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 University David Wilson, University of Guelph Andrea Chappell, University of Waterloo April 28, 2014

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

3. Why have Advisory Committees? When We

4. Advisory Committees at Queen’s Student Advisory Committee 2011 -> Enterprise Information Technology Advisory Committee 2012 -> Faculty Advisory Committee 2014 ->

5. Student Advisory Committee Created 2011 (stole the idea from University of Guelph) 4 staff – 2 ITServices, 1 Library systems, 1 other campus IT 14 students – from 13 student government/associations Meetings - September – April, 1st Monday @5:30, pizza & pop Annual report with recommendations

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

7. Challenges Scheduling – food helps Who drives the agenda? Turnover – lack of continuity Don’t make promises you can’t keep

8. Must haves Management backing Scribe Did I mention food helps?

9. Wins Alumni email Course enrolment wait lists Timetables

10. When we do it together….

11. University of Guelph • ITSAC – IT Student Advisory Committee • Objectives • Critical Success Factors • Trends • Successes and Challenges

12. University of Guelph • Objectives for ITSAC • Provide a forum for effective dialogue between students and the IT programs/service providers on campus. • Review IT-related programs and services used by students on campus. • Assess and recommend any changes or additions to programs/services for the future. • Submit an annual report including the review and recommendations of ITSAC to CCS and Institutional leadership

13. University of Guelph • Critical Success Factors for ITSAC • Overall community awareness of the group and its mandate • Active participation from committee members, organizational IT service providers as well as student body and IT executive • An effective method of ensuring timely, two way communication between membership and constituent student body needs to be in place early • Role of ITSAC needs to be clear to all stakeholders • Feedback mechanisms to demonstrate that the group is an effective agent for change.

14. University of Guelph • Trends for ITSAC • 2004 – IT services primarily provided by institution. Capability, reliability and performance in certain areas are in some degree deficient and we are looking for institution to remedy it. • 2009 - Infrastructure is in good shape, now we want to do more with technology and we want institution to provide capability as well as skills to use it. Both for us and the faculty • 2013/14 - We are quite happy with the infrastructure. We are looking to external sources for functional solutions. We want the institution • to make information more available and organized so we can use it.

15. University of Guelph • Successes • Implementation of Google Apps for Education • IT Campus Security Awareness Campaign • IT Bytes (short solution cycle issues)

16. University of Guelph • Challenges • Keeping discussion strategic rather than operational • Keeping discussion representational rather than personal • Understanding ITSAC’s role relative to other continuous improvement initiatives, communication channels and sources of IT leadership

17. Andrea Chappell, Director of Instructional Technologies and Media Service, Information Systems and Technology Waterloo IT Advisory committees

18. IT resource groups at Waterloo • Reviewed groups as follow-up to IT community Strategic Plan (ITSP) project • 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

19. IT resource groups are a mix • Computing Technology Services Committee • IT Directors and managers in IST and Faculties • 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 • Admin. Info. Governance Committee - New • Campus data stewards • Info management compliance, access to data, etc. • May infrequently bring items to campus IT committee

20. Sample advisory group: Student Technical Advisory Committee • Chaired by Special Advisor to VP & Provost • Monthly, Sep – Apr, 4:30 – 6pm, incl. supper • STAC recommendations that got traction • Better cell coverage • More complete wireless coverage • Student portal (slow to get started) • Access to data/Open data (infrastructure for, process to “clear” data not complete) OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

21. Need another committee (um, meeting)? • Do you need to create a new committee? • Do you need a specific constituent group committee? • Do you need a committee focused on IT, or could you tap into other user groups? • Consider the existing meeting group membership and mandates • What gaps exist? How might those be filled? OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

22. Go Green: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! • E.g., 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

23. When needed, create a group • E.g., created ad hoc faculty focus group for proactive learning environ “scan”, feedback • 15 – 20 profs, from all Faculties, mix of heavy, typical, and light instructional tech users • Sent questions in advance • Met as a focus group, got input • Summarized back to group • Duties over, group dissolved OUCC 2014 – Customer Relationships and Advisory Groups panel

24. 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

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