OIT STRATEGIC ROADMAP
Supporting the Whole Student
Providing a superior experience for UCI students requires simplifying their path to learning and resources. It starts by creating a seamless application and financial aid process, continues with world-class learning experiences - even during trying times. The student experience is enhanced by robust data and analytics that informs important decisions on wraparound support and resources needed to ensure student success. Empowering students with technology tools, making data-driven programming decisions and simplifying administrative processes allows for students' attention to be focused on meaningful academic pursuits and personal growth during their time at UCI.
Student Data for Student Success
By accessing and analyzing the student data UCI already has on enrollment, degree completion progress, current grade status, and campus engagement, instructors and advisors can intervene early to help students identify and overcome hurdles to their academic progress. COMPASS has seen success with various campus departments and OIT will continue to build on this success with a next phase of more interconnected and data driven tools, including the Student Attribute Manager, the continued rolling implementation of the Student Data Warehouse for key departments, and a new integration with EEE+ ScoreShare.
OIT aims to bolster student success through added focus on student advising needs across all departments. Student Attribute Manager will allow academic advising units and other student success units to directly provide and manage custom data markers, such as probation status or participation in discipline-specific programs, to better support centralized tracking and provide more efficient access to their students’ information across multiple tools and contexts. The Student Attribute Manager paired with the Student Data Warehouse will facilitate access to student data that are both rich and tailored in COMPASS and EEE+ ScoreShare, with the potential for further future integration with existing and emerging applications. EEE+ ScoreShare will introduce rich new views into student progress, providing better context for assessing student performance and making these insights available to students directly in addition to their advisors.
Technology for Teaching & Learning
Creating an extensive educational technology ecosystem by utilizing the Canvas learning management system as the central hub, with support from UCI’s in-house EEE+ products and various 3rd party vendor tools, will allow for a customized, seamless and user-friendly experience for both students and faculty. Classroom accessibility and inclusivity remain a top priority as the technology evolves, and will be a main factor in the decision making for how the ecosystem is expanded over time. Replacing and improving the MyEEE system, along with the addition of a dynamic online classroom discussion board are currently at the forefront of the upcoming additions.
Remote learning has required new and different technology than what was needed in physical classrooms, but now OIT is working with campus partners to identify key tools that UCI can continue using to enhance the learning experience, whether it be hybrid, virtual or in-person. One such tool is online classroom discussion boards. Faculty have noted the positive aspects of having alternative paths for discussion beyond the traditional classroom setting. Bolstering these paths ensures all students are able to participate in meaningful discourse and benefit from the material no matter how they're attending a couse.
As Canvas has been implemented to replace the legacy EEE system for faculty and students, the next item for refreshing is the MyEEE system. The system will be overhauled and improved to create a modernized, user-friendly experience for students when accessing class information.
Several EEE+ products will be also introduced that will work in conjunction with Canvas. One is the EEE+ Syllabus Tool that will create a centralized repository for all syllabi. Doing so will allow easier creation of future syllabi, and will provide a deep well of existing documents for faculty to use in collaboration with one another. Another is the EEE+ Grade analytics application, which will give faculty greater insight into class activity and grade data on a macro and micro level, allowing for enhanced planning for student success.
Adaptive and Modern Student Information Systems
The priorities for updating student information systems are for centralization of information and ease of use. Consolidation into modern products that communicate with each other in a consistent way allow OIT to become more nimble in assisting a broad spectrum of internal clients, while moving away from the specialized knowledge requirements of singular legacy systems. Supporting the Business Transformation Office with a long-term strategy for moving toward one centralized student information system is a top priority for OIT's development teams. Until a centralized system is implemented, OIT will work with campus clients to maintain and optimize legacy systems, choosing judiciously to introduce new products when legacy system maintenance is not applicable or recommended.
CampusLogic will be released this year, replacing a manual legacy process and enabling an organized and expedited process for e-verification.
The Legacy GradAid application, an online tool for department staff to enter fellowship requests for graduate students, will be replaced with a new GradAid Web App, which will improve the user experience and lessen delays for awarding funding.
Summer Session will be migrated away from the Division of Continuing Education’s resource platform to an independent version of PowerCampus student system, which will now be housed under the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning. OIT will work with the Division of Continuining Education and Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning to ensure a seamless transition between departmental ownership. Completion of this task will allow The UCI International Center to successfully begin processing international student visas by March 2021, and will also give Summer Session an autonomous merchant system for processing payments from students attending classes in the summer.