Congratulations to Hung Chu, who will be retiring with over 38 years of dedicated service to the university on March 31, 2021. Hung began working part-time at Hart House in 1982 and started working full-time at UT Computing Services in 1985. Since then, he’s been involved in a broad range of projects and has held various roles in U of T’s evolving IT landscape.
Learn more about Hung below, and please join me in wishing him all the best in the future!
Cathy Eberts
Director Enterprise Applications and Deputy CIO
Hung Chu, Operations/Product Support Joined U of T: September, 1982
Retirement and last day at work: March 31, 2021
Describe your background and how you arrived at EASI I joined U of T in 1982 when I worked various jobs at Hart House while studying Computer Programming at Humber College. After graduating in 1985, I applied to work at UT Computing Services (UTCS) when UTCS acquired Cray Super Computer.
I transferred again to Student Record Systems (SRS) in 1987 to become Production Coordinator. While working there, U of T merged three departments together (UTCS, SRS, and BIS), which was under the portfolio VP Computing and called Systems Development.
In 1998, three departments had separated and needed to convert systems for Y2K compliance. Student Information Systems (formerly SRS) and Computing Service (formerly UTCS) still operated under the IBM mainframe while AMS (formerly BIS) converted to using the SAP system. I came to EASI when AMS and SIS merged.
What will you remember most about EASI? I’ll remember re-locating to various buildings around campus when departments merged under the portfolio CEO, and I’ll remember working under various managers and directors who would give me a hand whenever needed. Also, converting various software and systems was very interesting. EASI has been like a second family to me.
What will you remember most about U of T? All of my co-workers have been really nice when we have shared special projects and special celebrations together. I will miss working with them.
What do you plan to do in retirement? I’ll do some chores like fixing things around the house and garden. Also, I’ll take care of my grandkids whenever needed while their parents are busy. I’ll travel somewhere to have fun and make some new friends along the way.
Date: March 1, 2021 To: Student Information Systems Users
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re: EASI Go Prod NGSIS Updates – Nov. 2020 to Feb. 2021
Hi everyone,
Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) would like to update you on the latest major production releases and updates for the NGSIS program and student systems. From November 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021, EASI completed over 31 releases for a wide range of applications.
The following are major changes during this time frame:
New Student Information Systems Website (November 16, 2020)
The new Student Information Systems (SIS) SharePoint website was launched on November 16, 2020. It replaces the previous SIS for Staff website, providing a secure location for documentation for our applications. Other information, including system status and availability, and services shared with other EASI applications (e.g., information about VPNs and eToken) is available on the EASI website. The SharePoint site has been updated and includes improved search functions and a more accessible interface. New content, including training videos, is being added continually.
Curriculum Management / Curriculum Publisher (December, 2020)
Curriculum Management was the first product to be delivered through our original partnership with Kuali Inc. The application allows divisions to create, maintain and retire courses and programs using customized divisional governance processes, and in tandem, allows NGSIS to create a central repository of courses and programs for U of T. Curriculum Publisher is a U of T developed content management website that optionally interfaces with Kuali Curriculum Management, allowing divisions to publish a public facing Calendar or Academic Handbook.
In January 2021, the University of Toronto Mississauga completed its first governance cycle for courses and programs in Curriculum Management. In the fall of 2020, Student Information Systems and UTM began implementing UTM’s first Calendar in Curriculum Publisher, building the new framework from scratch. The Calendar itself will be finalised and published by March 29, 2021.
As well, significant enhancements were made to the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering’s Calendar, published in early February, making it the first to be published after Curriculum Publisher’s migration from Drupal 7 to 8. New efficiencies are underway in the production of the Faculty of Arts & Science Calendar, which will be published shortly.
Weighted Grant Unit (December 31, 2020)
Basic Income Units (BIUs) have successfully been converted to Weighted Grant Units (WGUs) in ROSI. These units, which reflect student enrolment, are used to calculate University funding by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. Divisions receive funding based on student registration retrieved from ROSI on enrolment count dates. For more information on how registration information affects funding, please reach out to planning.analytics@utoronto.ca.
Course Information System
The Course Information System streamlines syllabi and exams processes for instructors and administrators, and will ultimately help students to make better-informed decisions about their education. CIS has made the following releases:
Instructor Submission Deadlines (November 5, 2020)
The Instructor Submission Deadlines function allows Department Administrators and Registrar’s Offices to set when instructor submissions are due for each module. Deadlines are informational only and do not restrict instructors from submitting data past the deadline date.
New CIS Syllabus Statements (December 1, 2020)
By the direction of the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, three new optional course statements have been added to the Syllabi module for instructors in all divisions. These include Video Recording and Sharing (download and re-use prohibited), Video Recording and Sharing (download permissible; re-use prohibited), and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Email Notifications for Instructor Submission Deadlines (December 15, 2020)
This function allows instructors to receive email reminders for any outstanding submissions that have an upcoming or past deadline.
Online Calendar (February 12, 2021)
In the winter and early spring of 2020, the remaining divisions using the Online Calendar tool moved to Curriculum Management and Curriculum Publisher. Historical data for the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering in the Online Calendar that had been used in Degree Explorer was transferred to Curriculum Management and new integration points were established. As a result, the user interface for the calendar is no longer required and was decommissioned on February 12, 2021.
Accommodated Testing Services (Late February/Early March)
As of fall 2020, the Accommodated Testing Services instructor module has been incorporated into the Course Information System for all St. George campus instructors and academic units. This replaces an email-based process and allows faculty members to view all accommodated test and exam requests in one central location where they are able to securely submit test details and documents. Based on feedback received from instructors in fall 2020, a series of targeted enhancements to the instructor module will be rolled out late February to early March 2021. During fall 2020, the forthcoming student module on ACORN was tested by current students to validate the usability of the module. The student module will be launched alongside the administrative module in summer 2021.
Student Academic Advising Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool will complement the eventual renewal of the student system. In 2020, the NGSIS team selected Salesforce as the vendor of choice to establish a Student Academic Advising CRM Proof of Concept. The team evaluated features within the platform and will continue to validate and finalize functional, administrative, and technical requirements throughout the spring and summer of 2021. After publishing the Request for Proposal, the team will proceed with the procurement process and will start the development and implementation effort in October 2021 for a summer 2022 pilot.
Date: March 1, 2021 To: Administrative Management System Users From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re: EASI Go Prod AMS Updates – Nov. 2020 to Feb. 2021
Hi everyone,
Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) would like to update you on the latest major production releases and updates for U of T’s Administrative Management Systems.
The following are major changes from November 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021:
U of T Enterprise Modernization Program
SAP S/4HANA Migration (November 3, 2020)
On November 3, U of T launched the next phase of the U of T Enterprise Modernization Program, called the S/4HANA Migration. This phase of the five-year program represented an upgrade of the Administrative Management Systems (AMS) that will create the foundation for improved overall system performance and future modernization of the SAP systems at U of T. U of T’s Financial Information System was a core part of this upgrade and will transition to a highly responsive system, since the new system will be a transactional and reporting system built into one. As well, the upgrade will improve speed and reporting for the Human Resources Information System and Research Information System in the future. The platform will also have the potential to provide an improved user interface as well as enhanced analytics and better insights into reporting. Learn more about the S/4HANA Migration.
U of T Phonebook Directory
The U of T phonebook directory project has officially wrapped up – providing users a more modern, accurate and mobile-friendly application. The revamped phonebook directory allows external and internal users to search for staff, faculty members and division or department information using an accessible interface. It also eases Departmental Administrators’ workloads, since staff and faculty can update secondary information. The application was initially launched in summer 2020. Since then, accessibility has been optimized and a new telecommunications administrator module has launched. As well, departmental and telecommunications administrators can now search by UTORid, and when staff and faculty are logged into the application they can compile a list of departmental contacts in PDF and CSV format.
New Shared Mailbox Creation Process (November 24, 2020)
Starting on November 24, the University of Toronto moved to a full-service shared mailbox creation process and Reader Registration no longer processes new shared mailbox requests. Faculty and staff can submit online requests for new shared mailboxes directly to U of T’s Enterprise Service Centre (ESC). Read the updated instructions, and access the new form, here: https://uthrprod.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0010164.
ESC is going to Paris! (January 26, 2021)
On January 26, our production instance of the Enterprise Service Centre (ESC) was upgraded to the latest version of ServiceNow called Paris. The Paris release introduces improvements to the platform’s performance and stability. It also introduces some exciting new features that we will be deploying in the future, including Microsoft Teams interion and a virtual support agent. A big “Thank You!” to the ESC community for all their time and feedback preparing and testing this new release. ESC is available at: https://uoft.me/esc
New Electronic Signature Competency Centre (January 2021)
The Electronic Signature Competency Centre is a joint effort between Information Technology Services and divisional representatives to provide resources and guidance for divisions interested in e-signature solutions. Resources include guidelines for electronic signature assurance, sample use cases, comparisons of popular solution platforms, and details on specific products. The Electronic Signature Competency Centre is available here: https://utoronto.sharepoint.com/sites/its-easi-esignature
Dalla Lana School of Public Health COVID-19 Archive (February 2021)
EASI Information Management partnered with Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) to create a SharePoint archive to preserve and share the school’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, acknowledging their potential historical value. DLSPH faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows and staff are invited to submit original records and first-person testimony to document perspectives and lived experiences around the COVID-19 pandemic. Submissions will be collected and preserved for future researchers to gain insight into DLSPH’s significant role in the pandemic.
Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
UCheck Administrative Dashboards (November 2020)
On September 8, 2020, U of T released UCheck to faculty members, librarians, staff and students. UCheck is a web portal that enables users to complete the required COVID-19 health screening and generate a risk status before coming to any of our three campuses or other properties owned or operated by U of T. The risk status will indicate whether an individual should come onsite or stay home. In November 2020, EASI enabled a UCheck administrative dashboard for the purposes of viewing health screening outcomes. It allows CAOs, delegated human resources professionals in divisional offices and residence administrators to view the statuses of all students or employees within their reporting areas/residence.
Kronos Upgrade (December 4, 2020)
Kronos is a cloud-based time and attendance system that eliminates the use of paper timesheets and allows for convenient, online approval processes. On December 4, 2020, EASI upgraded Kronos to eliminate Flash and provided a more consistent and improved user experience, including employee timecards and transfer selection for managers. Other enhancements were made to functionality for Timekeeper and Advanced Scheduler modules, and the mobile application.
SuccessFactors: Performance & Goals (January 2021)
On January 18, 2021, the 2020 / 2021 Goal Setting process opened for Professional & Managerial (PM), Confidential and Research Associate / Sr. Research Associate (RA/SRA) employees. While Human Resources & Equity launched the goal setting process in SuccessFactors, they are currently reviewing institutional processes with an eye to streamlining and reducing the administrative load on U of T’s people leaders and employees. As a result, participating in the conventional 2020 / 2021 goal setting process this year is not mandatory for the groups previously mentioned.
Research Study Leave (February 1, 2021)
The Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life (VPFAL), in partnership with EASI launched the Research Study Leave tool (RSL) in the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) on February 1, 2021. The tool is an additional functionality in HRIS that consolidates faculty RSL and administrative leave entitlements. This new tool provides a single, reliable and accurate source of data that will streamline the entire RSL and administrative leave process. With leave entitlement data now within HRIS, and the accrual and deduction of credits managed within the system, users can leverage the tool to forecast leaves, estimate risk and exposure, and ensure solid academic planning.
2020 Personal Income Tax – T2200S (February 25, 2021)
Human Resources & Equity worked in partnership with EASI to develop an online process to request a T2200S for claiming work from home expenses on their 2020 taxes. Employees who have worked from home over 50 per cent of the time since March 2020, and who incurred expenses greater than $400, can request a T2200S via the HR Service Centre using this process. For those who requested the detailed version of the form, it will be available in Employee Self-Service on February 25. Refer to this official communication for more details.
Date: March 1, 2021
To: Administrative Management System Users
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re: Please Update your Administrative Web Services Bookmarks
U of T’s Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) is pleased to announce that a new process will allow controlled application integration with Microsoft 365 (M365).
Previously, any apps that accessed M365 data and MS Office add-ins were disabled due to security concerns. Now, EASI, in partnership with Information Security, has created a solution that will allow some apps that are business critical or broadly used at the departmental level to integrate with M365. The goal is to improve the user experience and allow users to realize more potential from M365.
Apps that are deemed very low risk, meaning they don’t access any M365 data, are now available for use. These include Microsoft Tech Community, Microsoft Events, Miro, Flipgrid and many others. Other apps that have been enabled include email clients like Thunderbird, Gmail and Samsung email. To see the current list of approved and pending applications, please visit the Admin Managed Apps page.
Apps that are higher risk or require individual licenses will be limited to certain users and will be managed at a departmental level. These include apps like 12twenty, myViewBoard, and DocuSign.
Once a new app is requested, it needs to be approved by divisional IT administrators, and then it heads to the Application Review Committee for evaluation. An additional risk assessment is performed and then implementation begins. New requests should be submitted through M365 App Request form.
The team faced many challenges when trying to implement this solution. They tried four different methods of controlling application access before creating a solution that balances users’ needs along with access and security. The winning combination uses Azure Active Directory, a cloud-based identity and access management service, including custom app consent policies and application user assignment groups.
The team is currently working to clear up the backlog of requests, and in the future will work on approved requests.
After extensive research and design activities, an overhaul of the database architecture, customization for different user groups and the launch of four modules, the U of T phonebook directory project has officially wrapped up – providing users a more modern, accurate and mobile-friendly application.
The revamped phonebook directory allows external and internal users to search for staff, faculty members and division or department information using an accessible interface. It also eases Departmental Administrators’ workloads, since staff and faculty can update secondary information.
“We’ve really worked to improve data accuracy and user experience,” says Pamela Harris, associate director of Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI). “It provides a lot of convenience – from using the application on a mobile device to allowing staff and faculty to update important parts of their information.”
This project was initiated in fall 2019 and was a collaboration between Information Technology Services and Human Resources & Equity.
Staff and faculty can log in using their UTORid and add additional phone numbers and an alternate U of T email. They can also select which phone number and email they would like to use to receive official Human Resources communications. Departmental administrators log in to their own module to primarily maintain department-specific contact information.
And when business officers cannot edit information, including creating a new department and modifying the visibility of that department, a module allows telecommunications administrators access to edit information and add new business officers to the system.
Before the team began any design work, they conducted research with staff across all three campuses to understand their thoughts on the current directory and possible improvements.
“I attended one of the initial usability testing workshops for the phonebook redesign project, where the team had set up a prototype of the actual application,” says Nathan Harrison, product delivery lead at Arts & Science Information and Instructional Technology. “It was so much easier to provide feedback on specific tasks with this approach – you’re able to provide richer feedback, and having your voice heard helps to make an enterprise change feel more inclusive for end-users.”
Similar to Google, the site takes the guesswork out of searching by providing autosuggestions, and guides people through the searching process with helpful tips. It also displays helpful information from all three campuses, including emergency, media and safety contacts.
“A key difference between the old and new application is the enhanced search functionality,” says Laura Klamot, a user experience designer with EASI. “Previously, it was more difficult for users to find what they were looking for since they might not remember a person’s full name, or be familiar with all of the department and faculty names, as well as the structure of the University. We worked hard to create an all-encompassing search.”
A new search feature allows departmental and telecommunications administrators to search by UTORid. And while users can compile a list of departmental contacts in a PDF, they can now download an easily editable CSV file.
Accessibility was also a major focus of the project. The team built the application according to accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1), and tested it using a collection of browsers, devices, and screen reader software.
A before and after view of the U of T Phonebook, showing the improved, accessible user interface.
Beyond the user interface, the data accuracy in the new phonebook has also been greatly improved.
“The previous application relied on directory coordinators to update a lot of the information and the data became easily outdated and sometimes inaccurate,” says Na Young Lee, assistant to the director at Arts & Science Information and Instructional Technology. “Since the information is pulled from the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) and various other databases, we can trust that it’s current data.”
Brian Galvis, lead phonebook directory project manager with EASI agrees.
“The new phonebook directory integrates data from many systems, including U of T’s VoIP provider, UTORauth, HRIS, University of Toronto Scarborough and the University of Toronto Mississauga. The magic of it is that all of those databases and systems come together behind the scenes to provide faster data exchanges and an overall improved user experience.”
With the ability to scale in the future, the phonebook could integrate with other university systems.
“The team has accomplished a lot with this project and we have a solid platform for potential future upgrades,” says Pamela Harris. “This could include integration with even more University of Toronto resources, such as Campus Maps, MS Outlook, and an Emergency Contact application.”
Teams breakout rooms are finally here, but how do we use them? Join Connect+Learn for a session on the new breakout room feature for Teams meetings. Topics covered will include:
Date: February 19, 2021 To: UCheck Users From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration Re: UCheck Scheduled Maintenance February 21, 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Hi everyone,
Please note that UCheck will be unavailable on Sunday, February 21, 2021 from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. (EST) due to scheduled maintenance and upgrades. During this time, faculty, students, and staff will not be able to access UCheck’s health screening.
If you are coming on campus during this time, you can use the paper-based, offline forms at https://www.utoronto.ca/utogether/ucheck to complete a health screening prior to coming onto campus.
Date: February 16, 2021 To: ROSI Users From: Student Information Systems Re: ROSI and other student systems maintenance Friday, March 5
Dear ROSI users
We will need to take ROSI and all associated student information systems offline 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Friday, March 5 to perform quarterly maintenance on the database. We will return the systems to service sooner if the work is completed earlier than 9 p.m. The following systems will be affected:
ACORN
Degree Explorer (Student and Admin)
ACORN Grant Application
ROSI
ROSI Express
Course Information System
Timetable Builder
Varsity Blues Registration System
Safety Abroad Student Registry
eMarks
Exam photo invigilation
Elections
Web services/APIs
A notice will be posted on the ACORN launchpad so that students are aware of the outage.
Thank you for your patience as we make these improvements.
This email has been sent from a service account and does not accept replies. Please direct any follow up questions to the Enterprise Service Centre http://www.uoft.me/esc
