2014 University of San Diego
YEAR IN REVIEW I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y S E R V I C E S
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO I T S 2 014 Y E A R I N R E V I E W EDITORIAL TEAM
Joy Brunetti Mary Kowit Susana Martin del Campo DESIGNER
Cristina Cruz
Table of Contents 1 Welcome from the CIO
2 General Budget
7 Organizational Chart
11 Services and Support Web Services and Support Client Support Services
2 Senior Leadership Team
Computer and Printer Replacement Programs Student Technology Assistant Program USD Sites (Wordpress)
3 Mobile-First Collaboration Next-Generation Wireless Mobile-Responsive Websites iPad Classroom Project Mobile Push Notifications Proximity Notifications with iBeacons Mobile Apps
5 New and Enhanced Services MySanDiego (Luminis) Ensemble Video Management
Ares Electronic Reserves Encore Duet Discovery Platform Sierra Integrated Library System Media Production Online Encrypted Transcripts
13 Infrastructure Improvements Virtualized Infrastructure Improved Network Security Data De-duplication and Backups Aruba ClearPass BYOD
Blackboard Learning Management System Banner Improvements Mediasite Lecture Capture System Courseleaf Course Catalog Website Content Management System Website Redesign Efforts
14 ITS Outreach and Training Summer Innovation Institute Annual Technology Showcase Training and Support
Student Outcomes Website Search Engine Optimization WebDAM Gallery System USDOne: Oracle Identity Management
15 Strategic ITS Activities
Salesforce CRM DocuSign eSignatures Core Initiative Site Highlights Business Intelligence and Reporting TMA Facilities Management
16 Links and Resources
Welcome from the CIO Higher education, and liberal arts universities in particular, are in a period of significant change. Innovative services and designing a future of digital engagement are cornerstones of how universities will serve the world and offer students value in the future.
At the University of San Diego (USD), the Provost has articulated a value proposition that “…we help students grow intellectually, spiritually, and socially for success in the twenty-first century through a values-based education that fosters critical thinking, ethical behavior, problem solving
Beyond improving the experiences of current students,
and a global outlook.” This proposition is closely coupled
ITS continues to collaborate closely with the Career Services
with our capacity to “…increase the desire to come to USD,
office to develop new applications and technology that can
win the decision to come to USD and increase the delight
help improve career opportunities after graduation and
in attending USD as a student and after graduation.”
reduce student debt.
Much of the effort to augment success in the desire and
This report highlights many of the advancements made in
decision phases of value enhancement will be driven by
2014. We are particularly proud of the fact that USD continues
the success of our recruitment, admissions and financial aid
to be among the leading universities in the world to offer the
packaging efforts. Because USD is a tuition-driven institution,
most advanced mobile wireless infrastructure, as well as a
it is more important than ever for Information Technology
suite of mobile applications that address the academic and
Services (ITS) to continue to offer leading applications and
business needs of our students.
support for the Admissions and Financial Aid offices to make sure staff have at their disposal the best tools to ensure success.
USD has one of the most reliable and highly virtualized central computing and storage environments of any liberal arts university. The web team continues to create highly engaging
In terms of the delight phase, I believe engagement fosters
and mobile-responsive websites for USD. Our academic iTeam
a deep sense of being part of the institution—its mission,
members support innovation with iPads in classrooms and
history, culture, goals and values—as a student and after
support faculty with over 950 augmented courses using the
graduation. ITS is a focal point for providing innovative
online Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS).
teaching and learning experiences as well as enhanced administrative services for the university community.
In 2015, ITS will continue improvements in infrastructure, applications, services and support that will help make the
Through the efforts of the ITS professionals at USD, we
university an even more attractive place for our current and
have been at the forefront of mobile infrastructure, mobile
prospective students, faculty and staff.
classroom innovations, and mobile applications development, with two groundbreaking apps due to be released in 2015 (WISE – World Interactive Study Environment and Insight, which offers students a personal time-management solution for their academic and extracurricular activities). 1 | WELCOME
Christopher W. Wessells VICE PROVOST AND CIO
General Budget The ITS budget of $18,558,834 includes the operating budget, computer and printer replacement programs, equipment funding, Minor Capital Outlay (MCO) funding and cost efficiency funding. Below is a breakdown of the major expenses and projects of the year.
* Salaries include regular and temporary consultants and student workers
Senior Leadership Team
Douglas Burke
SENIOR DIRECTOR NET WORK INFRASTRUC TURE AND SYSTEM SERVICES
Michael O’Brien
SENIOR DIRECTOR LIBRARY AND WEB SERVICES
Shahra Meshkaty
SENIOR DIRECTOR AC ADEMIC T ECHN O LO GY SER V ICE S
Avi Badwal
SENIOR DIRECTOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING T ECHNO LO GIE S
BUDGET AND LEADERSHIP | 2
Mobile-First Collaboration Members of the USD community expect untethered, on-demand and seamless access to applications, services and support. In January 2014, ITS began a “Mobile-First” initiative, an aggressive and intentional shift in direction for an entirely mobile enterprise. All applications development, new vendor systems and infrastructure advancements for academic and administrative activities at USD now consider the need for mobility.
Next-Generation Wireless
iPad Classroom Project
As part of USD’s Mobile-First initiative, ITS is
Fall 2014 marked the eighth semester of the iPad Classroom
moving rapidly to replace the campus wireless
project. This project explores new techniques and opportun-
(Wi-Fi) network with the next generation of
ities for learning outside of traditional instructional methods.
cabling, access points and wireless controllers.
Full-time faculty members submit proposals each semester
Existing network statistics show that students carry, on
and are selected for participation based on the strength
average, three wireless devices and their means of connect-
of their proposals and alignment with the required criteria.
ing to the USD network is almost exclusively wireless. It is
Instructors must integrate mobile technology into their
a competitive advantage for USD to offer the very latest
curriculum with assignments, assessments and collabo-
high-speed wireless infrastructure.
rative projects. They are required to identify specific apps
ITS has carefully planned the new wireless network and managed fiscal resources in a manner that will rank USD among the leading universities implementing the next generation of Wi-Fi on a campus-wide basis.
Mobile-Responsive Websites The university’s website redesign efforts are part of ITS’ Mobile-First initiative. In particular, this initiative strives to deliver all website content to students in a mobile, tablet and/ or desktop computer experience, allowing them to interact with the university from any place at any time. Future websites will adhere to USD’s new web and brand standards and
and learning outcomes to be achieved, and have a plan for monitoring the effectiveness of their students’ learning. Current participants include faculty in education, engineering, nursing, business administration, theatre, communication studies and sociology. Thirty-three faculty and 745 students have benefited from this initiative to date. ITS works closely with Apple to continue to improve this program and introduce new techniques and apps to faculty members. Outcomes of the project are shared at the end of each semester in a formal presentation setting. Examples include field research, group and collaborative projects, multimedia assignments and new means of assessment.
will pave the way for the next cycle of website redesigns for the academic areas beginning in 2016. Responsive sites launched in 2014 include the School of Peace Studies and School of Engineering. The completion of the main USD website and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) website will mean that 100% of websites operated through ITS will meet the mobile-first criteria.
Mobile Push Notifications With the use of smartphones increasing worldwide and people having access to mobile phones 24/7, there is a move to reach students in a whole new manner. Urban Airship allows students to receive push notifications, through the MySanDiego mobile and other USD apps, alerting them to on-campus events such as student elections, important academic activities or a Torero Store sale. These messages are logged in the app’s messaging center where students can read them at their convenience.
Proximity Notifications with iBeacons USD has begun using iBeacon technology on campus.
World Interactive Study Environment (WISE)
iBeacons are a low-cost piece of hardware—small enough to attach to a wall or countertop—that uses battery-friendly,
ITS invested in the Google geospatial mapping
low-energy Bluetooth connections to transmit notifications,
platform to offer mobile application developers a powerful
promotional messages or prompts directly to a smartphone
tool for creating new and innovative applications. 2014 has
or tablet. As individuals carry their devices within a short
set the stage for the launch of a revolutionary geo-contextual
distance from an iBeacon, notifications are delivered via
social learning platform called World Interactive Study
a Bluetooth transmission.
Environment (WISE). Conceptualized and developed at USD,
At USD, iBeacons are placed in strategic areas around campus, such as the Torero Store and La Gran Terraza. Through this technology, the USD community will be alerted to flash sales
WISE blends the best of community sharing, detailed maps and contextual-based learning. WISE allows students to follow in the footsteps of notable
or dinner offerings by passing an area where iBeacons are
figures in history. For example, students studying Michelan-
installed. In order to participate, the user must turn on Blue-
gelo in Rome might be asked to pin sites where he lived and
tooth, accept location services on the relevant app and opt-in
worked, or locations of his artwork. Students can contribute
to receive notifications. Beyond obvious retail/marketing uses,
their observations of Michelangelo’s work within the WISE
there are interesting applications to athletic events and ways
app and build upon discussions from previous USD classes.
to enhance other services at the university.
Mobile Apps ITS offers a broad array of mobile apps for Apple and Android mobile devices. MYSDMOBILE provides course schedule, maps, events, grades, tram
Student Insight Insight is a highly personalized mobile app that allows students to track their time and activities and offers feedback
schedule, sports, campus dining, library catalog and
summarizing trends in their daily lives. ITS initiated develop-
directories, all at your fingertips
ment of this app as part of an effort to build enhanced
USD L AW designed for USD Law students, faculty, and staff; similar features as MySDMobile but oriented specifically to the School of Law and Legal Research Center
student information through funding from the USD President, Dr. Mary E. Lyons. Features include: helps with time and task management of classes,
FUTURE TORERO designed for prospective students to provide a means
assignments and extracurricular activities, built TO DO LIST
to stay connected with USD, log in directly to the portal
allows students to track their time and easily
and learn what it really means to be a Torero MOBILE TMA allows Facilities Management employees to be more
specifically for the USD student
TIMELINE / SCHEDULING
see what they need to do for both academic and non-academic activities enables students to see trends in their moods
responsive in service, improve productivity and manage
and feelings to help gauge their academic and
their work orders from various hand-held mobile devices EMOTIONS USD CHECKIN
social well being
easily validates attendees by email or USD ID through
provides a view that helps to organize the
a card scanner; allows event organizers to search for
various components of the Insight mobile
pre-registered guests
DASHBOARD
application
USD KIOSK iPad application that allows a simple way to check in users and instantaneously track the exact type of service an individual might use from a particular office
M O B I L E – F I R S T C O L L A B O R AT I O N | 4
New and Enhanced Services USD has made significant enhancements to the MySanDiego
MySanDiego (Luminis)
Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS)
portal. Simplified tabs and a more intuitive presentation make
ITS instructional and online course designers are the front-
it much easier for students and faculty to locate information.
line developers and support specialists in Blackboard, USD’s
Like USD’s websites, the new portal interface is responsive
main Learning Management System (LMS). Currently, there
in nature. The new portal also offers role-based security,
are over 950 courses, 6,800 students, and 500 full-time and
allowing personalized and relevant content to be delivered
adjunct faculty using Blackboard each semester.
to users, depending on their affiliation with the university or stage of their academic career.
Significant new features and interface enhancements include: RETENTION CENTER
CALENDAR
MySanDiego is USD’s virtual one-stop center for access and
tracks student progress, notifies
adds Blackboard calendars to smart-
single sign-on to online services and administrative tools
faculty if a student falls behind
phones, Exchange or Torero Mail
critical for students and faculty. Prospective students can
TESTING
MOBILE LEARN AND GRADER
seamlessly accommodates students
enhances access and increases
aid; students are able to register online, view grades, review
with disabilities; shows instructors
collaboration between students
their progress toward degree completion, review their ac-
every student interaction with a test
and instructors
apply online and complete online applications for financial
count status, pay tuition and fees, review courses and request online transcripts. Faculty are able to view class rosters with
D AT E M A N A G E M E N T
TURNITIN
shifts due dates simultaneously in
allows students to properly cite
photos, add grades, check information on their advisees and
preparation for next semester
sources, deterring plagiarism
view enrollment in their courses. In addition, an emergency course template shell and course
Ensemble Video Management
disaster recovery plan have been developed. This allows the
Ensemble Video offers flexible management options and an
university to quickly provision all USD courses with an online
easy-to-use publishing/sharing system that supports central-
presence in the event of a disaster or campus closure. Fea-
ized and distributed web-based publishing. Ensemble can
tures such as Blackboard Collaborate (a video-conferencing
easily integrate with third-party video and web technologies,
tool), discussion forums and assignment dropboxes will allow
and is designed for users within an organization to manage
coursework to continue online until the campus reopens.
their own video libraries. Ensemble Video’s deployment options are flexible enough to meet the needs of university faculty and students who do not require in-depth video management and editing expertise. Users can easily publish to USD’s Blackboard LMS, third-party
“Blackboard really embodies what personalized education is all about… The tools that Blackboard provides
video platforms such as YouTube and iTunesU, web pages,
me, in terms of the rubrics, allow
blogs, portals and other content management systems.
me to test students, allows students
The platform also allows faculty to place video content in a
to test themselves, allows students to
secure location for viewing by students and create playlists
critique each other, in a way that is
of videos for secure coursework review.
very difficult to do in the classroom... I feel without Blackboard, I’d be seriously constrained in the learning experience that I can expose my students to.” — Simon Croom, PhD P R O F E S S O R , S U P P LY C H A I N M A N A G E M E N T S C H O O L O F B U S I N E S S A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
5 | NEW AND ENHANCED SERVICES
Banner Improvements XE Student Information System
CourseLeaf Course Catalog
Virtually all business units, including Admissions, Student
system designed to manage USD’s catalog and curriculum
CourseLeaf Catalog is a comprehensive catalog management
Accounts, Financial Aid, Student Records, Libraries and the
processes by incorporating flexible workflows with easy data
Registrar’s office, have benefited from Banner. Currently,
entry and editing capabilities. It integrates with the Banner
Banner contains academic history for over 76,000 students
student system and facilitates web-based catalogs.
(1,815,000 grades) with data extending back to Fall 1996. In 2014, the Banner Student Accounts module handled billing of more than $73 million in tuition and fees. The Financial Aid module was used to disburse over $107 million in loans, grants and scholarships.
In 2014, the University Web Services (UWS) team was tasked with feeding this dynamically driven course catalog information to websites across campus, creating a seamless and accurate experience for students no matter where they are reading their curriculum information. Successful imple-
Ellucian has now released Banner XE, the first major revision
mentations include the School of Business Administration,
of the entire Banner suite in nearly 12 years. Banner XE has
School of Engineering and the School of Peace Studies.
an improved software architecture, underlying programming
A similar project is underway for the graduate course catalog.
language and a greatly enhanced user interface. Ellucian’s road map includes roughly 20 additional XE modules due to be released over the next two years.
U P D AT E D M O D U L E S
Website Content Management System (CMS)
Catalog Schedule
The university uses Cascade Server as its primary website CMS.
Advisor Registration
Over the past year, websites across campus have transitioned
Faculty Gradebook
Workflow ITS strives to find more efficient ways to support USD by automating many of the processes that sustain it. Ellucian’s Banner Workflow product has helped to automate nine major business processes including the online petition to graduate, transfer credit petition and leave of absence requests. The goal is to continue to roll out five new workflow processes during the upcoming year. Activities that once required manual handling will occur automatically, accelerating the completion of tasks while ensuring consistency and accuracy.
Mediasite Lecture Capture System Mediasite provides a way to seamlessly automate the capture, distribution and management of lectures, presentations and campus events. It automatically records high-definition video with high-resolution materials from any presentation medium, including laptops, tablets, document cameras or whiteboards. These rich, high-quality presentations offer an
into the new system, including newly redesigned websites for most of the academic areas. The UWS team conducted regular trainings through the IT Training program, bringing CMS training to 207 individuals over the course of the 2014 calendar year. There are a total of 261 maintainers in the system managing website content for their departments, schools and centers. At this point nearly 100% of USD’s websites are in the new system with exception of Admissions, Torero Life and CAS, which are currently under redesign.
Website Redesign Efforts Early in 2014, UWS launched website redesign projects for the main USD website as well as for CAS. Key portions of these projects include new websites for both the undergraduate and graduate Admissions departments, Torero Life and all non-academic administrative departments, which totals over 130 websites across campus. The result of these projects will be new designs, upgraded
immersive experience to students and a more effective replay
technology, an intuitive navigation structure, and targeted
of the lecture than traditional video recordings.
content intended for the website’s primary audience:
Additionally, Mediasite can webcast presentations live or on-
prospective students and their parents.
demand to any computer or mobile device and can provide live streaming for use at events such as guest speakers, convocation and commencement ceremonies, recitals, seminars and even athletic events.
NEW AND ENHANCED SERVICES | 6
7 | O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L C H A R T
O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L C H A R T | 8
Student Outcomes At the request of the Provost and CIO, UWS worked with
WebDAM Gallery System
Career Services, Institutional Research and University
In partnership with
Communications to build a Student Outcomes website
University Publications,
to demonstrate to employers, prospective students and
UWS launched a new
parents the value of a USD education. This is the first website of its kind for the university, combining data available from both academic and administrative areas and putting it into a searchable database format which allows for growth and flexibility in the coming years. Information currently displayed spans the past five years but in the future could show trends from additional time periods. The plan is to utilize this
online web gallery system called WebDAM. The system is loaded with over 25,000 professional-level images featuring USD students, locations and events, available for download and use in university publications, websites or marketing materials. Several academic areas have opted to utilize the service for storing and categorizing their own professional photographs, ensuring that the university’s creative assets are centrally stored and made available to everyone. Keywords have been added to photos, making searching for and locating ideal images easier for the end user.
website to inform prospective students
USDOne: Oracle Identity Management
and parents of the benefits
ITS has begun implementing a new Identity Management
of a USD degree in a highly
system from Oracle. Branded as USDOne, it is one of the
competitive expanding
most important security projects ITS has undertaken and
higher education market. In the coming months, the website will evolve to include information about learning, graduation and retention outcomes in addition to the career information already available.
addresses identity provisioning and deprovisioning; standardized processes for on-boarding students, faculty and staff; ease of access to core systems and applications; and improved individual password security. USDOne will synchronize passwords across six core applications: Ellucian Banner, Oracle eBusiness Suite, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Microsoft Active Directory (AD), Microsoft Exchange and Torero Mail (Gmail). Another
Website Search Engine Optimization The ability to produce accurate and timely website search results can be challenging. In 2014, the UWS team invested time, funds and resources in improving the website search experience. The website now features targeted searching, whereby site visitors narrow their selection to the website, department or publication where their search result is most relevant. The university also uses a feature called KeyMatch which takes core search terms such as “tuition,” “dining” or “tours” and displays a hand-picked entry for these results. Combining these methods with a careful review of commonly searched phrases from Google Analytics statistics makes it more likely that visitors can quickly locate their content. Searching for building names or abbreviations also combines results from the USD campus map for a more integrated and useful experience for the site visitor.
9 | NEW AND ENHANCED SERVICES
48 USD systems will have automated provisioning due to the widespread use of LDAP for authentication. The initial phase of USDOne includes a web portal to allow students, faculty and staff to easily change their passwords. USD will be implementing increased security measures including complex passwords and three security questions for password reset and authentication.
Salesforce Constituent Relationship Management (CRM)
Core Initiative Site Highlights
Salesforce is by far the largest and most widely known
university’s key partners and core initiatives including the
CRM system. USD is an early adopter of Salesforce in higher
Electronics Recycling Center, You Are USD and the Climate
education. Many departments including Admissions are
Education Partners. These websites utilize USD web brand-
In 2014, new websites were designed for some of the
using it for a variety of purposes. It is already becoming
ing concepts and communicate to their audiences by using
clear that the future Salesforce database will record virtually
technology and designs that cater to their key demographics
every activity or event a student attends in their USD career;
and constituents.
yielding a much better understanding of student success and the effectiveness of engaging students in campus activities. SALESFORCE, BY THE NUMBERS U N I Q U E C O N TA C T S
EMAILS SENT
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EMAILS OPENED
24 4, 822
EMAIL RECIPIENTS
4 9 7, 0 0 0
E M AI L S W I T H AC T I O N CO M PLE T E D* *clicked link / registered for event
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P R E - R E G I S T R AT I O N F O R E V E N T S
solution. The ITS BI team continues to ensure that each functional area, and their respective customers, have the information needed to create informative reports. Currently, the team maintains more than 3,800 Cognos reports for several offices. In the past year, the BI team has developed several new departmental dashboards to help reveal patterns and assist
UNIQUE EVENTS TR ACKED I N D I V I D U A L S AT T E N D I N G E V E N T S
Business Intelligence and Reporting The university uses a centralized business intelligence (BI)
47 2 11, 3 3 3 8 , 3 51
Salesforce provides staff with the tools they need to make better decisions and drive success–for admissions, campaign
with decision-making. Enterprise dashboard metrics have been created for CAS and the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES). Implementation of the Ellucian Enterprise Data Warehouse facilitates year-by-year comparisons that allow USD administrators to see trends that previously went unnoticed.
management, real-time analytics, web portals, team collaboration, mobile access and the ability to build custom appli-
TMA Facilities Management (FM)
cations without having to develop from scratch. Salesforce is
During the past year, USD continued to replace its antiquated
also cloud-based technology, leading to reduced computing
FM software with a new suite of products from TMA Systems,
infrastructure and systems support costs for the university.
advanced software solutions for universities designed to effectively and efficiently manage physical assets and mainte-
DocuSign eSignatures DocuSign allows users to electronically send documents for eSignature and manage the document workflow, allows for multiple people to sign and offers the ability to access and store all documents instantly and securely in the DocuSign cloud storage facilities. The DocuSign mobile app allows administrators and executives to fully execute contracts and apply their signatures from anywhere in the world. DocuSign has been successfully used on thousands of USD documents including non-tenure track faculty contracts, licensing agreements, purchase orders, software license
nance operations. USD has implemented a service request portal (iService Desk), work order management, preventive maintenance, project management, key management, materials management, custodial management, executive reporting and mobile TMA products. The information generated by the TMA software provides FM with the ability to make better decisions, run operations efficiently, and achieve higher levels of organizational performance.
agreements and travel and professional development forms.
N E W A N D E N H A N C E D S E R V I C E S | 10
Services and Support Web Services and Support
Client Support Services (CSS)
UWS is a customer service organization, fielding requests
The Client Support Services (CSS) team is comprised of the
from all areas of campus. During the past calendar year the
ITS Help Desk and Desktop Support teams, the primary front-
team received, handled and closed roughly 1,500 help tickets.
line technical support for students, faculty and staff at USD.
These requests vary widely, from quick calls to help a website maintainer with a broken link to requests that require a makeover of campus websites. One of the largest sources of interaction involves the advice
CSS deployed a new Mobile Print system to the LRC and School of Law allowing students to print from mobile devices. A Power Management software was also installed on over 500
and technical support provided to over 260 web content
lab and classroom computers, resulting in energy cost savings.
providers throughout campus in the use of Cascade Server.
In addition, CSS also upgraded all Windows XP computers to
Key areas where UWS spent time assisting customers were
Windows 7 and is in the process of completing the upgrade
web system account provisioning and usage as well as
of Office 2010 to 2013.
general website consultation and advising.
Computer and Printer Replacement Programs The Computer Replacement Program (CRP) provides computers for tenured or tenure-track faculty and benefits-based employees on a regular three-year cycle. System configurations are upgraded regularly to meet changing technical and operational requirements of the USD community. During the 2013-14 fiscal year, 1,499 computers were acquired and delivered to faculty, staff and public workstations and labs. The Printer Replacement Program (PRP) provides multi-function printers (MFPs) for departments and offices throughout campus. This program ensures that printing resources on campus are up-to-date and efficient, and contributes to creating a cost-saving and sustainable environment. 11 | S E R V I C E S A N D S U P P O R T
Student Technology Assistant Program
Sierra Integrated Library System (ILS)
The Student Technology Assistant (STA) Program pairs
Sierra ILS is not just for libraries and circulating books
professors with talented students who devote time to a
and digital materials. It also provides access to disparate
semester-long technology project designed to enhance
collections across campus, such as those in the United Front
in- and out-of-classroom learning. Students have built
Multicultural Center/Women’s Center (1,173 items) and the
websites, created instructional video tutorials to help others
Hoehn Collection (1,796 items). The Franciscan School of
learn how to use technology for a class, helped professors
Theology (FST) collection (8,692 items) has been added for
implement iPads to facilitate classroom projects, and more.
students at FST and USD. Sierra also circulates and trades
STA project progress is assessed through various project management tools on a weekly basis, and projects are
equipment from the Media Center, Help Desk, campus computer labs, SOLES, and the photography department.
evaluated at the end of each semester. Successful projects
In addition to providing more access to digital resources,
benefit both current and future students of participating
such as harvesting materials from a digital asset management
professors and their departments. A total of 17 STA projects
system or the Institutional Repository, Sierra will begin its
were taken on by faculty-student pairs.
integration with back-end third-party products across campus to streamline and integrate with Oracle, Banner
USD Sites (WordPress)
and Luminis.
Any student, faculty or staff member with a MySanDiego account can use USD Sites to create websites or blogs using
Media Production
the popular WordPress web-publishing platform. UWS
Media Services continues to expand support and training
currently offers several dynamic USD-branded themes to
in the use of media tools and production technology.
choose from, allowing USD community members to create a website with little coding knowledge or web software needed. A total of 52 websites are hosted through the service.
Ares Electronic Reserves ITS continues to expand Library Services with the new Ares electronic reserves system, which provides around-theclock access to USD collections and will integrate with the university’s LMS. This will allow for additional self-service features for faculty and students. This new system will be mobile friendly and list electronic and physical reserves in a wide variety of file formats. With robust copyright management, staff can quickly check on compliance and expedite request processing.
Online Encrypted Transcripts Within the MySanDiego portal, ITS created a portlet to allow students and alumni to order online encrypted official transcripts. This new service allows students and alumni to have their transcripts delivered securely to prospective employers and graduate/professional schools where they are applying for admission. This online service expedites the delivery of more than 2,000
Encore Duet Discovery Platform
official university e-transcripts per year. The tracking tool
The ability to locate physical materials (1.3 million entries) has
allows students and parents to monitor the status of their
always been possible, but 24/7 and mobile access to virtual
requests and see how frequently a potential employer or
resources is now the norm. Whether journal titles, e-books,
graduate program opened and viewed their official transcript.
video materials or digital objects are the target, the Encore Duet platform consolidates these materials into a familiar Google-like search experience.
ITS has been able to fully automate this workflow of critical student data by becoming a member of the largest global e-transcript exchange. Students and alumni particularly like
Copley Library has always been a heavy subscriber to EBSCO
the tracking of delivery as well as viewing statistics on
for article access. With Encore Duet, students and faculty can
employers or graduate programs opening their official
search for pre-indexed articles for access to full-text content.
transcripts.
S E R V I C E S A N D S U P P O R T | 12
Infrastructure Improvements Virtualized Infrastructure
Data De-duplication and Backups
Virtualized servers and storage are among the most cost-
ITS’ Disaster Recovery procedures have always included
effective infrastructure investments that organizations
frequent backups of all university mission-critical data for
can make; they lead to significant reductions in data center
academic and administrative systems. Over time the amount
energy consumption and technical support costs. USD’s virtualization technology has resulted in an exponential change in the time and capacity required to rapidly provision, back up and secure new servers and storage. In previous
of critical data that requires backup, coupled with more stringent retention policies, resulted in excessive amounts of time to complete mandatory backups and increases in very expensive storage and tapes.
years, the most expeditious provisioning of a physical server
After a rigorous assessment of vendor products, ITS pur-
would require weeks of effort; currently USD is able to provi-
chased a de-duplication appliance and software to improve
sion virtual servers in less than an hour. USD’s state-of-the-art virtualized infrastructure along with the skill of the ITS Network Infrastructure and System
USD’s backup and restoration solution. De-duplication eliminates multiple copies of the same files, thereby reducing the space and time required to complete backups.
Services (NISS) team resulted in 99.99% data center up-time
Given current growth trends in USD data backup needs,
during 2014 (with adjustments for planned outages).
de-duplication technology has helped USD avoid more than $1 million in new storage costs that would have been
Improved Network Security
incurred over the next three years.
With the recurring press reports about data breaches in private industry and higher education, it is essential that
Aruba ClearPass BYOD
ITS keep the USD network, systems and data protected
ITS purchased Aruba’s ClearPass to help faculty integrate
from cyberattacks.
the iPad Project with Apple TV (ATV) into the newly designed
In 2014, the NISS team installed new state-of-the-art
Mobility Classrooms.
security appliances. The implementation of these security
ClearPass connects ATV and the iPad, giving faculty members
appliances bolsters security in several ways. These devices
the ability to share content from their iPad to projectors in
consolidate three security technologies into a single chassis
the classroom. ClearPass also provides an improved Bring
with a single management console. The appliances detect
Your Own Device (BYOD) on-boarding solution for all types
rogue inbound, outbound and network activity and apply
of mobile and other Internet-capable devices and it offers
preventive measures.
new layers of security to ensure that people using devices on
Traditional network firewall policies and rules are managed
the USD network are authenticated with proper credentials.
within the new appliances, and they facilitate network packet
As the diversity of devices expands (witness the growth
shaping to control traffic to/from specific Internet sites. These
in wearable technologies), the “Internet of Things” will
new security appliances are designed to accommodate the
become real and security tools like ClearPass will be even
continued expansion of Internet bandwidth demands from
more important to manage the broad spectrum of devices
the USD community.
connecting to the university network.
Using these tools, ITS can ensure that sufficient bandwidth is reserved for faculty research and academic activities and is not adversely impacted by the massive demand for entertainment.
13 | I N F R A S T R U C T U R E I M P R O V E M E N T S
ITS Outreach and Training Summer Innovation Institute (SII) The Summer Innovation Institute (SII) is a two-week,
“What I really liked was the introduction
intensive transformational instructional program funded
to so many different ideas and so many
by ITS, supported by the Provost’s office, and designed
different options, hearing how people
to nurture a partnership between ITS and USD faculty.
are using technology creatively in their
The three cohorts of the SII have included 40 individual
classrooms.”
faculty members.
— V E R O N I C A G A LV A N
The iTeam planned the Institute and carefully designed the two-week curriculum. The team guided and collaborated with participants to help them design courses and create activities that meet their learning outcomes. Faculty also
“There is a whole range of technologies that are out there to help me achieve the
spent time discovering and implementing learning
learning goals that I have for my students.
technologies new to them.
I have really appreciated all the hands-on
Two cohorts of faculty graduated from the Institute from departments across campus. Their enthusiastic feedback highlighted the most valuable takeaways: the opportunity to
time at SII and the balance of information exposure vs. hands-on building time.” — K AREN SHELBY
build relationships and share teaching strategies with faculty from other departments, and discover learning technologies to help them use their class time more effectively.
“My biggest takeaway is that technology is about community more than I thought. Building up knowledge about how to use
Annual Technology Showcase A faculty and student outreach program
of the individual professor but becomes
The annual technology showcase highlights faculty and
a resource to the whole university.”
student use of technology in teaching. In 2014, over 300
tech well not only increases the impact
—AARON GROSS
faculty and technology liaisons attended a luncheon and keynote address by Rob Robinson from Blackboard. The exhibit hall featured nearly 30 technology partners and vendors demonstrating products, services and emerging technologies and informing our faculty about the wide variety of resources available to them.
“I think the support from the iTeam and everyone else around campus that we have met these past two weeks is making me more brave…” —DIANE KEELING
One of the main objectives of this event is to allow faculty the opportunity to share innovative uses of technology in teaching with their own colleagues. A series of panel presentations covered success stories and challenges faced including topics such as Mobile Learning and iPad Classroom
Training and Support
Project Outcomes, STA Project Outcomes and students from
Academic Technology Services (ATS) offered 140 workshops
High-Tech High discussing their technology needs and what
to 675 individuals. Some of the major training programs for
they will expect of their higher education institution.
faculty, students and staff included the Adobe product suite, Blackboard, Turnitin, EndNote, and Microsoft Office. The Office workshops were key as the ITS Help Desk rolled out Microsoft Office 2013, which includes major improvements and feature enhancements.
I T S O U T R E A C H A N D T R A I N I N G | 14
Strategic ITS Activities ITS strives to continuously improve services and technology through careful assessment of solutions. We involve USD faculty, students and administrators in selecting the right technologies to address strategic goals of the university. For 2015, there are several projects underway that will help advance USD.
Expand Blackboard online and blended courses (beyond the
Continue enhancements to the Identity Management
1,000 now active) and increase faculty training and support.
system with federation, complex passwords and two-
Launch USD’s WISE app and offer enhancements as
university data and systems.
adoption spreads among USD faculty and students. Launch the Insight mobile app for student time-tracking and reflection of life/academic activities. Expand classroom mobility projects with Apple iPads for USD faculty. Assess Apple iTunesU online course development platform with iBooks integration. Expand academic video technologies (Ensemble and Mediasite) to allow faculty to flip their classrooms. Assess and implement high-performance computing and massive storage solutions to support special research requirements of faculty. Launch next-generation interactive map based on concept3D CampusBird software with rich new details on exterior and interior spaces, “way-finding” and categories and facets from which to filter. Design and implement USD’s next generation of BI, Enterprise Reporting and Enterprise Data Warehouse to
factor authentication to enhance security and protect
Install new cabling and next generation Wi-Fi to all USD residence halls. Transition cable TV services to expand Internet and network bandwidth to accommodate student demand for Internet streaming and video options. Complete the design, development, programming and launch of new mobile-responsive websites for USD, CAS, Torero Life and Admissions. Implement a new online graduate programs catalog with CourseLeaf Curriculum workflow to improve the way new and existing courses and programs are modified, tracked and approved. Implement new PeerApp video caching appliance to manage USD Internet bandwidth costs and effectively control the massive volume of Internet video traffic. Implement point-to-point encryption and tokenization of credit card transactions associated with all USD cash registers to comply with data security standards.
provide for even better analysis, historical trending and
Implement Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) on Oracle
data mining capabilities.
databases for USD’s financial/accounting and Human
Continue the implementation of next-generation Student Information System, Banner XE modules and Banner Workflow to improve services for students, faculty and staff. Assist University Galleries and University Design with the implementation of a new gallery management software.
15 | S T R AT E G I C I T S A C T I V I T I E S
Resources systems to provide additional protection of personal and financial information.
Links and Resources WEB REFERENCES
Classroom iPad Project
www.sandiego.edu/its/ipad-project
Mobile Apps
www.sandiego.edu/mobile
WISE www.sandiego.edu/wise Course Catalogs
catalogs.sandiego.edu
Website Redesigns
www.sandiego.edu/redesign
Student Outcomes
www.sandiego.edu/outcomes
STA Program
www.sandiego.edu/its/sta
USD Sites
sites.sandiego.edu
Summer Innovation Institute
www.sandiego.edu/its/sii
Annual Technology Showcase
www.sandiego.edu/its/techshowcase
ITS RESOURCES
Information Technology Services www.sandiego.edu/its Policy and Guidelines
www.sandiego.edu/its/policies
Strategic Plan
www.sandiego.edu/its/strategic-plan
Knowledge Base
www.sandiego.edu/its/kb
Academic Technology Services
www.sandiego.edu/ats
University Web Services
www.sandiego.edu/web
L I N K S A N D R E S O U R C E S | 16
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