Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Competition Iowa State University MacGarret D. Becker Lindsay M. Pace David J. Rogalski Christopher A. Stoppel ELLIE: Ellingsburg's Leading Learning & Information Environment

E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Presented by I owa S tate U niversity Why a portal? A portal is an interactive and personalized access to a variety of resources and tools. Ellingsburg Universitys current university website has been neglected and is poor in design, branding, and functionality. While implementing a portal will not replace the existing website, it will allow for the campus community to embrace the current advances in technology applicable at the university. A customized portal will allow Ellingsburg University students, staff, and faculty to communicate, deliver, and provide all members access to internally and externally stored information, people, and processes. Furthermore, implementing a portal at Ellingsburg University will allow a single gateway for students, staff, and faculty to remain connected to University news, events, and business processes from anywhere in the world, at anytime, in a secure and personalized manner.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Why a portal? (continued) Although the effects of technology on student development have not been well documented to the present date, student development theory has shown that involvement on campus and interaction with others is imperative for student growth. The implementation of a portal at Ellingsburg University will enhance the needs of the student body by providing them with practical experience with cutting-edge technology relevant in all majors and fields. Technology, paired with traditional teaching methods, can serve to enhance student learning and growth for different learning styles. Not only will it provide students with the opportunity to gain practical experience, the portal will foster student involvement and interactions by connecting and encouraging relationships between students, faculty, staff, and organizations on campus. Astin (1984) stressed the role of student involvement in development. Astins approach focuses on factors that facilitate development and interactions. A portal provides technology that can facilitate this development by providing a list of campus activities, organizations, and events that will promote student involvement.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Why a portal? (continued) Furthermore, the work of Rendón (1994) stressed the importance of validating our students to further their involvement with the campus community. The development of a student portal will develop technological confidence within students, making for a more engaged and active campus. In addition, Kearsley & Shneidermans (1995) Engagement Theory focused on students being engaged in a meaningful and connected activity through interactions with other individuals and through completion of their work and school duties. While this type of engagement could occur without the use of technology, Kearsley & Shneiderman believe that technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve through more traditional means.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Portal Concept Development Team Technology Director, Chair Director of Residential Life Office of Communications Representative Faculty Senate President Student Government Association President The initial four individuals selected for the Portal Conceptual Development Team were chosen by the Ellingsburg University Technology Director. The Student Government Association President was added to this committee because of her close association and familiarization with students, student issues, and representation of her peers. To address the campus immediate needs for a portal, no other key constituents will be involved in the creation of a portal.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Implementation Team The planning and implementation team is responsible for collecting feedback from the broader campus community and developing the main components of the university portal. Because there are many stakeholders related to the creation of the portal, it is mandatory that Ellingsburg University include the following campus community members on the implementation team: Faculty representative from each college of the university Director of Student Activities Assistant Director of Admissions Assistant Director of Residence Life Representative from the Office of Multicultural Affairs Registrar Director of Human Resources Assistant to the Vice President of Finance Assistant Director of Institutional Research Representative from the Student Government Association Representative from the Graduate Student Government Association Two students elected by the President of the Student Government Association

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Technology-Based Systems The portal system developed for our university will adopt the following systems to effectively communicate information to our campus community: A universal interface allowing users to enter a single log-on to access the specific portal page based on university classification (i.e. student, faculty, staff). A comprehensive framework supporting academic, business, administrative, and community applications that can be customized and self-managed by the individual user. Ability to log-on to the portal 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the exception of maintenance and support updates. The absence of outside marketing and sales programs unless sponsored by the university and/or implemented by the specific user. As the portal project is developed, access, safety, and security of data and information will be integral to the success of ELLIE. Unintended access, confidentiality, and inherently insecure Internet traffic are each threats to the security of any portal. Tools such as Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) for and standard cryptographic algorithms such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Triple Data Encryption Standard (DES) will be important for portal security. As colleges and universities expand their reliance upon electronic files, databases, and portals investments in information technology and digital security will be imperative. It is estimated that United States companies will spend 8-12% of their total IT budget on security by 2006, an increase from 4% in 2004 (Sharma, 2004). Threats to IT security are very real, as the University of Texas had a hacker illegally access to over 55,000 files and social security numbers and the Drexel University College of Medicine had over 5,000 patient records illegally accessed.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Feedback As the Portal Conceptual Development Team, we have chosen to use a phased approach to introduce the proposed portal to Ellingsburg University in several strategic steps in order to deliver immediate value, minimize risk, and to ensure success. Every member of the implementation team will be surveyed and put into focus groups in order to receive initial feedback. In addition, a pilot portal will be posted on the website for all users to view and provide feedback. Creating a pilot Web portal can demonstrate to the larger university community the value and benefit of customized and integrated services. The portal will be regularly updated during this time period. Three months after the pilot portal has been posted on the Web, the updated and modified proposed portal will go live for all students, faculty, and staff in the College of Education. The College of Education will serve as the testing audience for the proposed campus-wide portal for three months. Lastly, after high surveillance and feedback has been conducted with all users in the College of Education, the portal will be introduced and available to the entire campus in one year.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Good Practices In order to assist the Portal Conceptual Development Team, multiple university and college portal design projects were consulted. Several of the included campuses reflect smaller enrollments, high residential campus populations, diverse student bodies, and a commitment to liberal arts education like that of Ellingsburg University. However, it is also important to expand this focused window to view portals designed and in place by larger, more comprehensive and research-intensive universities provide for their students, staff, and faculty. Each of the portal projects consulted provides a unique perspective about portal research, development, and implementation. The specific areas of inquiry focused on the branding, customization, and special features of the college or university's portal project. A short description of the portal is provided herein. St. Ambrose University: BrandingBeeline, named after the Universitys athletic team mascot Customized views for students and faculty Faculty view contains course management, advising, personnel information, and account management channels Student view contains registration, academic profile, financial profile, and personal profile channels. Macalester College: BrandingLESTER: Your Link to Electronic Services, Technology and Educational Resources Provides basic functions of a campus portal, but could be further developed to represent campus infrastructure better.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Good Practices (continued) Gettysburg College: BrandingCNAV:College NAVigation Provides overview information, history, and customized views for applicants, accepted students, students, faculty, parents, and alumni. Marquette University: BrandingCheckMarq Provides customized views for students, instructors, and advisors Grinnell College: BrandingMyGrinnell available on Pioneerweb (named after College sports team) Generic login, not specifically designed for individuals other than students Denison University: BrandingmyDENISON. Slogan: Its like a bookbag, but with a keyboard and a mouse. myDENISON holds all your digital stuff, like webmail, personal bookmarks, personal data like W2s or grades, and access to community forums…. youll even be able to vote on-line! Best of all, the zipper never gets stuck [sic]. Highly customizable with multiple channels for users to choose. University at Buffalo: BrandingMyUB Customized views for undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and faculty. Recently renovated portal customization and channels. Continuous feedback sought and integrated by Information Technology staff. Allows visitors to sample My UB University of Washington: BrandingMyUW Customized views for students, faculty/staff, teaching, and alumni. Comprehensive channels that provide hundreds of links to campus, city, state, and national websites. Allows visitors to sample MyUW

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Portal Organization and Structure ELLIE stands for Ellingsburg's Leading Learning & Information Environment. Branding the portal will present a welcoming feel to Ellingsburg Universitys new portal system. This brand name will also be helpful in making referrals to the portal site. ELLIEs initial development will include portals for three groups (students, faculty, and staff). Each group has different functions and customization opportunities on it. Basic channels on all portals will include: profile changes. customization of bookmarks and calendars. access to university account and address book. university headlines and local weather. paying university bills and changing address information. These channels, along with user-specific functions, provide all users with the capability to update personal information, access pertinent user information (class, committees), and communicate with all member of the university community. The ELLIE portal will enhance technology at Ellingsburg University while enabling everyone to control and customize their university information.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Student ELLIE In addition to the standard ELLIE functions, students will be able to: enter online class discussion boards review assignments. update financial aid, dining options, and other student information. make changes to class schedules and review grades. apply for student employment opportunities. access residence life room scheduling The following slide presents what ELLIE might look like for students.

E llingsburg U niversity Financial Aid Residence Halls New Englands Premier Liberal Arts University Classes English 101 – MWF 2:00 p.m. Chemistry 184 – TR 9:30 a.m. Math 121 – MWF 10:00 a.m. Psychology 104 – MWF 9:00 a.m. Bowling 100 – TR 1:30 p.m. Contact University Bill Dining Student Info Registration Tax Info Address Change Grades Job Board Headlines Womens Basketball wins on the road, University Chorus Concert Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Fall 2005 course registration begins Monday, March 14 th Multicultural Leadership Summit 2005 registration ends Wednesday, March 2 nd Scholarships Calendar New Message Inbox (7) Address Book February Bookmarks Horoscopes ESPN CNN Hotmail Ellingsburg Daily Times My Account | My Settings | Help | Logout Friday, February 25, 2005 Jane Doe | Student, Junior My Profile Welcome to ELLIE! Local Weather Today Hi: 37° Low: 21° Tomorrow Hi: 34° Low: 22° Sunday Hi: 45° Low: 29°

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Faculty ELLIE In addition to the standard ELLIE functions, faculty will be able to: develop online class discussion boards. access class rosters. post class assignments and examinations dates. input mid-term and final grades. update personal benefits, retirement accounts, insurance, and tax information. participate in online trainings and university forums. review FERPA. sign-up for university-sponsored child care options. The following slide presents what ELLIE might look like for faculty.

Welcome to ELLIE! E llingsburg U niversity Retirement Insurance New Englands Premier Liberal Arts University Calendar New Message Inbox (34) Address Book February Training University Bill Contact Benefits Child Care Tax Info Address Change Human Resources Forums Ronald Dobbs | Professor, Political Science Bookmarks USA Today ACLU APSAnet.org CNN Ellingsburg Daily Times FERPA My Profile My Account | My Settings | Help | Logout Friday, February 25, 2005 Classes Political Science 184 – MWF 2:00 p.m. Schedule | Roster | Grades Political Science 332 – TR 9:30 p.m. Schedule | Roster | Grades Headlines Womens Basketball wins on the road, University Chorus Concert Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Spring 2005 midterms due March 10 th Department of Political Science monthly faculty meeting March 15 th LAS Brown Bag March 17 th Local Weather Today Hi: 37° Low: 21° Tomorrow Hi: 34° Low: 22° Sunday Hi: 45° Low: 29°

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Staff ELLIE In addition to the standard ELLIE functions, staff will be able to: review student organization adviser roles. access committee involvement. update personal benefits, retirement accounts, insurance, and tax information. participate in online trainings and university forums review FERPA. sign-up for university-sponsored child care options. The following slide presents what ELLIE might look like for staff.

Welcome to ELLIE! E llingsburg U niversity Retirement Insurance New Englands Premier Liberal Arts University Calendar New Message Inbox (17) Address Book February Need To Know Student Organization Recognition Committee Academic Standards Committee University Committee of Women VPSA Cabinet Bowling Club Advisor Training University Bill Contact Benefits Child Care Tax Info Address Change Human Resources Forums Cynthia Ames | Vice President of Student Affairs Headlines Womens Basketball wins on the road, University Chorus Concert Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Take Back The Night 2005 March 10th VPSA Directors retreat March 12th Residence Life Open Mic Night March 14th Bookmarks Student Affairs.com ACUHO-I NASPA ACPA Ellingsburg Daily Times FERPA My Profile My Account | My Settings | Help | Logout Friday, February 25, 2005 Local Weather Today Hi: 37° Low: 21° Tomorrow Hi: 34° Low: 22° Sunday Hi: 45° Low: 29°

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Proposed Timeline StartPortal Conceptual Development Team submits Ellingsburgs proposed portal structure and content. One MonthAll Implementation Team members will individually complete a survey specific to their role as a student, staff, or faculty in regards to the content, organization, information, and reactions of the proposed portal. Each constituent group (students, staff, and faculty) will participate in a focus group to discuss reactions, suggestions, and information on the proposed portal. Two MonthsThe Implementation Team will meet to provide feedback to the Vice President of Student Affairs, Vice President of Academic Affairs, the newly appointed Technology Director, and her team of staff. Three MonthsAll changes, suggestions, and feedback from the Implementation Team meeting will be updated to the portal. Five MonthsThe Ellingsburg University website will post a pilot portal (a mock portal, however, with limited accesses to information, processes and communication) on the website for users to view. A feedback form will be posted on this link for all users to communicate any difficulties, suggestions, and comments. Modifications will be regularly made to the portal as a result of the user feedback from the pilot portal posted on the university website. Eight MonthsPortal will go live for the College of Education. Monitoring the portals use, effectiveness, and feedback will be the main objective during this time. A feedback and help channel will be posted on the portal so that all constituent groups within the College of Education can continue to provide further suggestions and feedback to the Technology Team. One Year – FinishPortal goes live for all students, staff, and faculty to use. Feedback information, survey, and contact information will be posted on the portal.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study ELLIEs Future After the initial development and refinement of the campus portal, portals, and channels will be expanded. ELLIE could expand into the following areas: Alumni – Ellingsburg University alumni could continue to access ELLIE to keep their current information updated for the university. Different portal channels would allow alumni to make donations to the university and stay current on news at Ellingsburg. Prospective Students – Admissions could develop ELLIE portals for prospective students which would allow them to submit applications and accept admission to Ellingsburg. Accepted Students – Once admission is accepted, students can apply for scholarships, review financial aid, and sign-up for university housing. Athletics – Numerous student-athlete records must be kept by different sanctioning organizations. ELLIE could allow student-athlete counselors to maintain these records and develop reports. Endowment/Foundation – Prospective donors to Ellingsburg University could have a portal dedicated to their donation records, tax deduction information, and university monetary needs.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study Closing Remarks Ellingsburg University embraces technology in all forms and facets to enhance the campus culture and learning environment experienced by students, faculty, and staff. The creation of a portal enables the university to fulfill its commitment to the university community by fostering collaboration, strengthening communication, and providing campus services all at the click of a button. Even as a predominately residential campus, ELLIE will serve as the first stop for all constituents to access specific information tailored toward their unique role on campus. Also, the creation of ELLIE will present the entire university as a technology leader, not follower, in higher education, thus building on our already existing image as New Englands Premier Liberal Arts University. It is our sincere hope to present to the Presidents Executive Staff our enthusiastic recommendation to implement the ELLIE portal at Ellingsburg University.

Presented by I owa S tate U niversity E llingsburg U niversity : ELLIE Portal Student Affairs.com Virtual Case Study References Barratt, W. (2000). Confidentiality and Data Security. Retrieved Feb 10, 2005 from Evans, N., Forney, D. & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Gleason, B., (2000). Boston College University-Wide Information Portal: Concepts and Recommended Course of Action. Retrieved February 18, 2005 from sig/whitepaper.htmlhttp://mis.eduel.edu/ja- sig/whitepaper.html Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved February 17, 2005 from Sharma, D.C. (2004, Jun 7). IT security budgets expected to rise. Retrieved Feb 14, 2005 from Strange, C. C. & Banning, J. H. (1998). Educating by design: Creating campus learning environments that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Zazelenchuk, T. & Boling, E. (2003). Considering user satisfaction in designing web-based portals. Educause Quarterly, 1, 35 – 40.