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to Enablers of Institutional Goals
Features
Transforming Portals from Gateways
to Enablers of Institutional Goals
9/26/2003
Providing Centralized and Customized Access from a Single Sign On
Once the information is up on the Web, it needs to be readily accessible to
users. Webster University's current online information is not accessible from
a single point of access, and the onus is on the student to figure out which
department handles what function. The process is frustrating and time-consuming.
In the past, students have accepted the difficulties and complexities of conducting
business with the university. But, now, we’re dealing with undergraduates
who have interacted with the Internet since they were 12 years old, and sophisticated
adults who have a much higher expectation for online services.
To tackle this challenge, we implemented technology that will provide centralized and customized Web access to campus information, services, and communities from a single sign on within the portal. Users will be able to read only the announcements targeted specifically to them, check their e-mail, collaborate, and of course, attend classes—all from within one portal, with one sign on. At the same time, the portal will provide intuitive navigation to orient users as to where they are within the framework of Web services, whether they are paying bills or taking a course online.
The portal we will offer students will have advanced messaging tools like forums, a chat interface, and message boards. Having those community elements available within the portal—rather than only within a course management system—will allow extensive access for instructors to create a cyberspace where students can chat and collaborate, as well as provide a discussion forum for student groups, faculty projects, and other communities.
Integrating Underlying Data and Applications
A final challenge is integrating the back-end databases and applications throughout
our university. This challenge grows almost every day as different departments
and colleges request that access to their information or services be made available
online. For example, development offices want to communicate with alumni via
the Internet; Career Services, the Registrar, and many other stakeholders have
unique online communications needs. Of course, online education presents a challenge
all its own.
Many resourceful students and faculty at our university have found ways to get their services or information online. The result is a myriad of subsystems that are not integrated. We currently collect data through various Web-based sources, then reconcile the information into our administrative system—by hand. This process is time consuming and inefficient.
We need to make all of our current and emerging online services available to users through a single point-of-access, and we need to integrate all the corresponding data that flows from multiple sources. This type of technology provides for integration of services and applications that underlie the portal. In the future, we will have data integration and sharing among our diversified campus systems, applications, and databases.
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