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Category: Strategic Planning

webMethods upgrade May 19

The Division of Information Technology (IT) will upgrade webMethods to 10.5 on Wednesday, May 19. There will be little to no downtime during the upgrade.

K-State uses webMethods to automate tasks by connecting apps and services. Some of the services that use webMethods include KSIS, HRIS, Qualtrics, and Canvas.

Upgrading webMethods to 10.5 will provide improved security and stability. The upgrade is part of the IT Strategic Goal to modernize K-State’s Infrastructure. To learn more, view K-State’s IT Strategic Plan.

Update on infrastructure improvements and cloud migrations

As part of the IT Strategic Plan that includes a cloud-first strategy and modernizing the data center, K-State continues to make progress on both fronts. Some of our accomplishments over the past six months include:

  • Retiring the HP Cluster, which allows for continued migrations to the cloud.
  • Partnering with K-State Polytechnic on the CommVault backup system.
  • Upgrading the cloud databases for KSIS, HRIS, and Undergraduate. Admissions Application system, uAchieve DARS (Degree Auditing Reporting System), CTAM (supports GoArmyEd), and JobApp (online student job portal for Information Technology).
  • Using AWS AppStream for KSIS, HRIS, and uAchieve DARS.
  • Migrating Fjord to improve security and resiliency.

As of July 23, 2020, only 333 virtual machines remain in the Hale Library Data Center. Upcoming projects include removal of unused/retired equipment and the following in progress migrations or upgrades:

  • Teval (K-State course evaluations).
  • EIS (Global Campus’s course search).
  • ExpanSIS (Institute for Academic Alliances’s course management system).
  • SGA Elections (K-State Student Governing Association’s online voting system).
  • K-State Web Pages.
  • Identity Management.
  • Telecom (K-State telecommunication billing system).
  • ImageNow (K-State’s document management system).
  • Multiple behind-the-scenes services.

Recently, IT staff were asked about the benefits of moving to the cloud and resounding positives centered around cost optimization, reducing the footprint of the on-premise data center, increased opportunities for growth and professional development, and increased interaction with IT staff from across campus.

Save the date: CRM Town Hall March 2

Save the date now for the sixth CRM Town Hall meeting! The next Town Hall is 3 to 5 p.m., Mon., Mar. 2, in the College of Business Administration, Room 4061.

This Town Hall will have a different format from previous Town Halls. There will be no breakout sessions. The Town Hall will start with a 30-minute CRM project status update, and then the rest of the meeting will be used to demo features of the CRM. Continue reading “Save the date: CRM Town Hall March 2”

CRM Town Hall Dec. 12

Registration opens Mon., Nov. 18, for the fifth CRM Town Hall meeting. The Town Hall is 1 to 3 p.m., Thurs., Dec. 12, in the College of Business Administration, Room 4061.

The Town Hall will start with a 30-minute CRM project status update. This part of the meeting is open to everyone via Zoom and does not require registration. Go to k-state.edu/crm/town-hall for the Zoom ID. You will need to use your eID and password to view this page. Continue reading “CRM Town Hall Dec. 12”

CRM introduction training Oct. 31, Nov. 12, and Dec. 2

CRM Introduction Training has been scheduled for Oct. 31, Nov. 12, and Dec. 2. All training sessions will be in Calvin Hall 306, and training will last for 1.5 hours. Training sessions are limited to 20 people per session. You must be enrolled in the session to attend.

To sign up for training, sign in to HRIS.

  1. Under Self Service, choose Learning and Development, then KSU Training Enrollment.
  2. On the Request Training Enrollment page, look for CRM Introduction WIT310.
  3. Select View Available Sessions.
  4. Select the Session you would like to attend.
  5. Select Continue.

Continue reading “CRM introduction training Oct. 31, Nov. 12, and Dec. 2”

CRM Town Hall July 30

Registration opens Thursday, July 18, for the third CRM Town Hall meeting. The Town Hall is 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 30, in the College of Business Administration, Room 4061.

The Town Hall will start with a 30-minute CRM project status update. This part of the meeting is open to everyone via Zoom and does not require registration. Go to k-state.edu/crm/town-hall for the Zoom ID. You will need to use your eID and password to view this page.

The next part of the meeting will focus on business processes and requires registration. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their use of a CRM system for undergraduate recruitment. Individuals can evaluate what is currently working and not working in their recruitment processes. Please be aware these are different sessions than the previous Town Hall, but we welcome new and past participants.

Continue reading “CRM Town Hall July 30”

CRM Town Hall July 18

Registration opens Monday, July 8, for the second CRM Town Hall meeting. The Town Hall is 10 a.m.-noon, Thursday, July 18, in the College of Business Administration, Room 4061.

The Town Hall will start with a 30-minute CRM project status update. This part of the meeting is open to everyone via Zoom and does not require registration. Go to k-state.edu/crm/town-hall for the Zoom ID. You will need to use your eID and password to view this page.

The next part of the meeting will focus on business processes and requires registration. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their use of a CRM system for undergraduate recruitment. Individuals can evaluate what is currently working and not working in their recruitment processes. Please be aware these are different sessions than the previous Town Hall, but we welcome new and past participants.

Continue reading “CRM Town Hall July 18”

New CRM selected for student recruitment

The Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) search committee is happy to announce TargetX, powered by Salesforce, as K-State’s new CRM for undergraduate and graduate recruitment.

TargetX received high ratings from the campus community following their product presentation. Throughout the selection process, TargetX demonstrated the ability to meet K-State’s business needs by providing a strong platform that will follow the lifecycle of a student. More information about the selection process is available in previous updates posted on the CRM website.

Key benefits and features of TargetX include:

  • Campus-wide collaboration
  • Business process automation
  • Sleek and mobile-friendly tools
  • Web-based platform
  • Constituent catered portal
  • Salesforce CRM solution and applications

Town Hall meetings kicked-off on June 26, with others to follow on July 18 and July 30. Each Town Hall consists of two parts. The first part is a 30-minute CRM project status update and is open to all via Zoom. The second part focuses on business processes and requires registration and in-person attendance. To learn more about the Town Halls, go to k-state.edu/crm/town-hall.  You will need to sign in with your eID and password to view this page.

Stay up to date about the K-State CRM by visiting k-state.edu/crm.

Elsasser named deputy CIO for business intelligence and analytics

Jan Elsasser has been named Deputy CIO for business intelligence and analytics. Most recently, Elsasser served as assistant vice president/director of technology & information services in Student Life supporting student success and enrollment management. Over the last 25 years, she has worked in various capacities in admissions, information management, and network technologies for K-State and the K-State Foundation.

Notable projects include:

  • Oversight for K-State 360, the co-curricular tracking application
  • Expansion for CampusNexus CRM

Currently, Elsasser is leading the project team to implement a university-wide Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) solution to improve the management of student relationships for recruitment, enrollment, and student success.

Elsasser earned a bachelor’s of science in social science from Kansas State and a masters of science in human computer interaction from Iowa State University. She will serve as one of the four Deputy CIO positions who along with the CIO will make-up the executive leadership team for Information Technology Services.

 

Save the date: CRM town halls scheduled June 26, July 18, July 30

The Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) search committee is finalizing the contracts for a new CRM vendor for student recruitment. The committee will soon be announcing the new vendor.

The next step in the CRM process is to conduct Town Hall meetings to discuss business processes and implementation planning. The College of Business Administration, Room 4061, will host all Town Hall meetings on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, June 26, 1-3 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 18, 10 a.m.-noon
  • Tuesday, July 30, 1-3 p.m.

Continue reading “Save the date: CRM town halls scheduled June 26, July 18, July 30”