September 2002 — Features
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The NEW DIGITAL CAMPUS
The ITS team currently has its sights set on using a particular functionality of this digital campus, called Group Maker, to create access for prospective students and parents. Specifically designed for the IT administrator, Group Maker increases targeted messaging capabilities by making it possible to target specific audiences and send announcements based on any attribute in the SIS. The team predicts that creating and administering group lists will become easier, diverting postage fees to other areas.
The college is also looking to mirror admissions models set by Pepperdine University and The University of Scranton, which utilize the digital campus to enhance the admissions process. These universities are extending access to prospective students to make the application, admissions and financial aid processes simpler. Plymouth State plans to track Web-initiated inquiries and uses the information to pre-engage prospective students, bridging the gap between high school and college life.
Academic planners at Plymouth State also intend to use the digital campus to help acclimate first-year students into college life, both academically and socially. For example, the college offers a class that helps incoming students connect to the academic community by teaching them basic computer proficiency, library navigation and social skills. Plymouth State plans to use targeted messaging via the digital campus to invite prospective students to participate in the program. By extending this program to students, the admissions department hopes to improve the yield between students who inquire about attending versus those who actually apply.
When we started the decision-making process we wanted to know which tools students and faculty value. After implementing our digital campus, we found that they don't place as much value on whether the college built the campus infrastructure itself, but how the school is enhancing their campus experience. With the results we have recognized so far, we are on target with meeting constituent needs.
Plymouth State's Formula for Success
Five important issues educational institutions should consider when deciding to build or buy their technology infrastructure:
1. Don't just consider the technology, consider strategy. A vendor-supported infrastructure can free IT staff of endless code maintenance, enabling them to interact with different departments and find out how technology can best meet their needs. Most importantly, the technology must meet the needs of the institution and its strategic mission.
2. Focus on your organization's core competencies. What is your institution known for? D'es technology figure into its reputation? How can the digital campus leverage your reputation? Determine how your current or homegrown technology infrastructure is helping to position your institution. Now determine if partnering with an infrastructure vendor would help your institution achieve its mission instead of getting bogged down in writing code.
3. Figure out the needs of all departments. Encourage application developers to visit all departments and find out how they can create new technologies that produce more conveniences, as well as make processes run smoother and more efficiently. Then, develop a technology infrastructure committee to determine the tasks that must be completed.
4. Align strategic and technological road maps. Don't just consider the technology, find a business partner that shares some of the same philosophical beliefs and values as your institution.
5. Standards-based technology is a must. To make the most of your institution's existing technology investments, evaluate vendor solutions that integrate with a wide variety of campus technologies as well as their ability to support future integration decisions.
