Customer Relationships – what we achieve when we listen to each other

1. Customer Relationships – what we achieve when we listen to each other Judy Russell, Queen's UniversityKelly Rake, Queen's UniversitySaveena Patara, University of GuelphLisa Tomalty, University of Waterloo

2. What’s an Advisory Committee? 2 way communication Collaborative Consultative

3. Why have Advisory Committees? When We

4. IT Advisory Committees at Queen’s Student Advisory Committee 2012 -> Enterprise Information Technology Advisory Committee 2012 -> Faculty Advisory Committee 2014 ->

5. Student Advisory Committee Formed February 2012 Meetings: September – April, 1st Monday @5:30 Annual report with recommendations and commitments Membership 4 staff – 2 ITServices, 1 Library systems, 1 other campus IT 14 students – from 13 student government/associations

6. Faculty Advisory Committee Formed January 2014 1 meeting / month – 1 joint meeting with Student Advisory Annual report with recommendations Membership: 5 staff: 4 ITServices including CIO, 1 other from on campus IT 8 faculty: each representing a different faculty or school 1 University Librarian (aka faculty) 1 grad student

7. Wins Opened new lines of communication Alumni email Course enrolment wait lists Student class timetable in calendars PeopleSoft passwords

8. Challenges Scheduling – food helps Who drives the agenda? Membership Turnover Don’t make promises you can’t keep

9. Keys to success Management support Scribe Did I mention food helps?

10. When we do it together….

11. U of G’s Information Technology Student Advisory Committee (ITSAC) Saveena Patara, Systems Analyst & ITSAC ChairComputing & Communication Services (CCS)

12. Objectives & Outcomes • Objectives • Provide forum for students & IT staff dialogue • Review IT related services used by students • Assess and recommend changes to services • Outcomes • Annual review and recommendations report • Response to report by service owners & management

13. Membership & Recruitment • Membership Opportunities • 20 undergrad/grad positions • 4 staff positions • Recruitment Strategy • Students: invitation via email in September • Staff: call for volunteers…

14. Roles & Responsibilities • Students • Voice for the constituency they represent to give/get information to/from constituents on IT related issues • Chairs • Administrative (create & distribute agendas; organize & facilitate meetings, take minutes, write annual report) • Seek out answers and address concerns brought forward • Provide food 

15. Criteria for Success • Clear & shared understanding role, responsibilities & objectives by students and staff • Member engagement • Enthusiastic & innovative leadership • Demonstrate value of participating

16. Challenges • Participation & scheduling • Misguided perceptions: ITSAC = technical skills • Limited mechanisms to elicit constituent feedback • Member feedback: representational or personal? • Strategic vs. operational discussions • Annual report …effective end product?

17. Strengths • Longevity of committee • Achieving outlined objectives • Willingness to engage • Providing response to feedback • Rotating roles

18. Going Forward… • Explore innovative ways to recruit, engage & facilitate • Highlight how participation can be of value to student • Ensure concise & clear communication • Embracing new trends  social media • Don’t make assumptions • Draw on strengths of others - e.g. communications, marketing, chairing meetings

19. Lisa Tomalty, Manager, Customer Relations and Support Information Systems and Technology Waterloo IT committees

20. IT resource groups at Waterloo • 15+ groups, various purposes • All groups include information sharing • Operations & change planning • Advisory to another group • User groups • Mix of IT service providers, and IT users OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

21. IT resource groups are a mix • Computing Technology Services Committee • IT Directors and managers in IST, Faculties, Library • Meant as resource to campus IT committee, for operational issues, planning implementations, infrastructure topics • Learning Environment Operations • 4 collaborating departments for tech and pedagogical support areas • Student Technical Advisory Committee • Chaired by Special Advisor to VP & Provost • STAC recommendations that got traction • Cell and wireless coverage, Student portal, Access to data/Open data

22. Faculty Computing User Support Group (FACCUS) • Resource group for IT staff providing user support in the faculties, Information Systems & Technology (IST), colleges, the Library and some administrative areas • Run by its members • Meets twice per term • Once as FACCUS • Once as Service Desk Initiatives –reduce reuse recycle .. • Helps enable collaborative support for users • New Service Desks web site will also assist with this

23. FACCUS Meetings Meet other IT support staff from across campus Share ideas/talk about current initiatives Seek advice on issues Share resources • Documentation • Tools • Training Updates about central services, common issues that affect all areas • SharePoint • GroupMail, etc. Planning • Share info/dates • Get advice from members

24. Service Desk Initiatives Group • A subgroup of FACCUS • Formed to allow members of FACCUS to focus on improvements and new initiatives • Service improvement • Shared documentation and training • Advertising/marketing • Communication (e.g. new web site) • Tools and solutions

25. Recent FACCUS Initiatives • Common branding for service desks (web, name tags, digital signs) • Shared training/documentation –technical, customer service • New ‘one stop’ user focused web site • Coming soon… • Co-operation with extended hours Service Desk (day and evening/weekends) • Collaboration on user issues/support (printing, profile issues, network troubleshooting course)

26. So, another strategy … • Find regularly meeting constituent groups • Students, Faculty, Staff, IT Staff, Administrative users, etc. • Find mandates and membership, consult Chair; if fits, get on their agendas • Consider short term for targeted input/feedback • Ad hoc groups, focus groups, surveys, etc. • But, if needed, create a new group! OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

27. Go Green: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! • E.g. planning for input/feedback for Tech-enabled T&L • Learning Environment Operations • Student Technical Advisory Committee • Undergraduate Operations • Graduate Operations • Teaching Fellows – one for each Faculty • Student Success Office – organize focus groups • Faculty Association • Federation of Students OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

28. Over to you … Questions? Comments? Or, we’ll ask you …  OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

29. Feel free to contact us Judy Russell russellj@queensu.ca Kelly Rake kelly.rake@queensu.ca Saveena Patara spatara@uoguelph.ca Lisa Tomalty ltomalty@uwaterloo.ca