Enhancing the Orientation Experience

Transcription

1 Enhancing the Orientation Experience Project Sponsor: Linda Deanna, AVCSA, Dean of Students Project Team Lead: Jessica Stewart Project Management Plan Prepared By: Jessica Stewart Date: June 24, 2015 Content Purpose Scope Expected Outcomes Project Management Deliverables Assumptions Assessment Plan Monitoring and Control Roles and Responsibilities Communications Plan Change Process Adapted from rethink PSU Project Management Template. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

2 Purpose The purpose of the Enhancing the Orientation Experience project is to: 1. Redesign the orientation website with easy to navigate segments for First Year Students, Transfer Students, International Students, and Families. Enhancements will include, but aren t limited to the following: streamlined information and content, orientation staff profiles, dynamic navigation, and specifically tailored content for each subgroup. 2. Develop an online orientation platform comprised of mandatory pre and post orientation modules to extend support throughout the first year and ensure participants arrive to orientation with a common baseline of UIC knowledge and leave orientation with access to a tool to provide students with information on a just in time basis. 3. Partner with classroom services and facilities to ensure quality spaces with well maintained mechanics and electronics are dedicated for orientation events in the summer leaving a positive impression on the participants. 4. Improve the participation of the advising units and faculty members in orientation. Scope The Enhancing the Orientation Experience initiative will create distinct web based experiences including but not limited to an updated website to provide pertinent information to students and families in preparation for orientation. Additionally, an online orientation platform will be developed to provide students and families with just in time information to facilitate their transition into the UIC community. Through online web modules and videos, students and families will gain additional knowledge and skills allowing them to arrive to orientation with a common baseline of knowledge, get the most of their orientation experience, and continue their orientation experience throughout the first year. In connection to other success projects the Enhancing the Orientation Experience members will collaborate with the groups charged with advising and faculty interaction to coordinate outcomes and involvement via web modules and other project deliverables. Expected Outcomes The project team will work with the project manager to develop the following: 1. Web content for a new orientation website with easy to navigate segments for First Year Students, Transfer Students, International Students, and Families. Campus Auxiliary Services Information Technology (CASIT) will develop the new orientation website in consultation with the implementation team. 2. Develop an online orientation program comprised of mandatory pre and post orientation modules to extend support throughout the first year. This will include securing the services of Advantage Design Group, an external vendor, who will design the modules. 3. Partner with classroom services to develop a new classroom prioritization plan, which will give orientation greater leverage while securing summer space reservations. 4. Establish opportunities for more meaningful interaction with faculty and advisors during orientation. 2 P age

3 Project Management Deliverables The project team will work with the project manager to develop the following documents and project management tools: Project Management Plan Project Work plan Project Log Meeting documents Regular Status reports End of Project Report Assumptions It is our assumption that this initiative is endorsed by the campus leadership and will be supported by the project sponsor as well as the Office of Project Management for Student Success Initiatives for the success of this project. We assume that the individual undergraduate colleges and the first year experience curriculum will support and encourage mandatory participation in the orientation enhancement initiatives. We assume that the Registrars Office and the Office of Classroom Scheduling will provide a framework for successfully securing quality classroom and lab spaces for the summer orientation programs. If there are issues with this initiative beyond the authority of the project team, we will refer these issues to the project sponsor. We assume the project participants and identified stakeholders have the time to accommodate this project in addition to their daily workload. Assessment Plan We will seek to provide greater accessibility to transition information for students and their families. Initially many of the accomplishments will be creating content and bringing new technology online. Many of the outcomes will be borne in collaboration with other committees. Once the objectives for the Collaboration in Advising group and the scope of the Center for Advancement of Teaching Learning Communities project becomes clear then the breadth of our outcomes and ultimate assessment plan will be established. Additionally, once the modules for the online orientation program are developed specific learning outcomes will be established. Initial assessment will be in piloting the new content to beta testers with a tool for them to provide objective feedback such as a survey or focus group. 3 P age

4 Monitoring and Control The project team will meet regularly until the scope of the project is completed and all objectives have been met. When issues arise beyond the authority of the project team they will be referred to the sponsor for assistance. Roles and Responsibilities Role/Assigned Parties Provost and Vice Chancellor Barbara Henley, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Eric Gislason, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Student Success Initiative Implementation Management Team Linda Deanna, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Emanuel Pollack, Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Tom Moss, Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Negar Mansourian Hadavi, Project Manager Project Manager (s) Negar Mansourian Hadavi, Project Manager List of Responsibilities Ultimate authority and responsibility for the project scope, timeline, and budget Provide high level leadership for the entirety of the project and its needs/goals Assure availability of essential project resources Provide guidelines and support for the initiative and act as the liaison for the leadership, the project teams, and the campus Provide support for executive level communications Assist in issue management by removing obstacles inhibiting the Project Team or its stakeholders from forward progress Ensure project objectives are being met, in collaboration with the Project Lead and/or Project Manager Manage overall scope and schedule for the Initiative, including regular reporting and communication Work closely with the Management Team and the Project Leads to ensure the objectives are being met and issues are addressed Assure alignment of project steps for achieving the project outcomes Dedicates time for initial training and continues to provide support for streamlining the process Mitigate issues and risks Own project management plan, and project documentation, including providing general support and project 4 P age

5 management framework to Project Lead Make sure there are clear communication paths between all identified project roles Updates the Students Success Initiative s website with regular status reports of all projects. Project Sponsor(s) Linda Deanna, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Project Team Jeffrey Alton Paula Black Alexandra Ford Jason Maslanka Tom Moss Annie Pho Josephine Volpe Jo Wagner Project Lead Jessica Stewart Provides necessary support to ensure the progress of the project Assures availability of essential resources for the project Receives updates on the Project Team meetings and participate as needed Responsible for executive level communication of the project as applicable Carry out and responsible for daily project tasks Create/contribute to project deliverables as applicable Contribute to creation of project guidelines and procedures as well as regular project updates Serve as first line of defense in issue and risk mitigation Serve as liaisons and project advocate to all project stakeholders Coordinates Project Team meetings and share updates Serves as central point of communication for the project, with the sponsors, the team, and the project manager. Oversees day to day operations of the Project Team Co manages key project documentation with Project Manager Ensures project objectives are being met, in collaboration with the Management Team and/or Project Manager Mitigate issues & risks; address problems as they arise, reaching out to available resources, including the project sponsor. Support and execute project communications plan Project Assistant and/or Project Coordinator Annie Pho Support meeting coordination and project documentation, including meeting minutes, project management plan, or status reports, 5 P age

6 Communication Plan The following chart exhibits how the entire target audiences will be communicated using the tools, channels and roles that have been defined. Tool Purpose Audience Owner Distributor/Channel Frequency Project Status Update Actions and issues follow up The Initiative Status Report Provide status on project Facilitate completing tasks and resolving issues A roll up of the individual status reports designated to communicate Student Success Initiative progress status with the campus Project Sponsor(s)/ Management Team/ Project Team All Project Participants The UIC Campus Project Lead Project Lead / Project Manager/ Project Lead Management Team / Project Manager Project Lead and or Project Manager / & Phone Calls Campus mass / Student Success Initiative website Once per month As needed At least once per term Change Process Any proposed changes to the project described here should be submitted in writing to the Student Success Initiative management team. 6 P age