We Hear you. In last year’s TechQual survey, you told us that technology matters to you – the tools available, how easy it is to use them, and having support available when you need it. In particular, your comments focused on:
- modern and intuitive interfaces for the technology tools you use every day
- training and self-service help resources available when you need them
- fast, knowledgeable support to resolve technology issues and get you back to work
- stable and responsive systems for everyday use
Significant Service perceptions from the 2018 Survey
Adequacy gap scores roughly equate to positive or negative perceptions as a part of survey data. The closer the gap score is to ±1, the greater the shared positive or negative perception of the service.
Statistically Significant Positive Perceptions
Having an Internet service that operates reliably.
Adequacy Gap Score = 0.44
Having an Internet service that provides adequate capacity or speed.
Adeq = 0.58
Having an Internet service that provides adequate Wi-Fi coverage.
Adeq = 0.48
Having adequate cellular (or mobile) coverage throughout campus.
Adeq = 0.38
Having technology services that allow me to collaborate effectively with others.
Adeq = 0.22
Tell us about the quality of Microsoft Office 365, our online productivity and collaboration software.
Adeq = 0.28
Statistically Significant Negative Perceptions
Having systems that provide timely access to data that informs decision-making
Adeq = -0.35
Tell us about the quality of Campus Solutions, our student information website.
Adeq = -0.91
Service Improvements Based on Your Feedback
Campus Solutions
- Created the Advising Dashboard to better enable advisors to find the information they need to assist their students
- Launched a new “What-If” report for students to check their progress toward their degree and if the classes they’ve chosen fit into their plan
- Implemented a more mobile-friendly course registration process, with better search options for students
- Automated the processing of Parent PLUS loans for financial aid
- Implemented course waitlists to give students easier access to the courses they need and to enable the University to plan to meet course demand
ITHelp.IllinoisState.edu
- Utilized customer feedback on ITHelp.IllinoisState.edu to launch a new IT Help web site, which includes access to knowledge base articles without logging in, user friendly navigation and a simple submission form.
- Completed a comprehensive review of the webforms used by faculty, staff and students to make IT requests, with 11 webforms being simplified so that no details are required, and 23 lightly used forms being removed to make finding the right form easier on IT Help
- Added live chat as an option for reaching the Technology Support Center, through ITHelp.IllinoisState.edu
Data for Decision Making
- The Budget Center project created 88 new report options in Cognos, the University’s Business Intelligence application, and incorporated data from Datatel, iPeople and the Budget Office
- Twenty new reports were added to Cognos for Enrollment and Admission usage
- 19 enhancements to existing Cognos reports were made and 30 projects completed to add new data
- 349 people attended Cognos training to learn how to better use Cognos and get to the data they need
ReggieNet
- ReggieNet was upgraded to a new version, which includes drastic improvements in the usability and accessibility of the Lessons, Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, and Gradebook tools
- A new Rubrics tool is also part of the new version of ReggieNet
- Students are now notified of upcoming deadlines for assignments and assessments through the academic alerts section of ReggieNet
- Tech Alerts are listed on the ReggieNet home page to notify users of ReggieNet outages, degradations, and upcoming maintenance
- Zoom and OneNote are now integrated into ReggieNet. The integration of Zoom makes it possible for faculty to communicate with students synchronously directly from ReggieNet course sites. OneNote integration creates a collaborative space that the native ReggieNet tools do not offer.
- ReggieNet courses may now be accessed directly from My.IlinoisState.edu
- Using ReggieNet on mobile devices has been improved and is less confusing to students
- Instructors can now request sponsored accounts, which allows the instructor to experience their course as a student
- The course combination and grade submission processes have been improved
Network, Wifi and Cellular Connectivity
- Launched the Eduroam wireless access option, allowing visitors from other campuses to use their login information at ISU and for ISU users to use their ULID and password when visiting other campuses
- Upgraded the CVA network for better coverage throughout the building
- Expanded outdoor wireless coverage for the Gregory Street Fields and the Tri-Towers Residence Halls
- Completed a large scale data center network upgrade, ensuring the foundation of all network connectivity for campus is stable and responsive
Office 365 & Collaboration Tools
- OneNote and Zoom are now integrated with ReggieNet to enhance course-related communication
- 17 new Zoom Rooms were created on campus for improved web conferencing and collaboration options
- Free access to Minecraft was added for Metcalf students as part of their gaming curriculum
- An innovation space (DIGGS, in Julian Hall) was created to support the Redbird eSports program and curricular efforts related to gaming and innovation
Learning Spaces
- The Learning Spaces Working Group, charged with evaluating campus learning spaces and making recommendations on future investments, conducted a survey of faculty and students as well as research into best practice, resulting in a comprehensive report containing recommendations for the future of our learning spaces
- Students are now given a $6.00 print allowance as part of the Academic Enhancement Fee, which may be used at any one of 50+ uPrint stations across campus
- The student printing service, uPrint, now allows print jobs to be uploaded from any computer or mobile device and picked up at the student’s convenience
My.IllinoisState.edu
- The launch of a new and improved platform for My.IllinoisState.edu has created multiple opportunities to incorporate more personalized information and messaging into the portal. The new look is modern, better organized, delivers improved performance, and is more reliable. Some of the new applications that are delivering dynamic content in ‘My’ are the Budget Center system for Fiscal managers, and the new Redbird Life platform where students can search and see a list of events for their Student Organizations.
Web Sites
- The successful launch of a new University Homepage focused on our prospective audience in 2018, in tandem with a seamless integration of our new Online Admissions platform into our main website and My.IllinoisState.edu portal in 2019, produced strong results. Those efforts were a factor in the record breaking enrollment class for 2019, the largest class in 33 years.
- Jeff Mavros, Director of Admissions had this to say: “We want to give prospective students every opportunity to see what an incredible fit Illinois State University could be for them. This new University Homepage serves as an introduction to our welcoming and accomplished campus community ”
- We have also made great strides in terms of Digital Accessibility and Jen Bethmann has been leading the way to create a digital campus that aligns with our core value of Inclusion to provide an optimal experience for all audiences.
- The new website for the Office of Student Research will be key to facilitating collaboration between faculty and students. The new website promotes this important endeavor and aligns with a key strategic plan goal in Educate, Connect, Elevate.
More Technology Training
- Published over 100 new knowledge base articles to help you use campus technology, including 22 new articles on using Office 365
- Launched the new IT Help site (ITHelp.IllinoisState.edu), which makes searching for technology information much easier and is now accessible without logging in
- A new Introduction to Technology course was offered to all new students through ReggieNet to begin the Fall 2019 semester, orienting them to the things they need to know about using technology at Illinois State
- The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT) has updated video and handout resources to reflect upgrades that help faculty learn how to use the majority of tools effectively in ReggieNet. All videos and handouts are accessible.
- CTLT now offers workshops using the web conferencing software Zoom to teach Zoom, OneDrive, and OneNote so that people who cannot make it to face-to-face training can learn those collaboration tools
- ReggieNet workshops from CTLT now offer both introductory and advanced options. Consultations are also available for those who need advanced skills in all campus-supported software.
Knowledgeable Staff/Faster Response
- IT staff across campus resolved nearly 100,000 tickets, 58% of them within 24 hours of submission, and 89% by their due date.
- Completed the large implementation project for the software behind ITHelp.IllinoisState.edu, which IT staff use daily to track issues, requests and ongoing work. This software is helping IT staff better control and track work, keeping systems healthy and preventing issues that impact you.