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Management Abstracts
A Centralized Approach to Managing a Large Student Workforce
The Information Technology Services department at Ithaca College centralizes the student employment function within the department and has dedicated one full time position to manage our large student. By centralizing this function, we have seen improvements in scheduling, training, recruitment and retention of our student employees. The Coordinator of Student Employment and Lab Services is our student expert, acting as a resource for other full time area coordinators allowing them to be experts in their field. In this paper we will discuss our IT organization, the functional areas students are employed in, the general job duties of the Student Coordinator, the recruitment, training, incentive and recognition programs, the communication tools and the other logistics necessary to keeping a large student work force happy and well cared for. This position has provided us with the ability to quickly respond to changing service needs and a changing college environment. This paper will also discuss the challenges associated with this position. Communication, collaboration and coordination define the life of the Coordinator of Student Employment and Lab Services at Ithaca College!
Experience with the New ICT Educational Environment in Kyushu University
The Educational support division of Information Infrastructure Initiative has been managing and operating the ICT educational environment in Kyushu University. We replaced the whole system, which consists of 598 Windows PCs, printers, and servers, with the 712 iMac PCs and servers without printers this March 2009. The reasons are as follows; 1) To provide students and teachers with the better ICT educational environment, 2) To increase the number of PCs for students, and 3) To decrease the undesirable cost for print service.
As our university has the Campus Agreement with Microsoft, we can provide the students with Windows VISTA and XP on VMware in Mac OS X, and also Office on Windows and Mac OS X. It costs no extra charge to install and use them on Mac OS X.
We also quitted the printing service for students and teachers. The reasons are as follows; 1) we have to increase the number of PCs for students as many as possible for more 18,000 students in our university. 2) Students used the print service for the unacceptable policy such as part time jobs and private use. We investigated the number of pages which students used in a year, and estimated the cost when the print service becomes pay service.
New system is going into operation this March 2009. We report the detail of our experience with the installation, operation, and effects of the new system.
Getting iTunes U at Ithaca College Up and Running!
In the spring of 2008, Ithaca College signed a contract with Apple to begin the process of getting iTunes U up and running. iTunes U is a free service from Apple that allows for the easy organization and distribution of content through iTunes. The leadership within Information Technology Services (ITS) felt that there was an instructional need to be able to deliver content to students via this service and championed this project within the institution. This paper will describe this project in detail and will include information on the institutional need, the contract, the technical set-up, the implementation and the communication plan. Other important project components included getting community buy-in, identifying key content providers and stake-holders, establishing a pilot group and an internal site, developing the user support infrastructure and finally going live with public content and bringing the project out of its pilot phase. Ithaca College was able to successfully implement this service in a year through much communication and collaboration. This paper will lay-out our plan and describe the successes and the challenges we faced in bringing this service to the campus community.
Introduction and Management of Inter Campus Learning Assistant System for Distributed Campus
Our university consists of several major campuses. Many students are supposed to go to a couple of campuses for first one and a half or two years. Teachers are also expected to go to another campus to teach students from the home campus. It almost takes more one and a half hours to move between campuses. This is a big loss of the time.
Using video-conference systems (like Polycoms) seems to be a good solution to solve the problem. However, the set-up procedure before the lecture is time-consuming and troublesome. It is difficult for most teachers to set up such systems. Also the operation using remote-control is not easy when they are giving a class. Teachers want easier and more intuitive interfaces to give a smooth lecture.
We have introduced the Inter Campus Learning Assistant System (ICLASS) into each distributed campus. The system uses the ordinary video-conference system that is customized for our purpose. The startup processes are automated and operation is performed intuitively with touch panel. Teachers can operate cameras and other peripherals without difficulty, and almost no training of operation is necessary.
We expect to promote the lectures among campuses with our ICLASS. And we also expect to make lectures easy with ICLASS between Japan and foreign countries such as our branch office in California and Beijing.
In this paper, we describe the detail of our ICLASS, the results, and effectiveness. Also we will discuss further applications of such devices.
MEASURING WIRELESS NETWORK SUCCESS: AN ANALYSIS OF A UNIVERSITY IN OHIO
With many colleges facing restricted financial support for technology investments, this study of a wireless network project at a university in Ohio provided results of acceptance and a method for measuring success of wireless networks on campus. Included in these results is a replication of research on effects of facilitating conditions and wireless trust on the intention to use wireless.
According to the Campus Computing Project’s survey data for U.S. colleges and universities, there has been continued growth in wireless Ethernet network deployments since 2002. However, the literature lacks information relating to how universities can measure the usage and acceptance of their wireless networks to demonstrate project success.
This study demonstrated that less than half of student participants used the wireless network on campus despite nearly all student participants suggesting they would use a wireless network if one was available. The field project results support differences among participants’ intention to use wireless networks based on gender and year of study in higher education.
Non-technical Keys to Keeping PII Risk Mitigation Projects on Track
To avoid prohibitively expensive remediation costs associated with the exposure of personally identifiable information (PII), scans of systems can be run proactively to help find and remove sensitive data. System disks can also be encrypted to obfuscate the data on the drive from all but those to whom access is explicitly granted. At a first glance, undertaking an initiative to implement scanning and encryption might seem rather straight forward. Technically, there isn’t much to it; install some clients and run some processes. However, the more problematic obstacles generally deal with non-technical issues such as conflicting values, established traditions, and inaccurate perceptions, all of which contribute to a significant measure of project complexity.
This paper examines non-technical variables likely to be encountered while mitigating the risks associated with sensitive data in decentralized organizations. Drawing from experience in a technology organization within Penn State, the presenter will share what he has learned about how team dynamics, differing priorities of team members through the project lifecycle, dependencies on external units, management of perceptions, and a proper balance between usability and security, all play a vital role in the outcome of the initiative. This topic will also address the value of buy-in from key stakeholders, maintaining project momentum with action items and accountability, and staying efficient during unexpected delays.
Pump up the Jam! Tips and tricks to motivate you and your staff
Do you find it difficult to keep your staff motivated, engaged, and communicating with each other? Do you find it difficult to keep yourself pumped up to take on another day?
I am fortunate to love my job, but there are still many days when I dread going into the office. The hustle and bustle of daily activities in an IT world can be overwhelming. There is always a customer calling, a new service rolling out, or a request that needs to be handled in a timely manner. Reality is I couldn’t get through the day without my staff. Therefore, I invest a lot of my time with my staff.
In this session I will share some ideas that others have shared with me and that I have found useful in getting me through the day. I will share the tips and tricks that have helped me communicate with my staff more effectively and efficiently while helping to motivate them and me to give another 10 percent every day. Overall, these ideas have helped me build a highly effective team.
This will be a high impact, interactive session filled with the things that have worked for me, and the lessons I have learned in implementing ideas that have failed.
Status of a Digital Life and Learning Community
Winona State University in 1997 launched its laptop program, providing every student with a laptop computer to enhance his/her studies. Now, in 2009, laptop programs are no longer novelties; they are commonplace with more than 150 programs in higher education institutions across the country (Brown, 2009). Winona State is a very different institution because of the program. The program has been woven into the fabric of the institution. Unlike at other institutions within the MnSCU system, there are no traditional computer labs on the Winona campus. These specialized rooms for working with technology have given way to anytime, anywhere learning.
Any room on campus can be turned into a learning space that provides students and faculty with the world’s information resources at hand. Innovative pedagogies are in practice on campus with current action research projects looking at e-books and enhanced communications with students. Winona State’s experiment with e-books is possible because of the universal laptop program.
Winona State’s new buildings on campus (i.e., science building, library, Maxwell renovation) were designed around a mobile computing environment. All the building spaces and equipment, including science labs, require that students have laptop computers. This mobile computing environment has allowed Winona State to create more efficient teaching and learning spaces even to connect high-tech science equipment. The design of the new Wellness Center also incorporates the realities of mobile computing.
Since 1997, the program has become more than just a “laptop program.” The name no longer describes its holistic impact on the academic programming of Winona State. With the blessing of the Winona State Student Association, the name of the laptop program was changed in January 2009 to the e-Warrior: Digital Life and Learning Program.
After 10 years, Winona State is still gaining experience with its Digital Life and Learning Program. The program continues to evolve as more faculty and students familiarize themselves with the changing needs of students, and Winona State will continue to learn more about the role of the program’s impact on its students’ educational opportunities for years to come. As Winona State continues to evolve, the program at its core will always be about enhancing student success. This presentation will focus on lessons learned over at Winona State University at its Digital Life and Learning Program.
Student Staff: A Village Philosophy
In institutions of higher education, we seek to engage students in the act and art of lifelong learning. We also seek to capture this talent-rich and moldable population to provide support in areas of need. By using a village philosophy, we not only develop a responsible and effective group of student resources, we also teach them to develop others (a lifelong art), simultaneously developing a highly functional and effective support group.
As a manager of students, do you find yourself using the same old phrases: do this, follow directions, don’t do that, come in for this shift, etc.? What if the students became vested in the success of their job and their institution? What if they took ownership of the processes they performed? What if they cared about improving and fine-tuning the function of their team so it performed in an outstanding manner?
By utilizing a village philosophy, you go beyond teaching job skills to developing life long learning skills, community values and the ability to work as part of a team. At Illinois Wesleyan, our Help Desk and Service & Repair areas have done just that. Students create their own schedules, advertise positions, interview candidates, make hiring recommendations, and internally correct behaviors. They research, analyze, create and implement methods for improvement based on trends. They contribute to and have ownership of the successes and failures of their particular areas.
Does it really work? What do students say? What do colleagues say? What do our clients think? Come find out!
Sustaining a Student Staff Program through Collaboration and Communication
As host employers for DePauw University’s Information Technology Associates Program (ITAP, a four-year program of distinction), full-time staff members from several individual programs within Instructional & Learning Services (I.L.S.) collaborated to develop a curriculum not only to enhance the professional development of our student staff members, but also to provide the high level of support expected by campus. We also worked to address the requirements of ITAP as well as the importance of a well-planned communication strategy.
This curriculum, now identified as the I.L.S. Associate Program, is specifically designed to extend students’ technical skills, further develop interpersonal communication, and broaden professional behavior along with providing leadership opportunities and creating a professional community for our students. Some of the components of the program include reading discussions, ePortfolio maintenance, project management, and professional development goals.
The I.L.S. Associate Program augments the accumulative knowledge and expertise of I.L.S. plus it enables our student staff members to link their practical experience with their liberal arts education. As a result, they are better prepared for life beyond DePauw, including tackling larger issues involving the use of technology.
Technology Consultants—A Successful Generation of Student Staff
Ten years have passed since a SIGUCCS conference presentation provided a “spark” that ignited a program for student staffing at Grinnell College: Technology Consultants (TCs). Student staffing issues are a constant topic for discussion since they have become an important part of many Information Technology (IT) departments, and after ten years, the Grinnell College program has evolved into a successful staffing model.
First, hire the right people! There is a comprehensive and selective hiring process where applications are scored, students interviewed and trainees selected. Then, teach the right stuff! The 8 week training program is composed of three parts: mentored lab shifts, workshops and a project. When trainees successfully complete each of these components, they are invited to take a practical test of their skills.
Last, make them want to stay! The work experience not only should provide job skills, but also needs to be enjoyable so that the generation Y students want to work. Try to provide opportunities for those interested, to learn and do more, like advanced certification. Professional development opportunities are encouraged through experiential workshops and summer training sessions. There are leadership opportunities for those who qualify. The TCs even have the opportunity to do IT volunteer work in the local schools and put on their propeller beanies to help new students connect to the network at the beginning of fall semester.
There are many challenges when students help staff IT services. It is not only a management challenge, but also a great benefit when the right structure is in place.
The Portal Project: Using teams to build a portal that organizes resources, establishes an environment conducive to communication and collaboration, and supports leadership and learning
To support our mission to develop principled, well-educated leaders, The Citadel embarked on a journey to optimize our very best resources --- our people. To achieve the organization of resources, collaboration, and communication required to effectively utilize the vast knowledge, experience, and expertise of our Citadel family, IT championed the idea of a portal to bridge our users via Unified Digital Campus (UDC) in conjunction with an update of our Enterprise Information System (EIS).
Selecting, motivating, and managing the various project teams required (while juggling regular duties) proved quite challenging, especially in light of budgetary restraints, personnel shortages in departments across campus, and very limited communication options existing pre-portal.
However, what transpired through the evolution of this project transcends IT entirely. The Portal became the catalyst we needed to initiate development of new workflow procedures; establish weekly collaborative meetings of groups associated but not organized; and, it opened the door for cadets, students, faculty, and staff alike to proactively participate in campus life - fully empowered to manage their own collaboration groups, send targeted announcements, and join chats specific to the needs they have. Learn about issues we faced, what worked for our teams, suggestions about how to avoid pitfalls we encountered, as well as plans for continued development of these teams.
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