Colleague and uPortal Colleague and uPortal Make a ConnectionMake a Connection

Colleague and uPortal Colleague and uPortal Make a ConnectionMake a Connection

David L. RotmanDavid L. Rotman

Cedarville UniversityCedarville University

May 2003May 2003

What is a Portal?

• “A site featuring a suite of commonly used services…” (www.marketingterms.com)

• Vertical portal “great amount of content and services…on many subjects” (www.clienthelpdesk.com)

What is a portal?

• Horizontal portal “great amount of information on a specific subject…” (www.clienthelpdesk.com)

• “World Wide Web site whose purpose is to be a major starting point for users…” (www.mariosalexandrou.com)

Portal Definition

• Entry point• Collection of resources• Personalized

– Content varies depending on the viewer

• Customizable– Viewer may change the look and

(sometimes) the content

Why use a Portal?• Provide life-long connection to CU• Increase application yield by keeping

prospective students updated with CU– Interest-specific channels: sports

updates, engineering updates, etc.– Admissions/Financial Aid timeline and

status

Why use a Portal?

• Provide customizable homepage for campus folks

• Reduce Internet traffic (weather: current/forecast, news gadgets)

• Modernize intranet/extranet parts of website

Why uPortal?

• Acceptable interface• Ease of customization• Integration with

WebCT/Blackboard• Focused on higher education

Why uPortal?

• Major clients live– Columbia University– Northern Arizona University– Princeton University– University of Delaware– Etc.

• Software cost

Why not uPortal?

• Limited commercial support until recently

• Small installed base (compared with ??)

• Framework more than a solution

Cedarville Environment• General

– 3,000 students– 99% undergraduate– 80% live on campus– 2,300 CU-owned computers– Resnet since 1992– Emphasis on use of technology

• Portal-specific– Existing non-customizable “entry portal”– Extensive set of online transactions

Before uPortal (FacStaff Entry)

With uPortal (FacStaff Entry)

Before uPortal (CedarInfo)

With uPortal (CedarInfo)

myCedarville Demo• Logging in• Identify portal components

– Entry point– Collection of resources– Personalization– Customization

Academic Transactions• Online quizzing • Parent access maintenance • Register yourself for classes • Request printed grade card • Set your e-mail class • View your class schedule• View your restrictions/holds • View your transcript

Sample Student Schedule

Advising Transactions (Partial List)

• Get a list of advisees • Lookup person info • Lookup prospect info • Register an advisee for classes• Search alumni directory• View a student's schedule • View a student's transcript • View advisee folder

Advisee Folder (top)

ID 5432100Name Smithy, Bill J. Class FRDorm/Phone/Box LAW 98A Phone 8765 Campus Box 9111

Mailing Info Mr. Bill J. Smithy 530842 West Washington Way Lincoln, IL 60699Home Phone 800-555-1212E-mail someguy@aol.com (HOM)

Home_Church 1413567 First Baptist Church, Lincoln, IL 60698

Advisee Folder (middle)

High_School 9362135 Lincoln Senior High School, Lincoln, IL 60697HS GPA/Grad Yr 3.421 2002HS Rank 63 / 453 86th PercentileACT Scores (Overall) Composite 25 -- English 27, Math 22, Natural Science 28, Reading 22

ACT Scores (Highest) English 27 Math 22 Natural Sciences 28 Reading 22

Application Status MS Moved to Students 07/01/2002Acceptance Status A1 Regular Acceptance 12/06/2001Admit Status FR 1st Time Freshman

Foreign Language Spanish 3.0 year(s)

Advisee Folder (bottom)Degree program: BA.MATH Antic completion.......: Major..................: MATH Mathematics Major..................: PHYS Physics In honors program......: No

Interests Ministries, Music - instrumental, Music - vocal,

National Honor Soc., Who's Who, Youth Group Memb

View High School and Transfer Transcripts View Cedarville Transcript by Term View Cedarville Transcript by Dept Lookup another advisee folder

Campus Services• Audio-video services • Banner request • Computer problem report • Food service catering request • Maintenance work order • Parking sticker request • Production services • Room reservation request • Vehicle reservation request

Curricular Transactions

• Enter final grades (faculty) • Enter final grades (secretaries) • Enter final grades from text file

(faculty) • Get a class roster • Get a list of ungraded course

sections

Enter Final Grades

Class Roster

Employee Services

• Business card request • Department time card summary • Payroll direct deposit signup • Section 125 enrollment • Section 125 lookup (current & past

years)

Employee Services

• Time-card quick entry for full-time staff

• Time-card sign-in for work • Time-card sign-out of work • Time-card view/modify • View your pay period information

Department Time Card Summary

Financial Transactions (Partial List)

• Enter departmental budget request for 2003-2004

• General ledger departmental lookup • Interdepartmental Charge Form

(ICF) • Request a check from your account • Select a meal plan for a term

Financial Transactions

• View your business office account • View your financial aid award

summary • View your financial aid history • View your online award letter • View your payment plan for a

particular term

Individual Transactions (Partial List)

• Change person to access • Change your student/facstaff

visibility settings • Classified ad email options • Lookup church and school info

Individual Transactions

• Update your employment information

• Update your family information • Update your home-church

information • Update your name/address

information

Student Services (Partial List)

• Dorm sign in • Dorm sign in/out history • Dorm sign out • Enter or view church attendance • Request summer housing• View your chapel attendance• View/modify your activities record

Cedarville Changes to uPortal

• Modified bookmark channel (now incorporated into public distribution)– Added "save" and "edit" functions

• Modified one skin– Use arrow for "return" instead of waffle

logo– Use our colors

Cedarville Changes

• Created custom channels– CedarInfo (existing transactions)– CedarInfo history (last "n" menu

items accessed)– Weather (fetching data from National

Weather Service)

Cedarville Changes• Implemented other channels

– RSS channels• Moreover" news• CDR (campus radio station) Impact news• Cedarville University news releases

– WebProxy channels• Campus calendar• Facstaff resources• Student resources• Quicklinks• Campus services• Cedarville University sports scoreboard and

upcoming events• What's New• myCedarville FAQ• Feedback

– Image channels• Construction Web cam

Cedarville Changes

• Integrated into our network authentication service– Portal authentication using LDAP– Synchronizing portal groups with

LDAP (NDS) groups– Setting group hierarchy

Cost of Implementing uPortal

• uPortal software (free)• Portal server(s)• Database server• DBMS (mySQL or MS SQLServer)• Portal training (Unicon)• JA-SIG conference attendance• System analyst time (400-600 hours

so far)

Lessons Learned• Do lots of brainstorming.• Take your time.• Provide adequate server

horsepower.• Pilot with small groups of

participants.

Q & A

Final Thoughts• Our best solution may not be your

best solution.• Meet customer needs.• Develop talented staff.• Be thankful for each day that God

gives you life.