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As higher ed institutions take steps towards innovation, strategy and technology need to be developed together. On this episode of FOCUS, Heather Fraser of Dalhousie University (Dal) discusses the strategic approach the institution is taking to manage campuswide digital transformation. Fraser, the Director of Enterprise Application Services at Dalhousie, is responsible for managing recent efforts to innovate the institution’s enterprise portfolio. Listen to learn about the importance of ownership of technology and key strategic insights as you bring your institution forward in the digital space.
Approach to managing enterprise-level systems
A recent merger of digital teams brought the management of enterprise applications including OneCard and Banner into one office. The portfolio also includes cloud service technologies management, project management, systems architecture, infrastructure and databases, program development, business intelligence reporting, and the university’s web presence.
Deciding who “owns” the technology
However, the team is looking at shifting how they manage the DalCard. The idea is to shift the decision-making process to better accommodate needs from the business units that use the technology. Using a similar governance to how they already manage Banner, IT partners with all the different functional areas across campus that run the business processes of the technology. So offices such as student affairs and ancillary services would be the front-line support for the end users (students) with the IT team being backend support for those teams.
Driving forces behind moving to the cloud
Additionally, a lot of Dalhousie’s technology partners are making greater investments in their software-as-a-service (SaaS) or in other cloud offerings that are overshadowing what is happening in on-premise solutions. In order to keep up with student expectations, a move to the cloud is an integral part of Dalhousie’s strategy.
Dalhousie University’s Strategic Plan and Digital Strategy
The Digital Strategy has been a driving force behind the decisions they are making from a digital space perspective, which encompasses both technology and people. The document focuses on five key pillars which outlines leadership’s commitment to making Dalhousie a state-of-the-art digital learning campus with an extreme focus on research: Teaching and Learning, People-centric, Research and Innovation, Community Collaborations, and Digital Foundations.
“There is a lot of human focus in this strategic document that you normally may not associate with something that is a digital or technology plan,” said Fraser. “But really it’s a way to look across our entire institution at how we’re going to be able to meet the needs of today’s digital learners and digital teachers.”
Advice for Leading Digital Transformation
Her biggest piece of wisdom to impart on other institutions looking to create change in the face of digital transformations is to not only trust your team, but also work to anticipate the future technology needs of students, faculty, and staff and start the work now. Under a unified team and strategy, shaping the digital landscape of higher ed institutions becomes an exciting exercise of “what if.”
Special Guest: Heather Fraser.
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As higher ed institutions take steps towards innovation, strategy and technology need to be developed together. On this episode of FOCUS, Heather Fraser of Dalhousie University (Dal) discusses the strategic approach the institution is taking to manage campuswide digital transformation. Fraser, the Director of Enterprise Application Services at Dalhousie, is responsible for managing recent efforts to innovate the institution’s enterprise portfolio. Listen to learn about the importance of ownership of technology and key strategic insights as you bring your institution forward in the digital space.
Approach to managing enterprise-level systems
A recent merger of digital teams brought the management of enterprise applications including OneCard and Banner into one office. The portfolio also includes cloud service technologies management, project management, systems architecture, infrastructure and databases, program development, business intelligence reporting, and the university’s web presence.
Deciding who “owns” the technology
However, the team is looking at shifting how they manage the DalCard. The idea is to shift the decision-making process to better accommodate needs from the business units that use the technology. Using a similar governance to how they already manage Banner, IT partners with all the different functional areas across campus that run the business processes of the technology. So offices such as student affairs and ancillary services would be the front-line support for the end users (students) with the IT team being backend support for those teams.
Driving forces behind moving to the cloud
Additionally, a lot of Dalhousie’s technology partners are making greater investments in their software-as-a-service (SaaS) or in other cloud offerings that are overshadowing what is happening in on-premise solutions. In order to keep up with student expectations, a move to the cloud is an integral part of Dalhousie’s strategy.
Dalhousie University’s Strategic Plan and Digital Strategy
The Digital Strategy has been a driving force behind the decisions they are making from a digital space perspective, which encompasses both technology and people. The document focuses on five key pillars which outlines leadership’s commitment to making Dalhousie a state-of-the-art digital learning campus with an extreme focus on research: Teaching and Learning, People-centric, Research and Innovation, Community Collaborations, and Digital Foundations.
“There is a lot of human focus in this strategic document that you normally may not associate with something that is a digital or technology plan,” said Fraser. “But really it’s a way to look across our entire institution at how we’re going to be able to meet the needs of today’s digital learners and digital teachers.”
Advice for Leading Digital Transformation
Her biggest piece of wisdom to impart on other institutions looking to create change in the face of digital transformations is to not only trust your team, but also work to anticipate the future technology needs of students, faculty, and staff and start the work now. Under a unified team and strategy, shaping the digital landscape of higher ed institutions becomes an exciting exercise of “what if.”
Special Guest: Heather Fraser.