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Overview of Current Projects
The Information Technology staff is involved in a number of concurrent initiatives. This part of our web site provides access to information related to these efforts. This page is organized chronologically, meaning that our earliest efforts are listed first and our current/future efforts are listed toward the bottom. Also, the green bars represent completed projects while the red ones represent projects currently underway. Yellow indicates a project not yet underway but planned. The overall timeline of our projects is dynamic and here is an updated version of it:
New River Services in 2007 | Projects Timeline | New River Services in 2011
Project 22 - New Data Center (completed June 2011)
This project involved migrating all New River servers to a new virtualized data center. It also allows us to begin the implementation of our own off-site disaster recovery solution as we create a secondary data center in Ghent at the Advanced Technology Center. This is not just replacing equipment but also drastically changing how we do business. Instead of a server for each service we are virtualizing the data center to provide many savings and efficiencies while also greatly improving our flexibility for creating new services.
Project 21 - Online Admissions and Registration
This project is currently underway. SCT Banner will be used as an online interface to directly receive admission and registration data.
Project 20 - Banner 8 Upgrade
We completed this migration from Banner 7.x to 8.x prior to July 1, 2010.
Project 19 - ANGEL Migration
After lengthy procurement delays, this project officially began on Friday, November 13, 2009 and was completed prior to January 19, 2010.
Project 18 - Financial Aid
Part of the overall transition of services from Bluefield State College, New River data has been migrated to the new Banner at WVNET.
Project 17 - Human Resources
New River maintains personnel data (only for full-time employees; Regular Student Employees, Extra Help and Adjuncts are not included) using a customized addition to SCT Banner. These data were migrated completely in September 2009. Given that the data are not inclusive of all employees and that the customized add-on to SCT Banner cannot be fully supported into the future, New River must identify a new Human Resources system that will support inclusion of all employees.
Project 16 - Banner Student
Part of the overall transition of services from Bluefield State College, the New River most data has been migrated to the new Banner WVNET. Key personnel continue to access the Banner BSC for some academic history.
Project 15 - Banner Finance
Part of the overall transition of services from Bluefield State College, New River data have been migrated.
Project 14 - IVN
New River has created a robust Interactive Video Network (IVN) comprised of more than a dozen classrooms. This project was planned to take a total of three years and was funded entirely by a Title III grant. The project began in 2008 and was completed in 2010.
Project 13 - Corporate Cell Phones
In the past, New River issued select individuals a corporate cell phone. The plan for the future is to no longer issue any corporate cell phones but to instead provide monthly stipends to select employees so that they can provide their own phones but receive some funds to offset the expected corporate usage. This procedures/policy has been developed but not yet fully approved and implemented. It is currently in the Finance office awaiting implementation.
Project 12 - Network and Phones
New River began this project in mid-2007 and after lengthy procurement delays, the data network was completely installed in November 2009. The phone and video portions of the network are still ongoing but are expected to be completed prior to 2010.
Project 11 - Joomla Upgrade
New River uses the open source web content management system named Joomla for its public web site (www.newriver.edu). Being open source, Joomla has many add-ons and upgrading Joomla typically involves upgrading both Joomla as well as these add-ons. New River doesn't have a TEST server, so any updates are actually done on the PROD web site. We are now periodically performing the updates to avoid falling too far behind the current version. This project however, involved a major upgrade from version 1.x to 1.5.x. We are now planning to upgrade to Joomla 1.6.x.
Project 10 - Leave Management (completed on May 1, 2009)
New River copied the Leave Management database that was previously used at Bluefield State College (it is also used elsewhere throughout the state and is actually provided by the HEPC). We did some minor custimizations and would like to eventually come back to make more significant customizations.
Project 9 - ID Cards
New River assumed the responsibilty for creating ID Cards in early 2008.
Project 8 - Web
A new layout and design was developed and implemented for the New River web site and home page (http://www.newriver.edu) and it was completed in 2008. We contracted with WeldCreative.com to provide us with a new Joomla Templates and style sheets that will change "the look" of the site. The actual organization of the information and the information itself was also explored. Starting with the information on the current site, the site architecture was redesigned by the IT Advisory Group (blank Site Structure Plan). Each web page will then be assigned to someone who will be responsible for the content of that page. We now provide training for these folks to enable them to do the necessary content updates. Part of this project will also include moving the site from a company now hosting it in VA to one of our New River servers in Beckley. This entire effort was completed on March 25, 2008 with training and maintenance continuing beyond that date.
Project 7 - People Search (completed May 15, 2008)
We integrated the Active Directory with a public-facing directory database and then re-examined how people were organized (the OU's) and the categories of information that we were using for them to create People Search. An interactive, searchable directory of all New River email account holders (students, employees and guests). Future efforts in this area will be to refine groupings, updating position titles in Banner/Active Directory to help categorize and identify people, while also adding new customized fields, perhaps even photos, to meet ongoing needs.
Project 6 - Emergency Alert System (completed March 5, 2008)
A new Emergency Alert System for New River was implemented on March 5, 2008.
Project 5 - Help Desk
New River implemented an online ticket management system (IssuTrak) in early 2008.
Project 4 - Course Management (completed January 2008)
On December 28, 2007 we moved all our WebCT courses and accounts from the Bluefield State College server to a New River WebCT server. The name (URL) of the server actually remained the same (http://webct.newriver.edu).
Starting in Spring 2008, every New River course section will have a course shell in WebCT. The significance of this change becomes apparent when you realize that in Spring 2007 there were 23 New River course sections online in WebCT (and 22 in CART making 45 total). In Spring 2008 we will have over 500! Every course section will have an online syllabus and we expect an increasing number of courses to begin utilizing other aspects of WebCT. This increased usage is expected to lead to a rapid increase in the number of completely online courses as well, since so many instructors will become familiar with the online course development process and the WebCT interface and functionality.
Outcomes of this project will include:
- Every course section will be available online with at least a syllabus.
- The number of courses using WebCT as a supplement will rapidely increase and we expect increases in both web-enhanced an completely online courses as well.
- Confusion caused by having two course management solutions will begin to decrease in Spring 2008 and will end by Summer 2008.
- There will be an immediate increase in the number of courses with at least a syllabus online (from 45 to over 500).
- The number of completely online courses will begin to increase rapidly as instructors (and students) gain familiarity with the interface and functionality of WebCT.
- Enrollment information in WebCT will be updated daily (using batch files from Banner). The standardization of the Course ID and Course Title will make these daily updates possible.
- New River will be able to brand WebCT to reflect institutional color schemes and graphics (see below).
- Additionally, some systemwide features of WebCT will become available as well (announcements, institutional bookmarks). And the standardization of WebCT data will enable us to make the Course Title and Course ID more informative to the users (see the yellow circles below for these 8 areas where the myWebCT page will change).
- Training will be offered for instructors to familiarize them with using WebCT and to explore options relevant to their role as Designers. Some basic orientation to WebCT will be incorporated into the New Student Orientation training.
Project 3 - Email and Active Directory (completed January 2008)
On January 2, 2008 we moved all New River email accounts from the Bluefield State College email server to an email server at New River. A new address for checking email via a web browser became available at that time (http://mail.newriver.edu/owa/). Outcomes of this project include:
- Usernames and email addresses remained the same (username@newriver.edu).
- Passwords were reset to the 9-digit New River ID number for all users. If you don't know your password or username we'll have a web site where you can obtain the information.
- All students, faculty, staff, and alumni will have New River email accounts and will be included in a searchable directory (thus improving communications significantly and improving our ability to contact everyone in the event of an emergency).
- The New River email account will be the primary method of electronic communication at New River. If you prefer not to check your New River email account you may forward your email from your New River account to another account that you do check frequently. That way you don't miss important communications.
- Security of communications will be increased by restricting administrative access to only key New River personnel and by adopting other security measures.
- The only training required as a result of this project will be incorporated into our Orientation Workshop for new faculty, staff, and students. Existing users will not need training.
Please review the email policy that reflects the scope of options that are available to users.
Project 2 - Domain Name Change
New River changed the domain name from nrctc.edu to newriver.edu in early 2008.
Project 1 - Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 (completed September 2007)
New River completed the upgrades from Windows XP to Vista and from Office 2003 to Office 2007 on schedule at the end of September 2007. The final steps in these upgrades included user training at each campus and assisting users with making recommended changes to their computer configurations. The total number of computers upgraded was about 350.
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