Planning for a Digital Future: 24/7 Web Services.

Planning for a Digital Future:24/7 Web Services

Audience Questions

• Why are you here?

• Rate your institution on a scale of 1-10 when it comes to serving students using technology

• How many of you have implemented a one-stop web site?

• How many people are using web self-service and/or chat functions?

About UW-Milwaukee

• Large, Public Research University

• 30,000 Students

• Access Institution

• Largely decentralized, including technology and student services

History

– Digital Futures Students & Community

– Online Learning Strategic Planning Retreat

– Online Learning Council

– Enrollment Management Reorganization

Vision Statement

“UW-Milwaukee will be current in the understanding and utilization of emerging technologies and their impact on

students and community building. Our practices will reflect being cognizant of the expectations of quick

response from the university and access to information and resources. Furthermore, parity will be assured between online and in person students in student services. Keeping mindful of our access mission,

appropriate steps should be taken to assure technology attainment is not an obstacle to student success. “

Subcommittees

– Virtual Student Services Hub

– Text Messaging

– One-Stop Student Website/Web services/Intelli-response/ Mobile Apps

– Evening Hours/Common Location/Staffing

– Centralized Podcast/Webcasting

– Synchronous Communication: Collaborate; Skype, Chat

Committee Plan/Reports

• The goal of the subcommittees was to develop a report and action plan by May 2012 that addresses the charge of the subcommittee, including:– timeline

– best practices

– resources needed

Action Plan• Action plan should address

– Service standards (e.g., response time, frequency/process for keeping web site up to date, accessibility, etc.)

– Evaluation plan to ensure ongoing quality & utilization of service

– Training plan to foster adoption by service units & fidelity in adoption

– Creativity encouraged!

– Marketing/communications to students

– Opportunities to positively influence student behavior & increase sense of engagement/connectedness (such as increasing students’ sense of ownership of their education)

– Opportunities to positively influence overall perceptions of UWM

Interesting Obstacles Text messaging: SAFE alerts Synchronous communications: implementation of

authentication Rich media: lack of centralized support for co-curricular

usage of technology Technology usage is based on departments: some

departments did not have the IT support or infrastructure needed

Base Assumptions– Students want to be served in a seamless manner-both online and in-person.

– Students are spending significant time building community and doing other consumer-type business utilizing social media, enhanced websites and chat functions.

– Students expect to be able to get individualized information on a 24/7 basis. In a scare-resource environment, effective use of emerging technology is a good solution.

– There are various levels of information needed and technology can serve to assist students in self-service triage on individual questions and concerns.

– UWM is behind in best practice usage of technology for student success. This presents an opportunity to move ahead of the curve.

Top Priority Recommendations

– Phase 1- Level 1 information through development of One-Stop Student website.

– Phase 2- Level 2 questions through the campus-wide implementation of Intelli-Response.

– Phase 3-Level 3 questions through centralized chat function and counselor of the day model for key offices on campus.

Tier 1 – UWM One-Stop Website

• Students seeking information online would be directed to the UWM One-Stop Website. Students would have the option to search for their information from the links and resources provided on the site or the choice to ask a question of the Intelli-Response system.

User Input

• Numerous focus groups and surveys conducted

• Students, advisors, faculty, online program council

• Common themes: deadlines, housing, financial aid, health, careers, social media, online courses, add/drop, no marketing

Tier 2 – IntelliResponse

• Students would be able to ask questions of the Intelli-Response system and have answers generated from a gathered UWM knowledge base. In addition to possible answers to their question, if students did not feel that their question was answered, we would provide students the option to begin to chat with a live UWM staff person via an Instant Messaging client.

Tier 3 – Centralized IM Service• Students would be able to begin chatting in

real time with a staff person on campus. Based on the types of question(s) asked, this individual would have the ability to:

• Answer questions directly

• Invite on-call professional staff into chats or hand off chats with partner offices in order to answer questions

• If necessary, provide direct contact information of professional staff who can answer student questions at a later time.

Additional Recommendations– Summer 2012- Change the enrollment of students In SAFE Alert

text messages. Begin utilizing our current text messaging vendor for recruitment purposes.

– Summer 2012- Implement universal extended evening hours on Tuesdays until 8 pm. Make the First Floor East Wing of the library available.

– Summer 2012: Begin implementing Blackboard Collaborate for student support units. Continue pilot with 50 participants; begin unit training. Move forward on SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) single sign-on by the vendor.

– Summer 2012: Begin to develop one-stop student website, including rich media (podcasts, webcasts) according to campus need, input, and value.

Requested Resources

• One-time funding

• On-going maintenance

• Existing resources

Leadership Buy-In

• Getting support from Provost and VC of Student Affairs

• Meetings to present summaries and recommendations

What We Did Well

• Involvement of a very diverse group from the beginning, including newer staff

• Grassroots – no mandate from central administration

• Merging of IT staff and Student Affairs staff - brought both perspectives to the table from the beginning

What We Would Do Differently

• Address the digital divide - we don't have enough information to know if a digital divide actually exists

Thank you!

Michael [email protected]

Ericca [email protected]