UNews - Jamie Chinn

Internet portal to revolutionize web world

trevor.kenney — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:01:42 +0000

Imagine a world where you sign on to your computer in the morning and have access to every ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ service you currently use online, including all elements of The Bridge, Moodle, e-mail and your personal timetable.

Imagine being greeted with messages that pertain only to you and your position in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, to be linked to your interests and clubs and to be able to customize your personal dashboard to reflect your ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ personality.

That day is coming in the form of the new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ portal system, and it promises to revolutionize the way in which faculty, staff and students interact online.

"When we first started talking about the portal it came out of the recruitment and retention project," says Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Andy Hakin. "It was about giving students one electronic gateway to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, allowing them to be able to map out their whole environment in terms of courses, personal timetables, Moodle, e-mail, all of the pieces that should really assist them in navigating through the curriculum and the university experience in one place."

Designed as an aggregator of information, the portal will not replace the systems the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ currently has on the web, rather it will bring them together so that they can be accessed in one space with a single sign-on.

"We already have in place a lot of the elements that will be a part of the portal system but they are all distributed in various places and many of them require separate sign-on," says Hakin. "The idea is that with single sign-on, you have access to all these elements that affect your daily interaction with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ."

What began as a tool to liberate the student web environment and similarly enhance student engagement with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has since grown in scope.

"It has turned into a piece whereby many of the other campus units saw utility in it for themselves," says Hakin. "Everyone who has seen it can see parts of what they want to accomplish with the tool."

Jamie Chinn, a senior business systems analyst and one of the project team leaders, says the focus of the first stage of implementation of the portal is on core needs.

"Right now, the pressing need is to integrate a number of items that are of interest to students and which also would be generally of use to faculty and staff," says Chinn.

"These are what we would call everyday items like access to The Bridge, Banner (the U of L's financial, student, alumni and employee management system) the Library, Moodle (an online courseware program), e-mail, and other services people now make use of, such as frequently-used web links and tabs, a notice board-style page, and our news and information services."

In recent weeks, focus groups consisting of faculty, staff and students have helped shape what content will be going into the portal upon initial launch of the product and then as subsequent updates to the system are integrated.

At the end of the day, the portal can be whatever the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community makes of it, and has the potential to make the web experience much more personal and engaging.

"What I really like about this project is that it was designed with the student element as the focus and it has become clear that it can be utilized in many other ways," says Hakin.

As the portal project moves into the next stages of development, including testing and soft implementation, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community will be continually updated on its progress through UWeekly, the Notice Board and the Legend.

This story first appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Legend. To see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Portal project to improve online life at the U of L

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:37:55 +0000

The cross-campus team working on a new 'one-stop-shop' portal system to unify the university's online systems is seeking input from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

The group has been working with a service provider to install a common portal that brings a number of different online systems together.

The group is now looking to the U of L community -- staff, faculty and students -- to further explain what the portal system will be able to do, and also to ask for input on their particular needs.

The as-yet-unnamed portal system can be customized to reflect their needs as an employee or student.

In addition to general U of L information, the portal system will feature a 'single sign on' process, so that users don't have to re-login between systems such as Moodle, The Bridge, Banner, etc.

"Right now, the pressing need is to integrate a number of items that are of interest to students and which also would be generally of use to Faculty and staff," said Jamie Chinn, a Senior Business Systems Analyst and one of the project team leaders.

"These are what we would call 'everyday items' like access to The Bridge, Banner (the U of L's financial, student, alumni and employee management system) the Library, Moodle (an online courseware program), email, and other services people now make use of, such as frequently-used web links and tabs, a notice board-style page, and our news and information services."

Chinn said the purpose of the focus groups is to further help define what the students, staff and faculty need on the portal, and how they wish to receive information from the U of L, so those elements can be added over time.

"The input we get will really help us determine what content goes into the portal for initial and subsequent versions, based on the opinions of the people who will be using this system," Chinn said.

"We could build it and launch it, but there would be no sense of whether it is truly serving people's needs," Chinn said.

"Though we know people are busy, we hope they can take the time to participate in a focus group or our online surveying to help define what this system will look like. It will be designed for the people who will be using it, so it will be very helpful for us to learn from them."

Between January 29 – 31, focus groups and feedback sessions will take place to bring user groups up to speed on the project, ask for input into how they use the present systems, and how their online experience could be enhanced through the implementation of various portal systems.

Groups solicited for focus group input include all members of the U of L employee community, but student participation in a series of focus groups will be critical, Chinn said.

"If anyone knows students who they feel could contribute to this effort, we are encouraging them to contact us to participate."

Students will be contacted with details for their focus group once they have confirmed their interest.

Other mechanisms to provide input will be conducted in the future, and watch for additional information about this project in UWeekly and on the Notice board.

Background information is included, below.

BACKGROUND

There has been sufficient need for a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Portal for quite some time, particularly with regards to a student portal. Therefore the focus for the implementation of a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Portal will be primarily implementing and integrating the most commonly used services by various users.

For faculty, staff, and alumni, the current plan is to include these constituent groups for the launch of the portal, and provide an equivalent level of service to what they are currently experiencing.

Future enhancements for these groups will be made post launch once the portal contains a reasonable amount of functionality for the various users.

This approach will be validated and confirmed during the planning discussions with various stakeholders and other schools, as well as through consultation with the portal provider early in the project.

The concept of a portal is to centralize access to information and personalized services, and this requires integrating many systems via Single Sign-On and potentially some data integration as well.

Due to the number of complex systems on campus, it is not feasible to integrate them all for launch, nor know exactly what features are feasible to implement prior to launch.

A more precise listing will be confirmed once a test installation is conducted, more training on the platform is obtained, and the portal committees have reviewed and prioritized a list of potential features.

More details will follow in the near future.

Contact: jamie.chinn@uleth.ca

Online payment comes to SOS

trevor.kenney — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:20:04 +0000

Other than the birds, there is not much activity on campus at 5 a.m., and yet one ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty or staff member was already making a difference by contributing to Supporting Our Students (SOS). This early morning act of generosity was made possible by the new online payroll deduction form launched last month.

"This is exactly the type of support we wanted to enable," says Jamie Chinn (BSc '03), business systems analyst in information technology services enterprise systems, who was the driving force behind the new form. "We needed to capture the people who are motivated to make a gift but want the process to be simple and immediate."

Pictured (l to r) are Rahim Kanjiyani, Jamie Chinn and Darin McGee, the IT team that created the new online deduction form for the Supporting Our Students campaign.

As an SOS volunteer, Chinn actively promotes the campaign. In talking to faculty and staff across campus, it became clear that the paper form was a problem.

"We wanted to remove that barrier and make it as easy as possible for faculty and staff to make their gift through payroll deduction," says Chinn.

While developing an online form may seem simple, there was a lot of activity behind the scenes. Chinn worked with people in departments across campus, such as Anna Linville in advancement, Joel Makin in financial services and Deb Robb in human resources to make sure that the final product would meet everyone's needs.

"Everyone really came together over this project," says Chinn. "I think that shows the commitment of U of L faculty and staff to our students. We are not only contributing money to a scholarship campaign, we're giving of our time and our expertise to make sure that campaign is successful. It's a strong statement about the community here."

Once a plan was in place, Chinn passed the project off to Darin McGee (BSc '09) and Rahim Kanjiyani to build. The two programmer analysts donated their time on evenings and weekends to complete the project.

"I'm still paying for my own education, so this was a different way for me to get involved and give back," says McGee, who is happy to be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

It is difficult to calculate the total number of hours spent on this project but the trio of volunteers agrees it was more than originally estimated. Despite the challenges, they all see it as time well spent.

"I was happy to pay it forward," says Chinn. "I donate to SOS but one person can only do so much. By making giving that much easier, this tool will hopefully help enhance the culture of support at the U of L and perpetuate faculty and staff giving across campus."

To make your gift through payroll deduction, simply log in to the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos), click the Employee tab, click Supporting Our Students and follow the instructions.

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

Online payment comes to SOS

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:46:42 +0000

Pictured (l to r) are Rahim Kanjiyani, Jamie Chinn and Darin McGee, the IT team that created the new online deduction form for the Supporting Our Students campaign.

As an SOS volunteer, Chinn actively promotes the campaign. In talking to faculty and staff across campus, it became clear that the paper form was a problem.

"We wanted to remove that barrier and make it as easy as possible for faculty and staff to make their gift through payroll deduction," says Chinn.

"I'm still paying for my own education, so this was a different way for me to get involved and give back," says McGee, who is happy to be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

To make your gift through payroll deduction, simply log in to the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos), click the Employee tab, click Supporting Our Students and follow the instructions.

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

President's Awards honour service excellence

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:19:40 +0000

The President's Award for Service Excellence is awarded annually to an administrative staff member or team in recognition of their provision of exceptional service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

This year, two awards were presented at the Long Service and Retirement Recognition ceremonies, which took place May 4.

AUPE Award

Their service is especially worthy of recognition in the current year due to the Calgary campus moving from SAIT to Bow Valley College. This move involved much more than simply transporting boxes and furniture. In Calgary, the staff closed operations at SAIT and redeveloped relationships and operating procedures with Bow Valley College. This entire move was handled seamlessly by the administrative staff and despite some challenges, the transition took place with high morale and minimal impact to students.

APO/Exempt Award

This year's APO/EXEMPT recipient is Jamie Chinn (BSc '03), a Senior Business Systems Analyst in the IT Department.

importantly had an innate ability to involve the right people, ask the right questions and look at technology with a business-centric point of view.

Chinn's sense of humour, worth ethic, diplomacy and pragmatism led him to his current role. He continues to be recognized as a pleasure to work with and as a provider of well-thought-out solutions who goes above and beyond the call of duty to guarantee that technical services are working smoothly.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L President, Dr. Mike Mahon presents Jamie Chinn with the APO/Exempt President’s Award for Service Excellence at the recent Long Service and Retirement Recognition ceremony.

President's Award winners

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:54:30 +0000

Dana Corbin, top, and Kristin Galicia, below, were part of the team that won the AUPE President's Award.

The President's Award for Service Excellence for AUPE employees was awarded to the Calgary Campus administrative team of Kristin Galicia (BMgt '03), Kelly Reid, Dana Corbin (BMgt '05) and Ghazia Kirn, who is also a student.

Their service is especially worthy of recognition in the current year due to the Calgary campus moving from SAIT to Bow Valley College. This move involved much more than simply transporting boxes and furniture. In Calgary, the staff closed operations at SAIT and redeveloped relationships and operating procedures with Bow Valley College. This entire move was handled seamlessly by the administrative staff and despite some challenges, the transition took place with high morale and minimal impact to students.

APO/Exempt Award

This year's APO/EXEMPT recipient is Jamie Chinn (BSc '03), a Senior Business Systems Analyst in the IT Department.

U of L President, Dr. Mike Mahon presents Jamie Chinn with the APO/Exempt President's Award for Service Excellence at the recent Long Service and Retirement Recognition ceremony.

Chinn joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2004, and although he worked somewhat in obscurity initially, like any best-kept secret it soon became apparent that he was someone who not only could get things done but more importantly had an innate ability to involve the right people, ask the right questions and look at technology with a business-centric point of view.

Chinn's sense of humour, worth ethic, diplomacy and pragmatism led him to his current role. He continues to be recognized as a pleasure to work with and as a provider of well-thought-out solutions who goes above and beyond the call of duty to guarantee that technical services are working smoothly.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Celebrating the achievement of Convocation

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:44:17 +0000

Convocation is one of the very best times of the year for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ because it is the culmination of everything we do and represents the essence of the institution.

To use an agricultural analogy, it is our harvest, when we reap the benefits of years of nurturing and hard work and release a bright crop of graduates ready to affect the world in a positive and productive manner.

Convocation is unique because it involves every aspect of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. At first glance it is a celebration of the accomplishments of students but at the same time, it is also a celebration of the accomplishments of faculty members, staff members and the external community.

Convocation is an opportunity to step back and celebrate achievement on a number of levels.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is a member of a much larger community than just those individuals who make their way to the west side on a daily basis. By celebrating our distinguished alumni, by granting honorary degrees and by welcoming our stakeholders to campus to join in the Convocation ceremonies, we extend to southern Alberta and beyond, the family atmosphere that marks the U of L as unique.

The Spring Convocation is an especially significant one for the future of the institution, as we will be installing our next Chancellor, Dr. Shirley McClellan. Her appointment is a very important milestone in the transition of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Outgoing Chancellor, Richard Davidson, was exceptional in his role. A true civic leader, he represented the community of Lethbridge extremely well and was a great ambassador for the institution.

In Dr. McClellan, we welcome an honorary degree recipient and a woman with deep rural roots who has strong provincial ties to decision makers in both Calgary and Edmonton. As the U of L continues its emergence as the province's destination university, McClellan's unique skill set embodies the direction to which we are moving.

I congratulate our President's Award winners for their service and dedication to the U of L. The AUPE group from Calgary was invaluable during the transition from our SAIT location to the present U of L campus at Bow Valley College, while Jamie Chinn continues to provide excellent service in his role with the IT department.

I also want to congratulate our outstanding faculty members, Dr. HJ Wieden and
Dr. Jennifer Mather, honoured with the Distinguished Teaching Award and Ingrid Speaker Medal, respectively. At the end of the day, our fundamental commitment is always to the students, and that we provide a student-centred atmosphere. We can never lose sight of the fact that our core responsibility is to educate the leaders of tomorrow.

I urge you to attend one of the upcoming Convocation ceremonies and share in the joy of our students as they set out to begin the next phase of their lives. It is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the work you do to help them achieve their goals, and serves as a poignant reminder of how everyone in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community plays a part in their success.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Strategic Plan Q & A: Jamie Chinn

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:28:47 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan is a plan for the future, one that will chart the general direction of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next five years. It is a promise to stay true to who we are and continue doing what we do very well – fostering a personal, supportive learning community; ensuring professors are inspired scholars who integrate research and creativity with teaching; and delivering relevant programs that are meaningful and useful to our students.

Within this plan are strategic directions and priorities by which the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will shape its future. This month we look at the goal of building internal community and enhancing relationships with external communities. Jamie Chinn, senior business systems analyst in the Enterprise Solutions group of Information Technology, gives his perspective on how members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community can work together to help further the goals of the institution.

On how his experience on the Strategic Planning Committee was beneficial

"For me it was a chance to see the bigger picture. I think it's very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day functions of our jobs and not see how we're influencing the bigger picture.

"It was an eye-opener. You forget how big and vast the campus is and how many other units there are and the issues they face. It's a very big ship to move forward."

On how the Strategic Plan can help focus the work we do

"You learn that sometimes you are doing things for your department that may or may not be in line with the institution, so this was a very good process for me to go through to ensure that the projects we take on reflect where the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is headed."

On how he sees himself in the Strategic Plan

"I see myself mostly in the way we use technology and how we need to get this institution working together as a comprehensive unit and not as separate individual units.

"It's a realization that by doing your job well, it helps someone else do their job well and in the end, impacts the students and improves their experience."

On what part of the Plan resonated with him

"The biggest area was our commitment to students. Even though I'm someone who does not work day-to-day with students, it was important for me to get realigned with the focus of this institution and how we are student-centred in all of our activities."

On how the Strategic Plan can be taken forward throughout the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

"It's something that has to happen from the ground up, it can't succeed if it's from the top down. Each of us on the committee has our role to take what's important in the Plan to our individual groups and help carry it forward to our units and remind people where we are heading."

For more on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Strategic Plan, view the video on the front page of UNews.

UNews - Jamie Chinn

Internet portal to revolutionize web world

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