The Gateway to Ellingsburg University:

Jaime L. ClougherAndrew G. Hill

Kyle D. McCoolKatherine M. Wehner

A portal project proposal

Purpose:

To discuss a portal project for the Ellingsburg University community

Overview of Presentation Identify reasons to implement a portal and not enhance the

website Review general portal research Provide examples of best practices Discuss how a portal will improve EU Discuss the structure and content of the “perfect” EU portal Explain the organization, implementation, and assessment of

an EU portal

What is a Portal “A portal is a gate, a door, or entrance.”

Daigle & Cuocco, 2002, p. 109 “Portals gather a variety of useful information resources into

a single, one-stop webpage that allows users to customize their information resources by selecting and viewing information they find personally useful.”

Student as cited in Jackson, 2002, p. 37

Why a Portal at EU Website v. Portal

Website Static information Passive Does not change for

different users Cannot be modified by users A portal does not replace a

homepage

Portal Can be customized toward user

preference Select roles within portal Consistency Single log in for multiple

services

Jafari, 2003, p. 9

User BenefitsBenefit Prospective

StudentsStudents Faculty Staff Alumni/

Community

Convenience Discover Courses before enrollingCheck status of application on-line

Access course materials, calendars, library materials, and financial information

Access to course rosters and enrollment numbers

Review and update information vital to campus operation including enrollment numbers, revenues and expenditures

Keep up with University athletic teams, access the University calendar, customize to your interests

Cooperation Share enrollment experiences with staff and other prospective students

Collaborate with other students through online communities

Build relationships with peers by creating resources for students

Support the teaching and learning process

Get involved in alumni activities

Communication Live interaction though real-time chats

Stay connected with classmates and faculty

Keep in touch with students about enrollment, grades, and assignments

Stay abreast of changes in events, schedules, and policies

Keep in contact with fellow alum

Capacity Streamline application process through improved services

Post assignments, review grades, change major or home address

Increase productivity by improving and recycling course materials

Update information quickly and easily

Learn about career fairs, counseling, workshops, and job listings

Table taken from Frazee, Frazee, & Sharpe, 2003, p. 137

Literature supporting student needs and benefits When student academic and social interactions are

intertwined, student satisfaction is increased

Students expect both personal and online interactions and opportunities

Student involvement = student satisfaction

Enhances out of class learning experiences

Astin, 1993; Creighton and Buchanan, 2001; Tinto, 1993

Structure and Content Characteristics of a portal:

Security Access to a wide range of information by a single sign-on Protection of individual’s privacy by granting access to information

Content Standardized information of which some can be modified or customized for the user type

Interaction Increased interaction with university affiliates through means, such as, online discussion

forums Knowledge Management

Integration of information from various campus sources Course management tools Access to campus resources, such as, online forms and research tools

Harr, 2002

Structure and Content of a portal How to set up a portal

Single Log In Access to email, personal information, class schedule, registration, online

learning environments, etc… Role Selection

Some users may have multiple roles. Role selection allows portal to know who the user is and the access they need A staff member may also be a student – at work they may need access to

certain aspects of the portal, but when in the student role, those aspects are not necessary.

Tab Feature Decreases information overload by spreading out information to various pages

Structure and Content of a portal Multiple users

Channels and features can be standardized, customized, and personalized Customized

Based on user type e.g. A faculty member would have different access to channels than

a student Personalized

Allow user to modify portal based on preference e.g. A student affairs graduate student can add a channel to access

StudentAffairs.com

Structure and Content of a portal Portal may function as follows:

CourseManagement

Tools

Library

Campus Information

Public Information

Electronic Mail

Collaboration User Tools

FinancialRecordSystem

Human Resource

System

Student Record System

Intranet

AccessIdentification

Personalization Security

Figure taken from Eisler, 2003, p. 70

Structure and Content of a portal Common collegiate portal channels

Calendars and to do lists Announcements and alerts Job openings and career

opportunities Reports and documents Personal human resource

information Search feature Email and address book Library access

Residence hall menus Course schedules, grades, GPA,

transcripts, degree audit News- campus, local, nation, world Weather Maps and images Campus events Directory Instant messenger, such as, AOL, Yahoo,

and MSN

Best Practices Indiana University

onestart.iu.edu Roanoke College

myrc.roanoke.edu See example on following

slides

Denison University mydenison.edu See example on following

slides Rutgers University

My.rutgers.edu/portal/tour A great tour option

Why a Portal at EU Easier for every stakeholder to carry out her or his role in the

institution Communication and cooperation are a priority at liberal arts

institutions Today’s liberal arts undergraduates have come to expect this

type of technology Current website does not offer these capabilities, even after

overhaul

Millichap, 2003, p. 56

How a Portal Will Improve EU Fosters community building

There are many similarities between a virtual community and a traditional community; “inclusivity, commitment, and consensus; realism; contemplation; a safe place; a laboratory for personal disarmament”

Michalski as cited in Strange and Banning, 2001, p. 196

“…virtual time and virtual place extend opportunities for all members of a community to participate, an essential feature of any productive system”

Por as cited in Strange and Banning, 2001, p. 194

Organization of the EU Portal Tabs - all users

My Tab Campus E-mail Library

- My bookmarks - My favorites - My calendar - My e-mail - Search - Other channels

- Campus homepage- Campus events- Calendar- News (campus, local, national)- Weather- Maps- Search feature- Announcements and alerts- Athletics- Technology

- Web mail- Outlook- Pop account- User can change options

- Library homepage

Organization of the EU Portal Tabs - current students

Student Self Service Student Tools Residence Hall

- Registration information- Bursar- Financial aid- Update personal information- Unofficial transcripts- Degree audits- To do list- Required text books

- Student directory- Instant messenger- Legal music downloads

(e.g. i–Tunes)

- Movie times- Intramurals- Dictionary- On campus jobs

- Residence hall events- Announcements- Dining menus- Emergency procedures- RA contact- Renewal forms

Organization of the EU Portal Tabs - prospective students

Admissions Other

- Track application process- Missing documents- Alerts- News

- Housing- Campus alerts, such as registration deadlines- Credit transfer- Course schedule

Organization of the EU Portal Tabs - faculty and staffStaff Tools Faculty

AdministrativeHuman Resource Management

Staff Administrative

- My finances- Direct deposit- Tax forms- Calendar- Dictionary- Retirement information

- Class rosters- Grade turn in- Enrollment- Credit transfer- Placement tests- High school transcripts- Student major- Department specific

- Profile forms- Insurance information- Timekeeping- To do list- Professional development- Job opportunities

- Admission- Placement tests- Credit transfer- Loan history- Bill amount- Transcripts- Additional student information- Office specific

Implementation Cross divisional institutional team Current Team

Director of Residence Life Representative from the

Communication Office President of Faculty Senate Technology Liaison

Additional Recommended Members Chief Academic Officer Academic Support Professional Librarian Representative from Student Services Student Government President Alumni Dean of Students Bursar Registrar

Implementation of the EU Portal Additional considerations for the implementation team

Develop a pilot portal providing basic services Span of one semester Gather qualitative and quantitative data using surveys, focus groups, interviews Start with skeletal portal and add features, tabs, channels, options

The data will help determine problem areas and issues prior to the go-live date

Start small with very few channels Indicate which type of users will be implemented first Select students

Utilize focus groups Allow students to being utilizing portal Weekly feedback and meetings

Incorporate additional channels Appoint a planning and implementation team dedicated to the goals of the project

Implementation of the EU Portal Additional considerations

Initial cost Will portal be developed internally or contracted by an outside source?

Operating cost How will EU maintain the portal with the advancements in technology?

Upkeep and maintenance What staff will be assigned to the portal?

Assessment How will the portal be assessed and utilize the information for improvement?

Interfacing with university mainframe How will the image of EU be maintained and communicated through the portal?

Accessibility Is the portal user friendly?

Implementation time Identify resources, prepare budget, design a timeline, implement, evaluate and assess.

Assessment

Improve

Implement

Assess

Plan

Figure taken from Banta, 2004

Assessment By utilizing Banta’s model, EU will continually assess the

portal to determine necessary improvements and strategically plan for the short and long term.

Various forms of assessment will be used including: Feedback from pilot project Random log off questionnaire Benchmarking with similar institutions User comment and feedback option User help line Tracking

EU’s portal project upholds Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles of Good Practice in undergraduate education by:

1. encouraging student-faculty contact through ease of communication2. encouraging cooperation among students as a result of creating a virtual

community3. encouraging active learning by utilizing the portal frequently4. giving prompt feedback through access to student records5. emphasizing time on task by simplifying ways of obtaining information6. communicating high expectations through expected use7. respecting diverse talents and ways of learning by providing personalization

and customization

Chickering & Gamson, 1991

Overall Recommendation The development team sees the portal as a logical step to

meet the technological needs of the university. Students expect to have such resources at their fingertips. It would allow staff and faculty to interact in a new way without abandoning the old. It would ultimately be a benefit for all users and stakeholders of the university. Our group recommends that the executive staff proceed with the portal project.

Works Cited Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited (1st Ed). San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass. Banta, T.W. (2004, October). Outcomes assessment and evaluation in higher education. Paper

presented in class, Education C565: Introduction into Higher Education Administration. Chickering, A.W., & Gamson, Z.F. (Eds.) (1991). Applying the seven principles for good practice in

undergraduate education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Creighton, J.V., & Buchanan, P. (2001, March/April). Toward the e-campus: Using the internet to

strengthen, rather than replace, the campus experience. EDUCAUSE Review, pp. 12-13. Daigle, S.L., & Cuocco, P.M. (2002). Portal technology opportunities, obstacles, and options: A view

from the California State University [Electronic Version]. In R.N. Katz & Associates (Eds.) Web portals and higher education: Technologies make it personal (pp. 109-121). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Eisler, D.L. (2003). Campus portal strategies. In A. Jafari, & M. Sheehan (Eds.), Designing portals: Opportunities and challenges (pp.68-88). Hershey, PA: IRM Press.

Frazee, J.P., Frazee, R. V., & Sharpe, D. (2003). Begin with the end (user) in mind: Planning for the San Diego State University campus portal. In A. Jafari, & M. Sheehan (Eds.), Designing portals: Opportunities and challenges (pp.127-161). Hershey, PA: IRM Press.

Harr, G.L. (2002). A comprehensive student portal concept paper and proposal. (Report No. IR021970) Jacksonville, FL: Florida Community College of Jacksonville. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED474411).

Jackson, M.E. (2002, Sept 15). The Advent of portals. Library Journal. Jafari, A. (2003). The ABC’s of designing campus portals. In A. Jafari, & M. Sheehan (Eds.),

Designing portals: Opportunities and challenges (pp.7-27). Hershey, PA: IRM Press. Millichap, N. (2003). Building collaborative programs for institutional technology [Electronic Version].

Educause quarterly, 3, 56-59. Strange, C.C., & Banning, J.H. (2001). Educating by design: Creating campus learning

environments that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd Ed.).

Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.