Student Technology Services

June 2012

Student Technology Services Team

• Dedicated to creating a holistic strategy to improve the

technological services available to students on campus: – Research, Policy & Advocacy for the applications and services most

needed by students– Communication, engagement & fostering a culture of student

development – Blended approach to fulfilling technological needs (purchase or

develop depending on the service) – Manage projects for development of new services, ensuring

technical requirements and all phases of the project meet student needs

– Provide access to data and api’s to facilitate student development

Mission

• Implement viable applications in the mobile and electronic space that address university needs for contemporary interaction and communication with students

• Foster a culture of student development through access to accurate and timely open data

Founding Principles

• Approach mobile application and service development strategically and centrally

• Renew focus on students and customer service within IST

• Empower students to set the research and development agenda

• Foster a culture of student development – provide students with the data, policy, resources and support to develop student applications

Purpose & Objectives

• “Implement viable applications in the mobile space  that address university needs for contemporary interaction and communication with students and that are in keeping with Waterloo’s stature as a leading technology innovator.

• Foster a culture of student-led application development through safe access to data, engagement of student developers, and a clear policy framework for development.”

Project Overview

• Provide resources and infrastructure for student-oriented, student-driven mobile and technology advancement

Business Need

• Motivated by the need for improved capacity for student service areas to leverage mobile applications, technology, and student data to improve communication with students and services available to students

Business Objectives

• Enterprise: position uWaterloo to excel in the areas of student engagement, innovation and reputational excellence

• Business: improve student experience by strengthening engagement, and technological tools available

Technology Objectives

• Open data infrastructure• Framework for governing access to data• Contemporary technology-enabled

communication• Flexible platform that supports purchase,

development and blended applications

Project Work Flow

Research & Metrics

BA & QA

Development

Open Data Student

Technology Services Team

Delivery Model

Student Developed & Delivered

University Developed/Purchased

& Delivered

Opportunities

• Strategize, develop and deploy mobile applications and other critically important technological services

• Improve collaboration and efficiency through centrally delivered applications and services

Risks

• Major cultural shift in project management and service delivery

• Existing infrastructure will struggle to support project needs

• Technological solutions may move faster than access to viable data sources

• Maintenance of applications will be critical and could become time consuming

Implementation

• The immediate areas of focus will include: – Establish communication framework– Establish strong relationships with stakeholders

and define governance processes – Assess need, market and demand for applications

and features– Assess technical infrastructure required – Assess legal, policy, and administrative requirements– Prioritize applications for development/purchase– Create implementation and delivery plan

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS?