum goals, learn about NYU resources, create multiple portfolios for selected distribution, and provide information for program assessment. Linking to existing NYU systems such as the ITS Data Warehouse and CareerNet, as well as automating the Gold Leadership Co-curricular Transcript would allow automated population of a skeletal Co-curricular ePortfolio and facilitate adoption of the program. It would provide increased utility by students and alumni, with potential use by faculty. While recommendations are made, the key to its success is an active development committee that would review and modify this Plan, and create detailed specifications for the Co-curricular ePortfolio that would be used a technical team to design the web interface of the co-Curricular ePortfolio and assure innovative marketing to students. Many issues to be considered by this team have been detailed by Electronic Portfolio Consortium and the Open Source Portfolio Initiative, and NYU and the development team can exploit their reviews and recommendations. While there are several advantages to selecting an outside vendor to help develop and administer the back end of the Co-curricular ePortfolio, the development committee should seriously investigate the development of a system using ePortfolio open code, and supported by the Open Source Portfolio (OSP). Regardless of the choice of a vendor or in-house development team, the new development costs will be in the range of $35,000 to $40,000 and the yearly operational cost, assuming the hiring a full time staff, vendor support, and student help would be $160,000 to $175,000 a year. Using an open source system could facilitate the merging of other NYU data and decrease the licensing fees, but that would be offset by the costs associated with maintenance of the system and developing upgrades. There are several advantages to the system: • Students would have a systematic tool to define their co-curricular and service learning goals. • The ePortfolio could be used as an educational tool in workshops on career strategies. • The ePortfolio would give NYU students an advantage in seeking future employment, school

placement and fellowships, or other educational and career objectives. • It would be an additional service offered to employers. • The ePortfolio would be a tool in recruiting students, offered as a service to incoming students.

Student profiles from the ePortfolio could showcase co-curricular life at NYU. • It would be a new service to alumni and another way to maintain contact with alumni. • Data for the ePortfolio could be used to conduct assessment of co-curricular programs and activities. • The development and sharing of information between departments within Student Affairs, other

Departments, and Schools / Colleges within NYU would encourage collaboration. • Although many schools have adopted ePortfolios, the proposed integrated system would be in

vanguard of a new generation of ePortfolios that not only document co-curricular activities, but enhance service learning by students.

There are a few potential disadvantages: • The adoption rate of new technology may take longer than expected, and the learning curve of students

may require a few years. The result may not yield immediate positive results. • While the ePortfolio’s value will increase over time, the sustainability of the ePortfolio will require a

multi-year commitment and investment. • The ePortfolio may be perceived as NYU acting as an unwanted “big brother.” • The integration of systems at NYU may cross department boundaries and raise territorial issues. • By moving quickly we may overlook emerging technologies that may result in a better system.

NYU Co-curriculum ePortfolio Plan i

INTRODUCTION Overview of Co-curriculum Portfolios New York University is considering adopting a University-wide co-curricular ePortfolio. There are several types of co-curricular portfolios that may be considered. Portfolios can be used for many different purposes and audiences. • Personal portfolios, designed for self-reflection, can be used to journal experiences,

organize materials from classes and activities, and help students recognize skills and make decisions.

• Learning portfolios can be used to showcase student learning, provide a framework for assessing academic progress, and demonstrate how skills have developed over time.

• Professional portfolios can be used to help make career decisions, demonstrate that one has met program or certification requirements, present skills and accomplishments for employment, and review professional development for career advancement.

Faculty, too, can use portfolios to collect and organize student work from classes and course materials they prepare, as well as personal credentials including research data and reports. While the format and content of co-curricular portfolios vary widely across different Universities (see CO-CURRICULAR ePORTFOLIO ASSOCIATIONS AND PRODUCTS page 4 below), many include the key components of the ePortfolio being considered in this plan, including: • Documentation of skills and achievement gained in co-curricular activities. • Presentation of co-curriculum and service learning (non-academic)1 achievement as

part of the student’s career portfolio that may be included in their resume and job interviews for public and private sector careers, future academic placements, or other career objectives.

• Promotional tool to increase student awareness of co-curricular opportunities. • Leaning tool to help students understand and visualize the value of service learning. It is strongly recommended that the NYU system be a web-based tool thus the name ePortfolio. The target audience for the ePortfolio and the use in assessment are discussed below. This business plan will explore the advantages and risk for adopting a co-curricular ePortfolio for NYU. It will briefly look at existing co-curriculum products at other

1 The terms “co-curriculum” and “service learning” often refer to nonacademic programs and activities and tend to be used interchangeably. A “portfolio” usually refers to a systematic documenting for activities. “ePortfolio” usually refers to the use of computer-based or web based technology to record, organize, and present portfolio information.

NYU Co-curriculum ePortfolio Plan 1

universities and suggest the fundamental components for a co-curriculum ePortfolio at NYU. It will suggest a development and implantation plan and show estimated related costs. Advantages for NYU Apart from a formal co-curricular ePortfolio provided to participants of Student Activities’ Gold Leadership Program at NYU, there is no systematic way for students to record their non-academic achievement at NYU. Co-curricular and Service Learning Goal Development and Career Strategy Training Students may use the system to map out their co-curricular and social learning goals and identify learning opportunities relevant to generic workforce skills sought by employers. The system could have interactive tools; in workshops offered by the Wasserman Center, the co-curricular ePortfolio could be used as a tool in highlighting the advantages of service learning and how to effectively present co-curricular participation and skills learned to employers. New Student Service – Competitive Advantage in Seeking Positions The co-curricular ePortfolio would be an added service for students that provides them with a potential competitive advantage when seeking future employment, school placement and fellowships, or other educational and career objectives. Given that they meet the academic criterion, employment decisions are often based on experience and personality factors that can be highlighted in a co-curricular ePortfolio. Employer Service The ePortfolio would complement the Wasserman Center and individual schools interface with employers and provide an added tool for employers to assess student qualifications. Tool in Student Recruitment The co-curricular ePortfolio could be part of a premium package of services offered to all incoming freshman, graduate students, and transfer students that highlight the many extracurricular opportunities they have at NYU that can assist them in obtaining their career goals. Student profiles from the ePortfolio could showcase co-curricular life at NYU. Alumni Service and Contact The co-curricular ePortfolio can be offered as a life-time service to students and alumni. As students graduate from NYU, they can continue recording their life achievements in the co-curricular ePortfolio. Through the program, NYU will have another avenue to


reach and promote NYU events, as well as providing a potentially valuable service to alumni who are likely to change employment or careers, continue with their education, apply for fellowships, or otherwise advance their career objectives. Assessment of NYU Student Participation and Relationship to Achievement In the aggregate, the information in the co-curricular ePortfolio can be used by research staff, deans, career officers, department directors, and faculty to track student participation in extracurricular activities including clubs and programs, volunteer work, and other NYU service learning programs. Data could reveal levels of participation and measure outcomes. Synergy Among Departments and Services at NYU Wasserman and the Office of Student Activities would be co-hosts to the co-curricular student transcript. The Office of Development and Alumni Relations would be a key player in how to introduce its use to alumni. ITS could host the system or play a crucial role in development and providing a portal to the system. It could be linked to CareerNet, a Wasserman service, to provide extra value to the students. It could also involve the Department of Human Resources, Medical Center, and other Departments with volunteer and community service opportunities. Disadvantages to NYU There are few disadvantages to NYU to adoption the co-curricular ePortfolio. Most are related to sustainability and resource allocation that might be used for other purposes. Adoption rate of the co-curricular ePortfolio Although unlikely based on other school experiences, students may not rapidly adopt the co-curricular ePortfolio. Initial results may fail to meet expectation. Sustainability While the co-curricular ePortfolio increases in values to student and NYU overtime and without a multi-year resource and personnel commitment success of the program will be limited. Perception of “Big-Brother” There may be a perception that NYU is inappropriately acting as a big brother and becoming too involved in students’ nonacademic performance. Integration of Systems may raise territorial issues


Because there has been no umbrella co-curricular reporting system, the linking of current systems and the populations of the proposed ePortfolio may result it some resistance among collaborating departments and schools. Moving too quickly to assess emerging technologies While it is recommended that the ePortfolio be released in fall 07, the quick adoption of technology may not allow for a full review of all choices and may not result in adopting the best system. KEY QUESTIONS Below are six key question that this business plan explores. 1. What is the main purpose of the system? Should it…

1.1. document and report activities in a standard format easily accessible by users and employers?

1.2. provide a tool for users to reflect on their co-curricular goals and objectives?

1.3. provide an assessment tool for students and administrators? 1.4. measure student achievement in relation to developmental goals?

2. Should it be developed in-house or through an external vendor? 2.1. Should it be a proprietary system or a public system based on open-code? 2.2. What are the licensing, copyright, and maintenance issues?

3. To what degree are other programs and system integrated into the Co-curricular ePortfolio? Should it be integrated or stand-alone?

3.1. Is it best to be limited to co-curricular activities or recording academic achievement?

4. Which department / division should own and maintain it? 5. How will the activity and program entries be verified? 6. What resources should be allocated for development and operating expenses? CO-CURRICULAR ePORTFOLIO ASSOCIATIONS AND PRODUCTS In this section readers are introduced to the larger ePortfolio community and several co-curricular and ePortfolio products. The objective of this section is to lay a foundation for the recommendation. Readers already familiar with existing products may want to skip this section. ePortConsortium The Electronic Portfolio Consortium, or ePortConsortium is an association of about 1,000 individuals - from 56 countries and more than 685 higher education schools or IT commercial institutions - who are interested in the development of academic ePortfolio software systems and the establishment of interoperability standards for such systems. Founding members include Penn State, Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI),


Bowling Green, University of Wisconsin, Maricopa Community College, and UCLA. The consortium’s website, http://eportconsortium.org/default.aspx, has several resources and reviews of products, including a link to Electronic Portfolios White Paper. There is an Open Source Portfolio Initiative OSPI, a volunteer-driven organization. There is no paid development staff, only the dedicated contributions of organizations like the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, DePaul University, George Mason University, Indiana University, Portland State University, The rSmart Group, Syracuse University, University of Amsterdam, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Washington, and Virginia Tech. In developing the ePortfolio NYU should become an active member in the Association and OSPI where we can exploit their considerable experience and knowledge. Overview of Products There are several co-curricular products in the marketplace ranging from paper-based student aids to sophisticated ePortfolios that guide a student through defining their co-curricular goals and documents their achievement. In formulating answers to the aforementioned “key” questions, Table 1 summarizes the several different co-curriculum portfolio products reviewed for this plan. Table 1 Portfolio Product Summary Product MAIN PRUPOSES Hosted Integrated Inclusive Docu-

ment Learn-

ing Assess-

ment In-House Vendor Yes No Co-cur-ricular Academic

Symplicity /FSU x x x x x x

Bentley College x x x x x x x x IPFW x x x x Evansville x x x x St. Cloud x x x x x Blackboard x x x x x LaGuardia Community College

x x x x x x

Symplicity ePortfolio This plan primarily considers the ePortfolio developed by Symplicity Corporation, the software company that developed and maintains CareerNet and is a member of the NACELink2. Florida State University was the initial developer and user of the product; Symplicity would adapt this product for NYU

2 The NACElink Network, the result of an alliance among the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Direct Employers Association, and Symplicity Corporation, is a national recruiting network and suite of web based recruiting and career services automation tools serving the needs of colleges, employers and job candidates.


http://eportconsortium.org/default.aspx

http://www.eportconsortium.org/Uploads/whitepaperV1_0.pdf

The Symplicity ePortfolio is at the more complex end of co-curricular programs. It’s main use is as a tool to identify social learning objectives and learning experiences that lead to the development and documentation of desired skills. Users may format the collected information and use it as a marketing toll when they seek further education or employment. The promotion for the Symplicity ePortfolio is seen in Attachment 1. FSU is operating a prototype of the ePortfolio. The access home-page is shown in Attachment 2. There are several components of the system, noted as tabs across the top of the home page: Skill Matrix, Profile, Documents, Portfolios, and Published Portfolios. Users establish a “profile” or “profiles” which identifies their career goals, education, qualifications, and greeting(s) that employers or others accessing the ePortfolio would see as part of a “published portfolio.” (See Attachment 3). At the core of the ePortfolio is the “skill matrix.” As seen in Attachment 4 it is a matrix of a set of skill categories down the side by different experience categories across the top. For example, a user would input all the jobs/internships they have in the area of communication, etc (see Attachment 5). The key skills identified are as follows: • Communication • Creativity • Critical Thinking • Leadership • Life Management • Research/Project Development • Social Responsibility • Teamwork • Technical/Scientific Users also have the ability to add their own skills. The skill matrix was developed based on an employer surveys by FSU, but would be customized for NYU. The skill matrix is both an advantage and disadvantage of the proposed system. It is an advantage because it requires the user to focus on their goals and skills and would provide links to NYU resources. It is a disadvantage because it requires users to spend the time developing their social learning objectives and populating the appropriate actions. Under “Documents” users can also copy of their resume, references, and any documents or “artifacts” into their ePortfolio for use in presentations. This includes multimedia, PowerPoint, or other projects which highlight their skills and expertise. Once information is entered, users may print out or e-mail the portfolios to different employers or programs as part of their applications.


Potential Interface with Existing Software / Services at NYU One strong advantage of the Symplicity ePortfolio is that it could interface with other programs and services at NYU. The power of the ePortfolio would be to provide a one-stop service to students where they can explore learning service offerings, develop and explore internships and career choices, and document their service learning and academic accomplishments. It seems sensible to initially link the NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio to Wasserman’s CareerNet and Student Activities’ Gold Leadership Co-Curricular Transcript. CareerNet and ePortfolio could share information on the user’s profile, course work, resumes, and other documents. It could track job applications and share events and interview history. Through a common portal users could entry the ePortfolio or CareerNet, and they could share a common document writer. As both ePortfolio and CareerNet databases would be maintained by Symplicity, the sharing of information or mutually populating each database from a common source could provide considerably synergy between the two systems. Notably, CareerNet academic information is not currently populated from the Registrars Office, but profile and academic information might be able to be obtained from the office and used to populate both systems. For Student Activities, the ePortfolio could replace the in-house student database and expand to include club members, as well as club leadership, where users can enter their academic information. This would be a significant addition to Student Activities’ capacity to collect and report student information, as well as producing certificates for achievement in the Gold Leadership Program. The NYU ePortfolio may also be used to increase awareness of service learning opportunities by several Student Affair’s Departments including LGBT, CMEP, International Student Services, and SRC. Open Source Portfolio e.g. ePortfolio at Bentley College Massachusetts Like the Symplicity product, the Open Source Portfolio is product based with support primarily through a group called rSmart. With several modules the ePortfolio can be customized to NYU’s needs, but becoming familiar with the open code and using developers would require ITS resources. Like the Symplicity portfolio, The OSP supports portfolio-based activities by providing an environment in which a person, as a portfolio owner, is able to exhibit their work. A portfolio owner is provided tools: to collect items that best represent their accomplishments, their learning, or their work; to reflect upon these items and their connections; to design a portfolio that showcases the best selections of this work; and to publish the portfolio to a designated audience.


Tools are also available for coordinators of Common Interest Groups (CIG) or program evaluators and administrators that allow users in these roles to provide structure and guidance for portfolio owners regarding portfolio development. CIG coordinators, evaluators, reviewers and portfolio guests are able to review published portfolios and provide formal evaluation or informal feedback and comments. Tools for analysis of portfolio items in aggregate also make it possible for CIG coordinators, administrators or program evaluators to measure program effectiveness or educational The comprehensive reach of the ePortfolio adopted at Bentley College is the most comprehensive of those reviewed. It primarily includes both academic and extra-curricular activities and is used by students to plan, and by faculty and administration to evaluate classes and programs. It has required buy-in by faculty staff and students, and the ePortfolio shares assessment standards and measurements. Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) The IPFW Co-Curricular Transcript, (CCT) is a program for recording awards and scholarships, community service, educational workshops and programs, leadership activities, and student government and organizations. It documents activities outside the classroom and compliments the academic transcript. Forms are available on the web, but it is largely a paper-based system and students must input information that is then assessed by an academic or administrative unit and confirmed by the Student Life Office. The purpose of the CCT at IPFW is listed below: • Facilitate valuable educational, personal, and leadership skills in the areas of event

planning, communication, fiscal management, problem solving, and diversity. A key focus is to determine the personal and professional balance.

• Provide a means to assess student skills and abilities gained in and out of the classroom while at IPFW.

• Make available an official document of the student’s co-curricular involvement and leadership experiences while at IPFW.

• Present copies of co-curricular information to facilitate in the preparation of resumes, job interviews, or higher education pursuits.

• Validate the benefits associated with campus community involvement. In completing a CCT, students decide what types of CCT entries will represent their best achievements when their transcript is complete. They then complete entries on the Co-Curricular Entry Record, submit their Co-Curricular Entry Record to the Student Life Office at the completion of each semester, and validate each Co-Curricular Entry Record by submitting a Validation Form for every item listed on the entry. The product is a co-curriculum transcript, and an example can be seen in Attachment 7.



Among the different co-curricular products this is one of the less complex co-curricular products and is largely a stand-alone process. Adoption has been slow at IPFW. University of Evansville UExperience The University of Evansville offers an official co-curricular transcript through it’s UExperience program. Records displayed on the transcript include recognized student organization membership and leadership positions, volunteer service, study abroad and other nonacademic achievements. Students access the form online and, in a user-friendly format, simplify completion by offering student check boxes for activities in 14 areas: 1. Academic, Professional, and

honorary organizations 2. Community service (10 hrs a

semester required) 3. Fraternities 4. Intramurals 5. Music ensembles 6. Religious life 7. Social, civic and recreational groups

8. Sororities 9. Student government 10. Student publications 11. Study abroad 12. Task forces 13. University Committees 14. Varsity Athletics

UExperience transcripts are promoted as a useful addition to student’s graduate school or job applications that serve to validate the hard work and learning experiences students invest outside the classroom St. Cloud State University Co-Curricular Transcript St. Cloud University has recently updated a 1983 program of tracking co-curricular activities with a web-based form and product designed for students to document their activities outside the classroom. The CCT lists student involvement and accomplishments while attending St. Cloud State University. There is a minimal $1.00 fee for each of the official CCTs. The St. Cloud CCT is a stand-alone product. It advertises several benefits: • The CCT is an easy means of keeping accurate, up-to-date records of all co-curricular

activities. • It supplements the official academic transcript and resume which is often limited to

work experience, education, and only a few activities. • The CCT helps students be more competitive and marketable for graduate school

admissions, prospective employment, scholarships, or grants. • It helps students learn how to identify the skills you are learning from your

participation in co-curricular involvement. • The CCT is a unique, professional, and effective way to present your achievements.

Students complete a web-based form using seven categories: 1. Student Organizations/University Committees 2. Community Service/Service-Learning 3. On-Campus Volunteering 4. Health, Fitness & Recreation 5. Honors 6. Leadership Training 7. Additional Activities. Most categories list the name of the activity, position, date of involvement, and a reflective statement. Students have a choice as to which category they select to list, and only categories with submissions are included on the CCT. Blackboard Portfolio Blackboard, already licensed by NYU, has a portfolio product. Their promotional literature is shown in Attachment 6. NYU is aware of but does not support this function. ITS does not have a very favorable view of the product, and additional information should be collected on this product. LaGuardia Community College (LACC), NY ePortfolio Located in NYU’s own backyard, LACC has an active committee and thoughtful ePortfolio process. They are in the process of developing an extensive ePortfolio, emphasizing academic and co-curricular achievements of students and faculty, as well as using the system to assess program success. Linking innovative pedagogy with digital technology and new thinking about assessment, LaGuardia’s ePortfolio initiative is led by academic faculty, working in collaboration with staff from Academic Affairs, Information Technology, and Enrollment Management and Student Development. Coordinated by the Center for Teaching and Learning and identified as a key priority in the College-wide Strategic Plan, LaGuardia’s work with ePortfolio has drawn acclaim across CUNY and from such groups as the Association of American Colleges & Universities and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The ePortfolio provides LaGuardia students with a tool for collecting their academic work and their reflections on learning, and for sharing their portfolios on the World Wide Web. In 2005-06, more than 4,000 LaGuardia students advanced their ePortfolios, making LaGuardia’s ePortfolio project one of the largest of any college in the country. Many LaGuardia students begin depositing work in the ePortfolio in their first semesters at the college and continually refine their presentations as they move forward, each time looking to reflect on and understand the process of growth and improvement. Personal


essays encourage students to explore their changing sense of self. Designed to help students connect classroom, career, and personal goals and experiences, the ePortfolio moves students toward not only integrated learning, but also more integrated lives. Students have integrated essays, poetry, original paintings, drawings, oral interviews, family photographs, annotated resumes, and a range of projects that represent who they are as students and emerging scholars. Initially funded by the Title V program of the US Department of Education, the LaGuardia ePortfolio is a multifaceted project. It prompts students to take more responsibility for their learning while also providing faculty with snapshots of student growth that can help them better understand individual students and the broader process of learning and teaching. Meanwhile, at the institutional level, the ePortfolio will also support a more holistic program assessment process where faculty examine student work as a way of identifying ways to improve our classes and majors. Feedback shows that students are enthusiastic about this opportunity to learn new technology skills, and are particularly interested in using it to connect classroom and student life experience. Preliminary data gathered using the nationally-acclaimed Community College Survey of Student Engagement shows that ePortfolio helps build student engagement in key areas of academic achievement, including writing, collaboration, and critical thinking. The timeline for LCC, shown in Attachment 8, is instructive in demonstrating the time it may take for a phased introduction that includes buy-in from students, faculty, and administrators. As much of the process includes assessment and implementation of new technology that is now more readily available, the timeline at NYU might be shorter. MARKETING CO-CURRICULAR PORTFOLIO Target Audience All students and alumni may use the co-curricular ePortfolio. A version may be available to faculty, and administrators may use the aggregate data for assessment. Coverage and Rate of Adoption The objective is to introduce the program over four years to have complete student coverage, and starting in year five to have significant alumni coverage. To achieve this, it is recommended that it be introduced as a free service to all incoming students (freshman, transfer, and graduates), and be available to other students and alumni by request, with particular emphasis on the senior class.3 If all incoming first-year, transfer, and graduate students are enrolled, plus 10% of others students, about 13,000 students will be enrolled year one; it will increase by about 10,000 students yearly. If made available to faculty, their utilization is unknown. The number of active users cannot be 3 At FSU, ePortfolio was introduced in 2002. By 2004, 44% of the senior class actively used the system, compared to 14%of juniors and 14% of graduate students.


known, but based on FSU experience we can expect active use between 15% to 20%, and much higher use by seniors. Fees The service would be free to NYU students, alumni, and faculty. Promotion The co-curricular ePortfolio could be promoted by the following: • Web link to Student Affairs main page and Wasserman and Student Activities web

sites. • University recruitment literature. • Office of Development and Alumni Relations web page, newsletters, and magazine. • Welcome week literature. • Editorial opportunities in University and outside publications. • School and faculty newsletters, emails, and other correspondence. • Presentations at professional conferences. DEVELOPMENT Operations For the NYU system it is recommended that an interdepartmental team be assembled to create the specifications for the Co-Curriculum ePortfolio. Assuming that some level of integration with existing systems in the route chosen for the Co-curriculum ePortfolio, the development team should include the following representation: 1. OVPSA - to assure overall goals and objectives and fiscal management. 2. Wasserman Center - to assure its applicability to career selection and employer use as

well as interface with CareerNet. 3. Student Activities - to assure its compatibility or substitution for the Student Activity

database, Gold Leadership Co-curricular Transcript, and availability of reports that are needed for operation and assessment.

4. Research and Assessment - if system is to be used for assessing outcomes and feedback to Student Affairs departments.

5. ITS - for its interface with the college portal and databases. 6. Registrars office - if an interface with SIS is anticipated. 7. Deans’ offices of the NYU Schools - to determine is applicability and specifications

for faculty and college administrators. 8. Selected faculty - if the system will be used by faculty to establish their own

portfolios, promote courses and activities, and assess student participation. 9. Student representatives.


An Executive Committee might be established to facilitate technical decisions. System Infrastructure There are several decision points to consider regarding systems. 1. Whether the system should be built by NYU developers or modified from existing

systems by and outside developer. 2. Should the system be a stand-alone or integrated system? If integrated, which

systems need to be integrated with it? 3. What software should be the backbone of the database? In-House Development or Outside Developers? The availability of open code for ePortfolio systems may meet all NYU needs and cost for the code and support is relatively small. Hiring developers to modify the code to NYU specifications may be costly and coordinating with ITS may be particularly difficult. There are several proprietary developers. NYU already has relationships with Symplicity and Blackboard. Both could modify their existing products and probably meet NYU needs. There are a number of other vendors with ePortfolio products; they and the vendors mentioned above are summarized in Attachment 9. Stand Alone or Integrated System The easiest system to implement would be a stand alone system where users enter their own data, three is little verification, and the system produces a written and web-based portfolio for use in applications to employers, schools, or other programs. Yet, it would be potentially the least useful to student and NYU and ignore the large learning potential in completing a Co-curriculum ePortfolio. At the other extreme, the ePortfolio might be designed around a set of curriculum goals and objectives and document how they are being achieved by students. To facilitate adoption and ease user burden the system could be populated by integrating personal information form SIS, including academic information if specified. In presenting a unified face to employers, the system could be integrated with CareerNet. It may be possible to update the system with a link to Albert. The ePortfolio might replace and enhance the current Student Activities database. Currently it is limited to student leaders, but the ePortfolio might include and track all participants in Student Activity clubs, programs, and activities.


Given a level of urgency for the product, it is recommended that the development team work with an outside vendor of an existing product and it be hosted outside of NYU provided adequate security can be provided for the data entry and database. COSTS A rough estimate of basic costs is shown in Table 2, and explained below. Table 2 Budget Development Operational Costs YR1 YR2

Vendor In-house Vendor In-house Vendor In-house

Staff* Committee Staff* $16,200 $16,200 Developer / tech suppt $20,000 $22,500 $12,000 $24,000 $12,000 $24,000 Manager $103,740 $103,740 $106,852 $106,852 On-going Support $29,250 $29,250 $29,250 $29,250 Deployment $15,000 $15,000 Software Licenses Proprietary $15,000 $0 $15,000 $0 Open Code $0 $5,000 $0 $5,000 Hardware Server In deployment ? ? ? Misc Committee Staff* $10,800 $10,800 $10,800 $10,800 Expenses $3,000 $3,000 $8,000 $8,000 $8,000 $8,000 TOTAL $ $54,200 $56,700 $178,790 $180,790 $181,902 $183,902 TOTAL NEW $ $35,000 $37,500 $167,990 $169,990 $171,102 $173,102 *Time commitment from exiting staff.

Developmental Costs Development cost could range widely depending on the system specifications. The Development Committee time, while not an additional cost, would be a considerable expense of time and effort that may be spent on other activities. With a goal of specifying the system by the end of March 2007, it is recommended that biweekly meeting of 12-person whole committee with supplementary weekly meetings of a 5-person Executive Committee. Assume 1.5 hour meetings, and the personnel cost would be in the range of $16,000 to $20,000. Either vendor or in-house developer is likely to cost about $20,000 and deployment cost, including equipment would be about $15,000. Other costs such as expenses and food would probably be small, under $5,000. In total, the development costs for the co-curricular system would be from $50,000 to $60,000. New cost allocated for the vendor would be from $35,000 to $40,000.



OPERATIONS System Owners and Managers While the System would be “owned” by Student Affairs, it might be managed by the Wasserman Center and Student Activities. Assuming that the Co-curriculum ePortfolio were purchased by a vendor, the database and backend of the system could also be managed by the vendor. Some ITS resources would be necessary to assure links and uploads of data are executed. Operations Costs An advisory group, and extension of the development committee, should continue to meet to assess and modify the ePortfolio. The task-force time, assuming monthly meetings would be about $12,000 a year. Based on discussion with other providers of an ePortfolio, a full time staff member would probably be needed to design, conduct trainings, and plan promotion and support for the system. In addition, a student help desk staff would be necessary. Assuming current staff could not be reassigned, the cost for new staff, including benefits would be between $120,000 and $140,000 in year 1 and year 2. Provided an outside vendor was selected, the contract for ongoing vendor support to maintain the system would be in the area of $15,000 to $20,000 a year. If open code were used, support is likely to be about $5,000. Expenses, including some professional presentations, meeting space, food, and membership fees would be in the range of $8,000 a year. Total yearly operational budget would be between $180,000 and $200,000 a year assuming new staff would be hired. Additional new costs to Student Affairs would be $160,000 to $175,000. GRANT POTENTIAL Several of the ePortfolios reviewed received some sort of development grant. The potential to receive a development grant is high, but has to be assessed with the Development Office.

RECOMMENDATIONS This Business Plan recommends proceeding with a NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio. While recommendations are made, the key to its success is an active Development Committee that would review and modify this Plan, and create detailed specifications for the Co-curricular ePortfolio. An Integrated Co-curriculum ePortfolio: Learning, Reporting, & Assessment An NYU Co-curricular ePortfolio has the potential to be a powerful learning, career enhancement, development, and assessment tool for NYU students, alumni, faculty, and administrators. By linking the tool to SIS, an account could be created with personal information to every student, and that would facilitate adoption by overcoming the hurdle of registering an account and completing basic information. A Co-curriculum ePortfolio has the potential to replace and enhance Student Activities database and integrate the experienced of the Gold Leadership Program Co-curricular Transcript. If designed to link to CareerNet, it would enhance the ability of students showcase their co-curricular activities when applying for jobs, schools, fellowships, or other programs. With the database available for analysis the ePortfolio would have the capacity to provide assessment data on the utilization and outcomes for co-curricular programs and events. A key to the functionality of the ePortfolio is a link to SIS. This would provide the ability to add academic information, and it would save students time and effort in populating the system.4 Student Activities has the capacity to enter participation in their programs, and this process could be extended to other departments with registered co-curricular activities. The more the system can be populated with validated data from other NYU systems, the less the burden on the users to enter information and the greater the accuracy of the information reported. Users would be expected to enter and update their own products – papers, videos, awards, etc. What information users would enter, and the criteria for validation, are appropriate topics for the development committee. A key to the utility of the Co-curricular ePortfolio is the ability to construct multiple and targeted portfolios that can be sent to employers, schools, or other organizations when users are applying for positions. Seniors First. Then All Students and Alumni. Finally Faculty. Given the co-curriculum ePortfolio history at other schools, its utilization by seniors would be high, and a phased implementation starting with seniors and expanding to other classes would maximize adoption. Once operational, the system should be open to 4 The addition of academic information could also be used to populate CareerNet where academic information is entered by students.



existing Alumni if we can populate it with their NYU records. As seniors move into alumni status, the use of the system for alumni can be tested. Last, the system might be expanded to include faculty. Use an Outside Proprietary Vender or Open Source Portfolio The matrix model used at FSU and provided by Symplicty could, with customization, meet the requirements for an integrated co-curricular ePortfolio. It would, however, require a relatively steep learning curve for those implementing and using the system. Based on utilization and assessment research at FSU, there is evidence that students and faculty find the added benefits of a more comprehensive system worth the added investment in time and effort to use the system. Based on our positive experience with CareerNet and the expectation of introducing the system in the Fall of 2007, using a vendor with a history of working with NYU may be the most expedient course. Before deciding on a model, however, the development committee should further investigate models available through the open source portfolio, as this non-proprietary system incorporates the thinking and experience of several other universities who have developed ePortfolios. Although the code for the open code ePortfolio is free, the development costs are likely to be similar because NYU staff would need to dedicate to customizing the code. Consequently in choosing a co-curricular system, its potential to meet the system specification established by the development committee, rather than cost, should be the criteria for selection. First Steps: The Development Committee The first task is to form a development committee representing the Division of Student Affairs, Schools / Colleges, ITS, students, and alumni. A committee of 12 persons is recommended with an executive committee of five persons. They should develop a clear set of criteria for the ePortfolio and then decide if an existing product offered by a vendor or internal development using an ePortfolio open code meets or can be modified to meet their specifications. This should take place from December 2006 through March 2007. Development and Operational Cost - $15,000 - $20,000 For personnel and vendor fee, new development costs for the ePortfolio would be in the range of $25,000 to $40,000. Existing staff would contribute between $15,000 and $20,000 in their time for meeting and preparation time. Operational Cost - $ 140,000 to $160,000 Assuming hiring one full-time staff and student part time help for the system, plus vendor costs, the new operational cost would be between $160,000 and $175,000 a year. Existing staff would contribute $8,000 to $10,000 in their time.

Attachment 1 Promotion for Symplicity ePortfolio

Symplicity ePortfolios Suite Faculty Portfolio System and Student Portfolio System Symplicity’s ePortfolio suite is a comprehensive turn-key portfolio management solution for students, faculty and counselors. It is the first product of its kind that integrates with the university’s registrar, authentication, and campus portal systems including SAP, PeopleSoft, Campus Pipeline, uPortal and SCT Banner. The system provides faculty and students an easy to use interface to build, manage and distribute their potfolios using state-of-the-art web based tools. Symplicity’s ePortfolio suite is a comprehensive turn-key portfolio management solution for students, faculty and counselors. It is the first product of its kind that integrates with the university’s registrar, authentication, and campus portal systems including SAP, PeopleSoft, Campus Pipeline, uPortal and SCT Banner. The system provides faculty and students an easy to use interface to build, manage and distribute their potfolios using state-of-the-art web based tools Features

Easy-to-use Portfolio Generation for Faculty which incorporates: o Profile

Current Position Education Employment Experience

o Teaching Undergraduate Graduate Resident Instructor Post Doctoral/Visting Scientist

o Project / Research Expenditures o Extension o Service o …and more

Easy-to-use Portfolio Generation for Students which incorporates: o Resume o Jobs/Internships o Courses o Service/Volunteer Work o Extracurricular Activity o …and more



Annotations – global support for annotating entries with citations, supporting documents, etc."

Faculty Vitae Generation in PDF, RTF and HTML Formats Student Portfolio Generation in PDF, RTF and HTML Formats Myriad Distribution Mechanisms

o Online o Printed

Integrates with Symplicity’s Career Services Manager Email Management

o Email Message Manager tool will allow universities to employ push technology throughout system enabling staff to easily and effectively push information to users rather than relying on users’ motivation to retrieve information from the system.

University Managed Dropdowns and Picklists o Dropdown menus and picklists are configurable for ultimate flexibility,

i.e. majors, industries, work authorization, etc. Comprehensive Reporting Tools Integration with ERP and Legacy Systems

o Built in LDAP support facilitates integration with your enterprise authentication infrastructure

o CAS Single Sign-On (SSO) support o Web services (SOAP/XML) access to all business objects o Comprehensive import tools

Role-based Access Based on Established Access Levels Built-in Workflow for Managing Faculty Tenure Process (Coming Summer

2006) Built-in Workflow for Managing Student Accredidation Process (Coming

Summer 2006)

Attachment 2 Home Page FSU ePortfolio


Attachment 3 ePortfolio Profiles


Attachment 4 Skill Matrix


Attachment 5 Skill Matrix Detail


Attachment 6 Blackboard Portfolio


Attachment 7 IPFW CCP Co-Currilar Product


Attachment 8 LCC Time Line for ePortfolio

2001-02: The college began its ePortfolio initiative with rigorous research and planning. In December 2001, Dean Paul Arcario convened a college-wide ePortfolio Planning Committee to study the issues related to the ePortfolio and plan the pilot program for Fall 2002. A Faculty Research Team chaired by Prof. Maureen Doyle and Dr. Bret Eynon, Director of the LaGuardia Center for Teaching & Learning, did extensive study of best practices around the country. Visiting campuses, attending conferences, and bringing speakers to LaGuardia helped build a foundation for planning. Meanwhile, the Senate Sub-Committee on Assessment held meetings with every department to discuss ways that student work collected through the ePortfolio system could be used for faculty-led program assessment. By the end of the year the Faculty Research Team had issued a working paper, with recommendations for implementing ePortfolio, and the Senate had unanimously approved an Assessment Plan that incorporated the use of student work gathered through ePortfolio.

2002-03: Piloting ePortfolio Based on this planning process, in 2002 the ePortfolio initiative moved to its pilot phase. Twenty-two faculty members from across the college took part a year-long process of development and classroom testing of ePortfolio processes that provided significant information and insight for the College as a whole. Using a provisional ePortfolio system created by Prof. James Richardson of the Computer and Information Systems Department, faculty tested the use of ePortfolios in key areas identified by the college's assessment plan, with a particular emphasis on possibilities in the Freshman Year courses. Members of the pilot project developed curriculum tools, reported on their experiences, and helped the project staff revise and adapt the ePortfolio process, in preparation for the expansion of the process in the 2003-04 academic year. Just over 800 students created ePortfolios in this year. While faculty moved ahead with the pilot, using the provisional system, Richardson reviewed commercial ePortfolio packages and helped the College select a system designed by a Blackboard partner, Concord Masterfile. Concord began work on customizing their system to meet LaGuardia needs, with installation and launch planned for August 2003.

2003-04: ePortfolio in the First Year Academy In the 2003-04 school year, the ePortfolio project focused on supporting LaGuardia’s effort to launch its First Year Academy program, designed to create learning communities that connect basic skills courses with the New Student Seminar and introductory courses in the major. These courses, to be followed up in the second semester by a new pre-internship course in the Cooperative Education Department, Fundamentals of Professional Development, were designed to help students who need basic skills courses to move ahead to required courses in their majors, and to connect with a range of co-curricular events and services. ePortfolio would be an integral element in the Academies. Twenty faculty designed learning community courses for students in the Business and Technology Academy. A Studio Hour was added to provide tutorial support for students as they learned how to build their ePortfolios. Delays in the design and installation of the Concord system slowed the implementation of the ePortfolio in this year. With Concord operative by March, the Academy seminar moved to implementation in Spring. A total of 360 LaGuardia students built ePortfolios in this year. Meanwhile, the Assessment Sub-Committee began to design the rubrics for the college’s core competencies.

2004-05: The ePortfolio Takes Root The ePortfolio project gathered momentum as it moved into its third year of implementation. The Business/ Technology Academy moved to its second year of implementation. And the College launched the Liberal Arts Academy and the Allied Health and Science Academy, engaging faculty in planning and developing the courses in the Fall semester and piloting them in the Spring. More than 40 took part in this effort. Meanwhile, an additional 30 faculty took part in the ePortfolio Explorer seminar. With the help of faculty and the ePortfolio Consultants, who staffed the ePortfolio Studio, more than 2,000 LaGuardia students built ePortfolios in 2004-05. Our first set of ePortfolio Scholars, students who have chosen to put



extra work into their ePortfolios, began creating showcase ePortfolios in a range of disciplines and majors. The Senate Assessment Subcommittee completed the rubric for Critical Literacy (Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking) and held workshops exploring the use of student work for program assessment. Data analysis showed the ePortfolio helped students deepen their engagement with key learning goals, such as critical thinking, writing, and synthesis of new knowledge.

2005-06: Expanding the ePortfolio Now in its fourth implementation year, the ePortfolio project has more than doubled in size, with more than 5,000 students building ePortfolios in the 2005-06 school year. The Academy program continues to introduce students to ePortfolio in their first semester at LaGuardia. And the Fundamentals of Professional Advancement course grew dramatically in Spring 2006, adding both depth and scope to students’ ePortfolio work. A range of other ePortfolio-related efforts moved forward: an ePortfolio Leadership Colloquium provided opportunities for faculty to deepen their own work and engage in advanced discussion around ePortfolio; rubrics were completed for Oral Communication and Information Literacy; the Human Services Program and the Fine Arts Program decided to build ePortfolio into their requirements; and the Accounting and Managerial Studies Department worked with the Assessment Sub-Committee to pilot-test the assessment of longitudinal bodies of student work collected through ePortfolio system.

Attachment 9 Technology Matrix Product Integration

Strategies Import Utility Functionality

Installed Software or Hosted?

Minimum Technology Requirements

OSP (www.theospi.org ) OSP is collaborating with Open Knowledge Initiative to assure integration.

No utility with SIS and CMS. Single sign-on available via integration with LDAP.

May be hosted onsite or remotely depending on need.

Similar environments using Microsoft OS, Sun or IBM hardware and OS.

Mosaic www.rsmart.com [email protected] 207-372-8033

Integrates with PeopleSoft and other ERP systems.

Yes – can be configured by institution or by R-Smart Group.

Can be installed by institution or hosted by the R-Smart Group.

H Intel Pentium III 800; Web Server: RedHat Linux, Windows XP, Tomcat 4.1.24, Java 1.4.1, LDAP; Database: MySQL, Oracle 9i, PostgreSQL

Chalk & Wire www.chalkandwire.com [email protected] 877-252-2201

Integrates with all current computer platforms. Developed from CGI Scripts written in ANSIC and Visual Basic.

Supports export of data as ASCII text files to ensure universal import/export to and from spreadsheets and databases.

Hosted N/A

Iwebfolio www.iwebfolio.com www.nuventive.com [email protected]

An initial integration with SCT Banner and Blackboard. WebCT Vista is planned for 2003.

In the process of aligning with partners to offer this functionality.

Hosted by AccessData. An “on campus” solution is planned for 2004.

N/A

Epsilen www.epsilen.com [email protected] 317-274-4565

In the process of developing integration with CMS software.

Yes – integration of locally developed codes to import/export data among institutional databases.

Currently – installed software solution. A hosted solution is planned for new product release.

Knowledge of Windows Server environment and Microsoft SQL Server.

Folio by ePortaro www.eportaro.com [email protected] 703-220-6902

EPIXSpec standard integrates via Web Services, SOAP and XML.

Yes – many ePortfolio extensions are available.

Available as an installed or hosted solution.

Windows, Linux or Solaris servers running Oracle or SQL Server and Apache or IIS HTML servers.

Blackboard Content System www.blackboard.com [email protected] 202-463-4860

Through the Blackboard platform, integrates with SCT, PeopleSoft and Datatel. Includes a set of java-based APIs.

Yes – Portfolio content can be imported in a variety of formats

Software can be installed locally or hosted via Blackboard ASP services.

Windows (SQL Server database and Windows IIS), Red Hat Linux (Oracle database and Apache) or Sun Solaris (Oracle database and Apache).

Symplicity Through SQL, proprietary code. Integrated with CareerNet.

Yes – Portfolio content can be imported from SIS or other formats.

Hosted. Windows (SQL Server Database.
