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1. Launching a New Reservations System Mike Strong
Assistant Director, University Center
Widener University
2. Purpose & Plan of Action This will be an INTERACTIVE and ACTIVE discussion!
I will tell you about my software experience
and our current launch.
Then we will talk about reservations systems and how they work at our individual institutions.
3. About Widener University Mens sana in corpore sano
Mission, Vision, Goals
Institutional profile
Student body
Academic atmosphere
Division of Student Affairs
Mission, Vision, Goals
Organizational Structure
4. About University Center Function (compared with student union/center)
Facility Information:
54,000 square feet
3 levelsoffices, lounges, meeting rooms
Department Responsibility Areas
Reservations/Event Servicesnon-academic
Student Programming Logistics
Marketing/Advertising for Division
Campus Master Calendars
Performance & Lecture Series
Facility Management: two main areas, two quasi areas
Assistant Director Responsibility Areas
Department Management: Staffing, Budgeting, Programming, Planning/Development, Assessment
Programming committee membership
Divisional leadership opportunities
5. Why we needed to change! Miracle old reservation system
Communication Process
Statistical Power
Basically, it was worthless to us!
6. New System R25 Purchased by University c. 2003
Problems right from the start!
IT refused to support program
Would not send representative to Oregon
Would not network system and add security features
2003-2006
System sat idle
but we continued to pay for it
Initial data entry started in 2005 but then stopped
7. 2007 New push for program revival
Special Events Coordinator
Assistant Director, UCTR
Chief Information Officer
Implementation Team renewed
University Systems (IT)
Special Events
University Center
Registrars Office
Enrollment Services
8. 2007-2008 Data structure and entry began
Conceptualization of space, structure, cabinets, etc. started
Key Questions to Answer:
What do we want to be able to track?
How do we want to describe our usage patterns?
Will this setting be optimal?
9. Challenges in 2007-2008 No training on how the program works for any of the data entry personnel
Loss of Special Events Coordinator (implementation chair)no plan to replace them
Structure was more complex than we expectedThere was no foundation and it had to be built from scratch!
10. Benefits to the Challenges New chair emerged with centralized functionsUniversity Center
Lack of training forced a detailed study of the program and its data entry methodsenhanced our understanding of what it does and how to do it ten-fold
11. On-Going Concerns Politics
Number of available seats
To centralize or not?
Realignment of university structure
WebViewer
Incorporation of students into process
Selling program to service departments
What do we do with external organizations?
12. Questions for Discussion What system do you use at your university?
What are the primary benefits?
What would you change?
Does it work for you?
What is your event management structure?
Who does reservations?
What spaces are you responsible for?
How do requests outside your responsibility area get processed?
Does this work for you?
13. Questions for Discussion Do you have a centralized reservations process?
What are the primary benefits? Challenges?
Would you change if you could? How?
How did you come to have this process? Who was involved in the decision-making?
14. Questions for Discussion What is the best type of reservations process?
What does it look like?
Who manages it?
What is the process to reserve space?
15. General Questions?
Thank you for your time and attendance. Please stay and complete the session evaluation.