New mobile app: Memorial University has just released a new mobile app. Available for Apple and Android devices, the system includes a campus map, student services, contact information, and latest news at the University. The system uses the Ellucian Go technology to distribute the app. MUN goes mobile
Improving the campus alert system: The University of Windsor has updated its emergency alert system to show the University's main phone line. The original system displayed the phone number of the company that built the system, and some users never responded because they thought the calls were coming from telemarketers. New alert phone display
Implementing VDI: Sheridan College is implementing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure project. Their key goals in the first phase include providing a standard desktop environment in labs, in learning commons areas, and in a pilot group of administrative users. They intend to replace end-of-lease PCs with VDI workstations and hope to reduce energy consumption by 40% with these devices. Sheridan's VDI
Computer lab upgrades: Like many educational institutions, the University of New Brunswick has upgraded its student labs over the summer. They have passed on the new information to their students in a simple tweet: UNB lab changes
Upgraded email accounts: The University of Victoria has introduced enhanced role-based email accounts. These new accounts are no longer limited to 8 characters and may take the form of department.name@uvic.ca. These new accounts are useful for departments, shared email accounts, and conference. Role-based email
Responses to last week's question:
Last week, this question was posed: "If you had to teach a course in the management of IT in higher ed to first year students, what is the single most important issue you would tell them?"
I received several responses and I think the ideas are equally applicable to 1st year students and veteran CIOs:
To first year students, I would expect them to think that IT was all about technology but I would counter that IT was about people, those who provide it and those who consume it. To me this was not obvious when I entered the profession and I still encounter those who haven't yet learned that tech is easy if you put people first, those who are your clients and those who provide the service(s). Mark Naylor PhD, President, Union Hills Enterprises
Make the effort to understand the business needs of your user community. A lot of what seems like strange behaviour is actually rooted in frustration with IT applications designed in isolation that don’t support how business users work. If you can understand the business you can learn to express the business value of IT initiatives in terms they will understand and buy into. But also recognize that as a role that transcends numerous business silos you have a unique perspective that they don’t have on how data is shared across functions, organizations and processes. Learn how to express the value of a comprehensive approach but know how to trade off tactical choices in a strategic framework. And yes, that’s easier said than done. Alastair McKeating Regional Manager, Adaptive PlanningI would tell them that the single most important issue is in relating IT to the business of Higher Education and vice versa and getting the funding model right. IT is different than anything else in history and needs new rules. It's NOT a utility, it's treated like one sometimes, but it develops much more quickly. It's not a tool, it's treated like one sometimes but it's much more embedded and ubiquitous. It's not a service, it's treated like one sometimes but also has the ability to lead the business. It's an enabling force like nothing that has ever come along before, and needs to be valued and treated that way. John Porter, Manager Residence Technology, Queen's UniversityHonesty and ethics. Ian McLeod, CIO, Douglas CollegeI think the most important issue we face is considering what the role of corporate IT (and especially the CIO) will be in this changing world where pretty well every business process and customer interaction has a digital footprint. Brian MacKay, AVP IT Services and CIO, Thompson Rivers University
