This Changes Everything

Technology-induced change has the power to alter the fabric of an institution. When that change becomes the perceived cause of a fundamental shift in the way we interact with our students, IT finds itself under an intense... [ view full abstract ]

Technology-induced change has the power to alter the fabric of an institution. When that change becomes the perceived cause of a fundamental shift in the way we interact with our students, IT finds itself under an intense spotlight. Anything less than total success is unacceptable.

This session will discuss the blending of people, process, technology, and methodology to achieve a quantum change in the relationship between the students and their university. We will explore the University of Winnipeg's Student Planning project – from false start to digital empowerment – to exemplify our approach to strategic digital transformation.

The essence of this project was to empower students by providing them tools to become hands-on with managing their academic career, and promoting their success. What began as a technologically-driven degree audit build within our SIS evolved into a digital transformation initiative demanding highly tuned end user engagement to reshape how students interact with the university. The impact of this new model has reverberated throughout the university … advisors, administrators, academic departments, registration staff, front line support – no one is exempt.

This is the story of a transformative project to create a digital world for digital natives. It brings together all the elements of a modern IT project – evolving technology; institution-wide collaboration; relentless, targeted communication; and an unwavering focus on outcomes.