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. The overall timeline of our projects is dynamic, but here is an updated version of it:

Project 01 - Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 (completed September 2007)

New River completed the upgrades from 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.

Project 02 - Email and Directory Services (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://email.newriver.edu). Outcomes of this project include:

1. Usernames and email addresses remained the same (username@newriver.edu).
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. Security of communications will be increased by restricting administrative access to only key New River personnel and by adopting other security measures.
6. 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.

Old Server Configuration	New Server Configuration

Please review the email policy that reflects the scope of options that are available to users.

Project 03 - WebCT (completed January 2008)

On December 28, 2007 we will move all our WebCT courses and accounts from the Bluefield State College server to a New River WebCT server. The name (URL) of the server will actually remain 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:

1. Every course section will be available online with at least a syllabus.
2. 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.
3. Confusion caused by having two course management solutions will begin to decrease in Spring 2008 and will end by Summer 2008.
4. There will be an immediate increase in the number of courses with at least a syllabus online (from 45 to over 500).
5. The number of completely online courses will begin to increase rapidly as instructors (and students) gain familiarity with the interface and functionality of WebCT.
6. 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.
7. New River will be able to brand WebCT to reflect institutional color schemes and graphics (see below).
8. 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).
9. 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 04 - Emergency Alert System (completed March 5, 2008)

A new Emergency Alert System for New River was implemented on March 5, 2008.

Project 05 - Web Site (completed May 15, 2008)

A new layout and design is being developed for the New River web site and home page (http://www.newriver.edu). We expect to publish this information after final testing is completed and this should be around the mid-term point of the Spring 2008 semester. We've 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 must also be explored. Starting with the information on the current site, the site architecture will be 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 will 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 should be completed by March 25, 2008 with training and maintenance continuing beyond that date.

Project 06 - Network and Telecommunications (to be completed by September 2008)

Currently, New River contracts network and telecommunications services through BSC. This project will determine current bandwidth usage and will then provide a New River network capable of addressing current and future data and voice needs. Routine monitoring and maintenance will become New River responsibilities and response times for phone-related issues will improve by having on-site technicians trained to provide these services. A completion date for this project has not yet been determined and will require approval of the FY2008-2009 budget request.

Project 07 - Interactive Video Network (IVN) Upgrades and Expansion (to be completed by May 2009)

Currently, New River contracts these services through BSC and existing hardware/software is outdated and in need of upgrades and replacements. This project will renew existing resources while standardizing and enhancing them. Additionally, the current 6 locations will be expanded to include 3 new sites (1 at Beckley, Lewisburg, and Summersville). Routine scheduling, monitoring and maintenance will become New River responsibilities and response times for IVN-related issues will improve by having on-site technicians trained to provide these services. A completion date for this project has not yet been determined and will require approval of the FY2008-2009 budget request.

Project 08 - Annual Renewal of Computing Resources

New River currently owns over 400 computers and we must annually replace about 25% of these to maintain a 4-year replacement cycle. The cost of this annual project is included in the IT budget request (about $150,000). Replacement decisions are based on the configuration of the computer (see guidelines) and the IT staff maintain an equipment inventory to facilitate this task. Adjustments must continually be made as New River continues to grow and as technology continues to develop at an ever-increasing rapid pace.

Project 09 - Finance and Student Systems

Currently, New River contracts these services through BSC using SCT Banner. A prerequisite to completing this project is to hire a Chief Financial Officer and a Registrar to guide the decisions and assist with the implementation. A completion date for this project has not yet been determined and will require approval of the FY2008-2009 budget request.

Project 10 - New Services

There are many technological solutions not yet implemented at New River. Some of these new services are: Degree Auditing System, Document Management, ID Cards, and an HR System. Each of these projects could be completed independently or in conjunction with related projects. They are listed here simply for planning purposes.