Vacation – it’s a time of relaxation and rejuvenation. But in the past, requesting vacation and other types of leaves involved multiple spreadsheets, emails and a lot of hassle. Soon, U of T staff and faculty will be able to submit leave requests online, have them approved by managers and view their updated records in real time.

On January 28, the Division of Human Resources & Equity (HR&E) along with Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) launched Phase 2 of Manager Self-Service (MSS) – Leave Requests and Approvals. This new feature is more convenient than the previous paper-based process, and will allow for more accurate tracking.

“In the past, our HR information system that tracks leave was manually updated retroactively each month, and didn’t account for future planned vacations,” says Hayley Fuller, communications and change manager with HR&E. “Now users can make a request online, meaning fewer emails, accurate data, and improved tracking.”

Users simply log into Employee Self Service, select their leave details, and requests are sent to managers for approval. Users also receive a confirmation email that their leave was submitted correctly. It is currently being piloted with HR&E, Information Technology Services and the Financial Services Department. Leave requests include sick days, bereavement, training, personal days, and vacation leaves.

“Honestly, my team loves it – the training took all of two minutes and it’s very intuitive,” says Cherilyn Nobleza, director of HR Strategic Initiatives and a member of the pilot project. “Since January 28, I’ve had over 35 leave request notifications. In the past, staff would send an email and then managers would have to log each of the leaves into a spreadsheet. Then it would go to the business officer for them to track in HRIS. Now, it’s a much easier, streamlined process.”

Clara Pereira, business manager for Information Technology Services, agrees.

“I love it. Managing leave requests used to involve a lot of back and forth with emails and often key information would be missing, which meant even more emails for clarification. Now, everything is in one system and the transition has been very smooth. It’s saving time and reducing the amount of work for everyone.”

Managers can also log in at any time to view their team’s calendar and coordinate scheduling. Everything in the system is exportable, printable and up to date.

“The process of requesting and approving leaves through MSS and Employee Self-Service (ESS) ensures leaves are accurately reflected in our HR information system on a timely basis. Requesting and approving a leave through this process is straightforward,” says Karen Jang-Leung, a business officer with U of T’s Finance Division.  “The MSS/ESS pilot provides the Finance Division with an opportunity to provide input on improving the system for all users.”

Beyond the pilot units, developing this feature was a highly consultative process.

“We have a diverse project leadership group that consults representatives from across the university,” says Nobleza, who is part of the group. “For example, there are nuances to how academics work versus other staff members, and understanding all aspects of different processes will ensure the success of this project.”

Next steps for the project will allow managers to designate a substitute leave request approver.

After the pilot, the function will be available to any other units at the university. Those who are interested in using this system can contact request.notification@utoronto.ca to start the process.

“This really is an exciting development that will help to streamline a previously cumbersome process,” says Fuller. “Staff and faculty will be able to manage their leaves accurately and this helps us from an audit and data integrity perspective. Overall, it will help staff to focus on what’s important.”

An intuitive interface, multi-year compensation planning, and detailed five-year compensation forecasts are just some of the benefits of U of T’s new planning and budgeting application, a project that officially kicked off on March 4.

The University has partnered with Questica to deliver a new cloud-based compensation planning software solution, set to go live in advance of the 2020-21 budget implementation. The project will replace the existing B6 application, a home-grown add-on to the SAP system that U of T’s business officers have used for over 25 years to track annual salary commitments.

“Selecting Questica was a very consultative process,” says Trevor Rodgers, assistant vice-president of the Planning and Budget Office. “We’ve chosen a tool that will meet the needs of a decentralized community of administrators with a diverse range of budgeting processes. By partnering with divisions in the upfront development, we expect to increase efficiency, reduce risk, and avoid duplication of resources.”

To bring the project to life, the Planning and Budget Office in partnership with Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI), worked with a team of 15 participants from across all three campuses.

Following an extensive public request for proposals, a short list of four vendors presented their systems to the team and selections were narrowed down to two. The two vendors each developed a proof of concept using a mock-up of U of T’s data, and the team tested the competing systems for 20 business days. Based on the test results, the team chose Questica Budget to move forward.

“The selection process for this RFP was extremely thorough and detailed. I am confident that the best tool for the University of Toronto has been awarded the contract,” says Darshan Harrinanan, project manager at EASI. “We’re excited and looking forward to this project.”

Beyond other benefits, the new tool will allow managers to create “what if” scenarios to make accurate projections and it will provide monthly data downloads to track budget variances. It also has a comprehensive multi-step workflow for budget reviews and approvals.

“We’re happy to be moving forward with this process. Timelines are tight but we have the advantage of the vendor now being familiar with our decentralized and complex business environment, as well as our technical environment here at U of T,” says Harrinanan.

Next steps for the project include an initial status meeting, data management, training, integration and launch. Training will include 38 sessions for various user groups, which will prepare staff for the change.

“This tool is more robust than the previous solution and will meet divisional and departmental needs for accurate multi-year resource planning,” says Rodgers. “It will also better support the University’s long range budgeting process.”

What does it take to be Executive Director (ED) of Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI)? Darshan Harrinanan, a project manager with EASI, found out on Thursday, January 31, when he donned the grey turtleneck and took the reins from Cathy Eberts for an hour. He won the prize to be Cathy’s replacement at a previous event called EASI Discovery Days.

Before Harrinanan arrived at the office, he faced a harrowing commute after being stuck on a GO train for two and a half hours in -21 degree weather – with the doors wide open.

Find out how he fared during this action-packed hour.

When you first arrived to replace Cathy, what did you expect?
After freezing during my morning commute and a brisk walk from Union Station, I thought that being ED would be easy. But I was in for a lot of surprises! To start, I wasn’t expecting to be sworn in as the new Cathy. I especially liked the part about “being kind to animals and the environment.”

The official EASI ED swearing in ceremony.

Alex Dault, who is regularly Cathy’s assistant, gave me an agenda that was pretty sparse, so I thought this was going to be a cake walk. But it became hectic really quickly and it turned into chaos. The only thing that went according to the agenda was the managers’ meeting. Everything else was random.

What happened during the hour?
Luckily I had a communications update from Alex and Katie Babcock and that helped me to prepare for the hour. Right off the top, Joanne Sukhai, Kaelyn Lindquist and Kelly Jay stormed my office to complain about building safety. Shortly after, Richard Chow and Dana Pogaceanu arrived to complain about how cold it is, so I offered them hot chocolate to warm up the situation – hot chocolate makes everything better, as my kids say.

Kelly Jay, Joanne Sukhai and Kaelyn Lindquist air their grievances.

Richard Chow and Dana Pogaceanu jump in on the action.

Then Bo Wandschneider dropped by to discuss the ITS strategic priorities and budget cuts that was a really serious meeting but I benefitted from some of my knowledge gained from my  ‘previous role’.

Bo Wandschneider makes a surprise visit.

Shortly after, I met with the managers to discuss expanding the size of the kitchens at 215 Huron Street. Vik Chadalawada said that people were going bananas and Gerry Lindo kept hitting home the fact that we have to meet deliverables while keeping staff productive and motivated. I thought there was going to be an uprising, but I assured them we would need to look at our priorities before accommodating the request. Alex will follow-up on some analysis.

EASI’s managers make their case.

After that, Pamela Harris and I had a confidential closed-door meeting and Randy Samsoondar dropped by regarding an expense reimbursement claim for an Uber ride he took to OISE. Suddenly, David Lock burst into my office. Apparently, David had been trying to download Game of Thrones to his machine and was now locked out by ransom-ware. Things just ramped up from there.

Randy Samsoondar asks for reimbursement.

David Lock is foiled by ransom-ware.

John Ogg dropped by to complain about a contract issue, Gerry Lindo came in to say that the financial systems were offline, and Frank Boshoff came by to say that there had been a breach with the student information system. Everything seemed to be falling apart!

John Ogg tries to resolve contract issue.

Gerry Lindo raises alert that financial systems are down.

Frank Boshoff adds to the tension with news of a student information system breach.

To top it off, Joe Bate and Sarosh Jamal called about Payment Card Industry compliance for our applications and I assured them that we are compliant. Joe was having a hard time holding it together.

Cathy came back and she was sworn back in and I could breathe a sigh of relief. The storm was over.

What were you thinking when it became more and more chaotic?
Oh, this was just a day in the life for Cathy. Issues arise and we need to deal with them, and it’s important to keep a level head and not overreact. Always keeping the prime directives in mind (see oath).

What were you most surprised about with this experience?
When Bo dropped by I wasn’t sure whether he was part of the plan. He kept a totally straight face and we had a very serious discussion about the strategic plan. Luckily, he was asking for help with projects I’m involved in. It was only at the end that he said he was in on it – impressive acting!

What are your main takeaways from the hour?
It was a great experience and it’s something I can certainly see myself doing when I grow up. The turtleneck really put me in the right frame of mind. I also really relied on Alex to make sure many plans were put into action.

You have to have a good understanding of every application you need to keep you staff motivated, have a sense of humour, and be the calm person in room. The priorities vary so much from trivialities to absolute chaos. You have to assess a situation quickly and Cathy certainly does that on a daily basis.

If you empower your leaders and you have shared vision, it makes the work so much easier. Then we’re all swimming in the same direction.

What was Cathy doing during your hour of action?
I’m not sure…I hope she was taking a break!

Cathy takes a well-deserved break.

Would you do it again?
Oh yeah! But I would take the time to have breakfast before I got into the office – because I wouldn’t have a chance to eat here unless I closed the door!

 

The Course Information System (CIS) is kicking off the New Year with a new look and feel – ready to save U of T faculty and administrators hundreds of hours of work.

After three months of usability testing and a survey conducted in early December 2018, CIS will display a redesigned homepage and other functional screens starting March 2019.

CIS was first developed with essential functionality for select units. Now it has been redesigned for a further expansion of its features and a broader user base, including new academic units across U of T. It streamlines syllabi and exams processes for instructors and administrators.

“CIS was initially designed to address some essential business needs. It served that purpose fairly well, but it’s also a living, breathing product that we envisioned as growing to support additional processes,” says Mike Clark, manager of user experience and process design with Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI). “We’re now at a point where it makes sense to update the major aspects of the system’s design to accommodate those changes, and continue to afford a successful user experience.”

The system, created by EASI in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, is currently being piloted in three divisions on two campuses. It is divided into three modules for instructors to submit syllabi-related materials, pre-exam and final exam details.

“CIS is beginning to reach its full potential in how faculty and staff not only administer courses, but also how it will streamline business processes,” says Julian Weinrib, director of the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education. “We’ve built a strong foundation for the system and the design updates are a big step that will signal its growth.”

To create the redesign, the EASI user experience and process design team conducted extensive one-on-one interviews and usability tests followed by a survey sent to all CIS users. The survey asked users to vote on the three different options by ranking them overall, critiquing specific aspects of each concept, and inviting optional long-form qualitative feedback on what respondents thought of each concept.

One option featured the task areas in CIS.

---

Another option featured a tab-based navigation with courses at the forefront.

---

“We employed our user-centred methodology to figure out which of these options would be most intuitive and usable to the end users,” says Sydney Jia, a user experience researcher with EASI. “We had 85 respondents and were happy with the results, especially because many users provided detailed responses.”

At the end of the extensive research process, users preferred the option with tabs in the navigation and a workflow based on their courses.

The final, preferred option, featured a different tab design with courses at the forefront. 

---

“It’s important to have this input,” says Jia. “This is a way for users to be genuinely part of the process early on and we can shape the system for their needs. We’re helping to facilitate the best solution for them.”

After receiving and analyzing all of the feedback, the team then integrated it into an improved final design.

The simple design indicates the statuses of an instructor’s course content and what actions are required.

---

What’s next for CIS?

In the future, two more undergraduate divisions will be onboarded to the system in summer 2019. The team will also focus on developing an administrative interface to allow divisions to manage their own data within the system.

“As the system evolves, we will be conducting future research activities to ensure users are getting the best experience possible,” says Clark. “We invite anyone who would like to participate in the process to reach out to us – the feedback is invaluable.”

If you are a faculty or staff member who has feedback regarding CIS, please contact cis.help@utoronto.ca

Applying for programs can be a stressful experience for many students – from writing personal statements to requesting references to hoping for good news. Now, U of T has simplified one part of the process for admitted students, and will soon allow them to pay program admission deposits online.

In the past, students had to mail their admission deposit forms along with deposits in the form of a Canadian dollar bank draft. Starting in spring 2019, students will be able to pay their admission deposits through ACORN anywhere in the world where VISA or Mastercard are accepted.

“Students had to get a bank draft, put it in the mail and wait for it to be received and processed by Student Accounts,” says Audrey Cheung, manager of Student Accounts. “The whole time they’re wondering whether the money has been received and whether their spot in the program is secured.”

The new process will allow students to immediately view a record of their transaction and they will receive a confirmation email. The feature was completed on December 6, 2018, and will appear for those who owe an admissions deposit under the “Finances” section of ACORN.

“We wanted to ensure that this feature would be usable by all divisions, and the natural choice was to build it in ACORN,” says David Lock, information systems analyst with Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration. “It’s important to give students convenient payment options so we can support U of T’s recruitment and admissions efforts.”

Programs use non-refundable deposits, credited against future tuition, to encourage students to make a commitment. Deposits also help enrolment staff plan ahead for incoming classes.

At the moment, 19 graduate units and two professional programs require incoming students to make a deposit as a condition of accepting an offer. In the future, international students in participating first-entry undergraduate programs will be required to pay deposits.

“The School of Graduate Studies has a distributed model, so different units have different business processes and deadlines,” says Josie Lalonde, director of student academic services at the School of Graduate Studies. “It’s important to offer a convenient solution to students, and this will ideally translate into students accepting their offers of admission.”

For the convenience of the service, students pay a 1.75 per cent processing fee to the payment provider, and they continue to have the option to pay by bank draft.

The team at EASI worked closely with Student Accounts, Enrolment Services and the School of Graduate Studies to determine their needs.

“This was a very consultative process. We worked with the team at EASI to come up with a solution that would work for everyone,” says Lalonde. “We were working with an aggressive timeline, and we’re happy with the results.”

The new functionality is expected to be activated by participating divisions in time for the first batch of international acceptances. Admitted students will see the notice upon logging into ACORN.

“We’re excited about offering this new functionality to incoming students, providing a new option for making the deposit that will hopefully bring a little more peace of mind,” says Lock. “Hopefully a more streamlined process for the academic divisions will help them continue to recruit and retain top students from around the world.”

It’s been over two months since U of T completed a three-year project to upgrade its student information system. After converting millions of lines of code and replacing an aging server, where does U of T stand and how will the system fare in the future?

The project, launched on November 19, 2018, was one of the largest of its kind to be undertaken at U of T. The success of the project relied heavily on a collaborative effort between Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI), Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS), and Information Security.

“This project was truly monumental,” says Frank Boshoff, senior manager, technical solutions and architecture with EASI. “In the past, our server would be at full capacity during the first two weeks of January. After the transition to the new system, our servers are at 30 per cent capacity, and after more fine tuning this will translate into faster processing in the future.”

The system metrics indicate that students are accomplishing more work in less time with less aggravation. Server use is significantly lower and the bounce rate has dropped by 82 per cent. As a result, most students are accessing the application successfully and navigating to the information they need.

Boshoff predicts that the system will be ready for peak enrolment in July, and will be able to handle 9,000 concurrent users compared to the previous 700.  The new platform will also open up the potential for live integration with divisional systems, and ensure U of T stays at the forefront of technological innovation.

Before launching the platform, the project team conducted 3,657 test cases with a 98.6 per cent success rate. And after the cutover to the new system, thousands of users put it to the test.

“We were happy to see that there were only three regular users who enquired about how to log into the new system. It showed that our change management processes worked well since it was a smooth transition for most users,” says Cathy Eberts, executive director of EASI. “I want to emphasize how important it was to have participation from the divisions – a change like this couldn’t happen without massive support.”

To prepare staff and students for the change, EASI provided information for general awareness, training and support through a website, email updates, articles and social media. The project team also hosted 37 divisional meetings, four technical forums and conducted extensive user acceptance testing with over 200 participants and 500 test cases.

Testers from all divisions found 45 issues, or bugs, with the system. Each week EASI selected a winner for a gift card draw for those who had found issues.

“The user acceptance testing and training process was very straightforward,” says Mari Motrich, responsible for systems and data analysis at the Office of the Registrar, University of Toronto Scarborough. “We received a list of screens to test, and as a team we collected feedback and identified bugs. We also had two training sessions that were really useful – users reported bugs and also learned how to use the new ROSI. Overall, the testing, training and rollout of the project were smooth.”

As with most large technology projects, there are often issues that arise after going live with a new system.

“From November 19 through December we had daily stand-up meetings where we would assess and prioritize issues arising from the project,” says Rodney Branch, manager of client services and process integration at EASI. “During the first week of January, we had a high volume with course changes, student timetable lookups and class lists and reports, and the system performed remarkably well. We’ll continue to address additional issues as they arise and we appreciate users’ patience.”

The next phase of the project will involve developing the Data Decision Support System, which will be a near real-time copy of the ROSI data. It will allow staff to perform operational and analytical reports more quickly during peak registration periods. ACORN will also perform faster for students as they no longer need to compete with administrative staff for processing power.

“Overall, we’re very happy with how this project was rolled out,” says Eberts. “We’re setting the stage for technological innovation and ensuring that we have a platform in place upon which we can build and integrate new services.”

Thank you to all of our user acceptance testers, divisional users and the main project team who helped make this project a success.

As an application that is used by all 13 U of T residences, StarRez has streamlined the residence process for thousands of students – from the application process to deposits, room assignments and maintenance.

On November 7, StarRez users came together to discover best practices, tips and tricks, and to discuss process improvements. The event, called International StarRez Regional Connect, was the first conference of its kind hosted outside of the US, and welcomed close to 70 users and 12 institutions.

“The goal for this day was to provide an opportunity to connect and learn from colleagues at other local StarRez institutions, and it did not disappoint,” says Jen Radley, manager of U of T’s Housing Services. “This event helped facilitate conversations around industry trends and best practices, as well as networking with other StarRez users. It was a great opportunity for collaboration and conversation!”

U of T’s Student Family Housing implemented StarRez in 2007 with the help of Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI), and a year later Chestnut Residence and Victoria College residence launched the residence admissions platform.

Now a university-wide application, U of T uses 22 modules and manages more than 28 residence applications. StarRez is also used to manage maintenance and facilities, residence life activities, and conference and events services at various campuses/residences.

“Over the past six years, the process of setting up and transitioning U of T’s residence management portal from the StarRez desktop client to a web portal has been an incredibly collaborative and community building effort,” says Vik Chadalawada, senior manager of student information systems with EASI. “Yet another fine enterprise example of how technology when combined with people and process is a winning formula for service adoption.”

In a broader sense, StarRez has over 600 customers in 15 countries, supporting more than 1.5 million residents.

“The U of T residence community is quite collaborative, but also diverse. This event enabled us to connect with other institutions that shared issues that were unique to individual residences at U of T,” says Arlene Clement, director of Housing Services.

Next steps for the project include developing a new portal, called Portal X, that will provide an enhanced and streamlined residence application portal across the university.

“Since this year’s event was so successful, we look forward to continuing these conversations in the future,” says Radley. “Peer-to-peer learning is so important and it really helps to hear from others who are facing similar challenges and who need to remain current with trends in the housing industry. Stay tuned for details about next year’s event!”

After three years of intense preparation, the success of the Platform Modernization Project came down to one weekend. Led by Next Generation Student Information Services (NGSIS), the project involved converting over 2 million lines of code and replacing an aging server. The new platform will modernize U of T’s student information system for years to come.

From November 16 to 19, teams from Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI), Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS), and Information Security worked around the clock to ensure a smooth cutover to the new system.

The support team attends a pre-cutover planning meeting (photo by Sarosh Jamal)

“A project with a ‘hard’ cutover – meaning all-or-nothing – requires a talented and motivated cross-functional team,” says Frank Boshoff, senior manager, technical solutions and architecture with Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI). “The results speak for themselves. In a single weekend, ROSI changed from being a legacy mainframe application with roots in the mid-1970’s, to an Internet-savvy application with some modern smarts.”

In the future, 15,000 students will be able to use the system via ACORN simultaneously, versus the current 700. The new platform will also open up the potential for live integration with divisional systems, and ensure U of T stays at the forefront of technological innovation.

How did the team pull off such a large-scale project?

“A project of this size requires many talented resources, not only from EASI, but also from across Information Technology Services departments, and support from our user community has been phenomenal,” says Cathy Eberts, executive director of EASI. “Many of our divisional colleagues participated in the user acceptance testing and in implementing a number of new products.”

The core team celebrates after the successful cutover (photo by Sarosh Jamal)

The next phase of the project will involve developing the Data Decision Support System, which will be a near real-time copy of the ROSI data. It will allow staff to perform operational and analytical reports more quickly during peak registration periods. ACORN will also perform faster for students as they no longer need to compete with administrative staff for processing power.

“Now we can begin to integrate ROSI with other systems, within ITS and the divisions, to better meet academic and administrative needs,” says Boshoff. “The Data Decision Support System is part of this process, offering improved security and helping staff to work more efficiently. We’re excited for the future!”

Thank you to all of our user acceptance testers, divisional users and the main project team who helped make this project a success.

Project team:

Hossein Aliabadi	Gerry Lindo
Dharmesh Amalsadia	Paul Littlefield
Diana Augustin	Robert Liu
Diana Avon	David Lock
Katie Babcock	Mezba Mahtab
John Bassani	Sinisa Markovic
Joe Bate	Sue Mcglashan
Christine Beckermann	Philip Millenaar
Donald Boere	Evan Moir
Brenda Boshoff	Wei-hua (Walter)Ni
Frank Boshoff	Michael O’Cleirigh
Rod Branch	Jose Parada
Cidalia Carreiro	Andrey Pletnev
Kun Chai	Dana Pogaceanu
Kim Chan	Haroon Rafique
June Cheng	Ted Sikorski
Magdelene Cheung	Pete St Onge
Richard Chow	Petru Sugar
Hung Chu	Joanne Sukhai
Alex Dault	Alex Tchakhamakhtchian
Paul Day	Blair Thompson
Cris Diaconu	Ken Tsang
Miki Harmath	Luzinda Van Huyssteen
Matthew Hendrickson	Parani Vinayagamoorthy
Titus Hsu	Amanda Werkhaizer
Sarosh Jamal	Gaye Wignall
Kelly Jay	Laurel Williams
Sydney Jia	Zoe Wong
Andre Kalamandeen	Mike Wyers
Laura Klamot	David Yin
Anton Kruger	Bruce Zhu
Nicky Lai

Congratulations to staff members from Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) and the Planning & Budget Office for winning three U of T Excellence Through Innovation Awards (ETIA).

These awards recognize the contributions of administrative staff in advancing the University’s strategic objectives, encouraging administrative innovation, and providing a platform for sharing best practices. ETIA is an opportunity to celebrate improved practices within every area of our work and to let the employees know how significant their contributions are.

Alumni Impact Survey – EASI

One of the most extensive studies of its kind at U of T and in Canada, the Alumni Impact Survey (AIS) provides for the first-time comprehensive data on the economic, social and cultural impact of U of T’s community of more than 540,000 graduates around the globe. President Meric Gertler served as executive sponsor of the study, while David Palmer, Vice President Advancement, Vivek Goel, Vice President Research and Innovation, and David Estok, Vice-President Communications took charge of delivering on its mandate.

Recipients:

Althea Blackburn-Evans
Deborah Buehler
Gwenyth Burrows
Mary Ellen Caskenette
Vikram Chadalawada
Chuck Chan
Anne Marie Cobban
David Curtin
Barbara J. Dick
Allison Dubarry
Humberto C. Ferreira
Susan D. Fischer
Anthony Gray
Matthew A. Hendrickson
John Hermans
Richard C. Kellar
Tanya Kreinin
Helen Lasthiotakis
Jonathan Leitch
Kimberly Teresa Lyn
Leonard McKee
Bruce W. Mitchell
Milla Motrich
Emma Nguyen
Stephannie Roy
Caley Tessier
Richard Whittall

Data Dragons Competition – EASI and Planning & Budget

On July 5, EASI and Planning & Budget welcomed over 120 attendees to watch U of T’s first Data Dragons Competition. Six dragons critiqued five data science and business intelligence presentations, and questioned participants about University-wide impact, proof of concept and stakeholder involvement. The winning proposal is being sponsored by EASI and Planning & Budget.

Recipients:

Andrea Armstrong
Judith Chadwick
Anita Chooraman
Cathy Eberts
Michael Green
Robert Jordan
Heather Kelly
Richard Levin
Joseph Peter McNamara
Mari Motrich
Paul Nakonechny
Trevor Rodgers

---

Creating an Institution-Wide Data Community – EASI and Planning & Budget

The goal of this project was to create an institution-wide data community to help administrators save time, more easily analyze data and make effective, data-driven decisions.

The EASI and Planning & Budget team hosted community events on the St. George and UTSC campuses, which featured a broad range of speakers including those from the Faculty of Arts & Science, Financial Services, UTSC Registrar’s Office, Research & Innovation, and the Map & Data Library.

They also created a virtual community using online collaboration tools and featuring a website, newsletters, and a group email data@utoronto.ca. The team also hosts meetings for Tableau user groups for public sector workers across Ontario, and training for U of T staff.

Recipients:

Alexandra Agostino
Diana Avon
Christine Beckermann
Brenda Boshoff
Yuliya Cherevko
Andy Chien
Michael Green
Robert Jordan
Anton Kruger
Xiaoming Liang
Kelly Raposo
Louise Tardif