Next Generation Student Information Services

Product Summary Report:
September 2022 – December 2023

(Updated June 2023)

Overview

The goal of the Next Generation Student Information Services Program (NGSIS) is to create and deploy technological solutions that help students fully engage in rewarding learning experiences and achieve academic and personal success, and that help faculty and staff provide a rich and supportive educational environment.

Through targeted investment in information technology, over the past 11 years, NGSIS has introduced a wide variety of new services for students and staff, providing real-time information about all aspects of the student experience. As a result, NGSIS is now actively supporting over 25 individual student and administrative applications in addition to the current core Student Information System (SIS)/ROSI system. Included in this list are some of the most successful NGSIS services for students, faculty, and staff, such as ACORN, Degree Explorer, and more recently, Timetable Builder, Award Explorer, the Course Information System and Accommodated Testing Services (ATS).

To help U of T chart a new course forward in replacing and/or renewing our core SIS, the team contracted Deloitte Consulting services to complete an environmental scan of potential student information systems in the marketplace to replace ROSI in the future.

Through this work, we have established that currently there are no vendor or cloud-based solutions that will easily accommodate U of T’s requirements. As mature cloud solutions are likely years away, U of T should continue to keep an eye on the marketplace but also invest in current solutions such as ACORN, Degree Explorer, Course Information System, and our new Salesforce CRM student success hub. In addition, consideration should be given to improving the ROSI user experience using in-house resources over the next several years.

For a more detailed explanation of these strategic recommendations and specific projects for the coming year, please explore the remaining sections of this report.


Focus for NGSIS: Sept. 2022 - Dec. 2023


1

Student Advising Service

Following close consultations with divisions, U of T is currently implementing an enterprise vendor application, Salesforce Student Success Hub for Higher Education, to support academic divisions in transforming their student advising services. This innovative solution will present the interconnected student story, streamline the student and staff experience, promote evidence-based student support practices, ensure consistent and transparent service delivery, and increase administrative efficiencies.

NGSIS is currently working in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education to implement the solution with the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. The service will then be assessed for future expansion to other divisions.

  • A – Milestone: Foundation Phase (Jun), Occurs June 2023
  • B – Milestone: Deploy Student Facing Advising Portal (2024), Occurs January 2024
  • C – Task: Implement Salesforce Advising Functionality for A&S and KPE Staff, Starts January 2023, Ends June 2023
  • D – Task: Onboarding Additional Divisions, Starts July 2023, Ends January 2024
  • E – Task: Develop Student Facing Advising Portal, Starts July 2023, Ends January 2024

2

NGSIS Digital Platform

U of T has contracted with some of the leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms in the past few years and the demand for integration with our core Systems of Record has increased significantly. Over the past decade, a standard method for integrating systems has emerged, including a standard to secure such methods. NGSIS has established resources in the Microsoft Azure Cloud that support these standards and facilitate the exchange of data between the core systems and the SaaS platforms.

  • A – Task: Azure Student Records API - Makes Basic Student Profile Information Available to Various Divisions , Starts January 2023, Ends June 2023
  • B – Task: Implement OData APIs - Streamlines ROSI Data Processing to Eliminate Duplicate Data Entry Across Various Systems, Starts January 2023, Ends August 2023
  • C – Task: Implement API Development Request Process, Starts January 2023, Ends May 2023
  • D – Task: Evaluate Request Process / API Governance, Starts May 2023, Ends January 2024

3

Course Management Systems

Development of new functionality and extension of implementation to additional divisions remains a focus with the set of applications that support the administration of course and program development, review and approval, and publication and offering. While separate, these applications are being developed with points of integration with each other and with other NGSIS services.

  • A – Milestone: Release, Occurs August 2023
  • B – Milestone: Release, Occurs October 2023
  • C – Milestone: UTM 2024, Occurs January 2024
  • D – Task: Syllabus Builder – Phase 3 (UTSC), Starts March 2023, Ends August 2023
  • E – Task: Fall Updates (FASE, UTSC), Starts April 2023, Ends September 2023
  • F – Task: Syllabus Builder – Phase 4 (FAS), Starts April 2023, Ends November 2023
  • G – Task: Exam Details (UTM), Starts January 2023, Ends November 2023
  • H – Task: Final Exam Modules (UTM), Starts January 2023, Ends January 2024
  • A – Milestone: ATS v.1.4.5, Occurs May 2023
  • B – Milestone: Release, Occurs June 2023
  • C – Milestone: Release, Occurs September 2023
  • D – Task: Bookings, Test Definition Enhancements, Starts February 2023, Ends May 2023
  • E – Task: Summer Sub-Session Functionality, Starts February 2023, Ends June 2023
  • F – Task: ACORN Interface Updates, Starts April 2023, Ends September 2023
  • G – Task: Technical Debt, Starts February 2023, Ends September 2023
  • H – Task: Next Phase Requirements Reviews, Starts September 2023, Ends January 2024
  • A – Milestone: SGS Academic Calendar Spring 2024, Occurs May 2024
  • B – Task: Curriculum Publisher - Calendar Updates, Starts January 2023, Ends September 2023
  • C – Task: Curriculum Management - Graduate Program Analysis, Starts January 2023, Ends January 2024
  • D – Task: CM - Graduate Course Updates, Starts July 2023, Ends January 2024
  • E – Task: CM - Graduate Program Initiative - Onboarding and Change Management, Starts July 2023, Ends January 2024

4

Service Innovation

At the core of NGSIS is service innovation, resulting in the continued rollout of new applications that consolidate online services for faculty, staff and students, simplify operations, and empower students to make informed decisions while attending U of T. New and improved web applications delivered or underway by the NGSIS team include the following:

  • A – Task: Analysis / Development: Integration with divisional calendars, and enhancements to notes management, search and interface functionality, Starts January 2023, Ends May 2023
  • A – Milestone: Full Launch (May), Occurs May 2023
  • B – Task: Migration to Moneris Checkout, Starts January 2023, Ends May 2023
  • A – Milestone: Full Launch (Summer), Occurs August 2023
  • B – Task: Implement Revitalized Student and Admin Modules, Starts January 2023, Ends July 2023
  • C – Task: Improved Data Architecture and Integration, Starts February 2023, Ends July 2023

5

Operational and Academic Reporting (OAR) and Analytics Technology

Power BI and Azure Data Studio are the preferred reporting tools to work with the ROSI-REPLICA and the Managed Instance, and provide integration with multiple databases. Azure Data Studio is used to perform ad hoc queries while Power BI provides advanced visualization, improved data integration and paginated reports. Power BI also provides availability from the cloud, resulting in greater transparency and streamlined processes. NGSIS is leveraging Power BI for new reports in applications, including Curriculum Management, Absence Declaration, the Course Information System and the new Transfer Credit Equivalencies database (OASIS). ROSI Express reports will be transitioned to Power BI in the near future. With the introduction of Data Studio, the legacy ad hoc query tool Rocket Shuttle has been retired and staff have transitioned to the new platform.

  • A – Milestone: March, Occurs March 2023
  • B – Task: Curriculum Management and Absence Declaration Reports, Starts January 2023, Ends March 2024
  • C – Task: Course Information System, Transfer Credit Equivalencies, ROSI Express Reports, Starts January 2023, Ends January 2024
  • A – Milestone: May, Occurs May 2023
  • B – Task: Facilitating End-User & Staff Offboarding, Starts January 2023, Ends May 2023
  • A – Task: Power BI, Azure Data Studio, ROSI Replica Database, Starts January 2023, Ends January 2024

6

SIS Business Architecture

Formative research is now underway to review current NGSIS student applications and core systems. A resulting roadmap will support the long-term transition to a more modern, student-focused set of enterprise applications. It will determine priorities for system development and acquisition of commercial applications, develop a high-level business case for the transition, and enable U of T to better support the needs of a diverse student body.

  • A – Milestone: NGSIS Roadmap Winter 2024, Occurs December 2024
  • B – Task: Review Intake Methodology, Prioritization Strategy, Starts January 2023, Ends January 2024
  • C – Task: Review / Develop Business Architecture, Starts January 2023, Ends January 2024

7

Current Enhancement Requests

The Student Information Systems and User Experience and Process Design teams have continued to develop enhancements approved and prioritized by the ROSI Change Advisory Board (CAB) or mandated by the government or institutional requirements.

  • A – Milestone: ACORN Release, Occurs May 2023
  • B – Task: Migration to Moneris Checkout, Starts February 2023, Ends May 2023
  • C – Task: Absence Declaration Enhancements, Starts March 2023, Ends September 2023
  • D – Task: Student Checklist, Starts September 2023, Ends December 2023
  • A – Task: System vs. Legal Name Analysis, Starts January 2023, Ends August 2023
  • B – Task: Improve Automated Student Email Cleanup Process Analysis, Starts January 2023, Ends August 2023
  • C – Task: Add Candidacy Statuses to Batch Assign Admission Decision Analysis, Starts January 2023, Ends November 2023

ACORN

Migration to Moneris Checkout: Modifications to ACORN Payment functionality to capture payment information to be passed directly to Moneris for validation and checkout processing.

Absence Declaration Enhancements: Updates to how students can formally declare absences on ACORN to address policy changes within the university, and to add instructor access to data.

Student Checklist: Redesigning the user experience of the student profile, and modifications to system settings functionality.

ROSI CAB

System vs. Legal Name: Investigation to analyze options to increase efficiency around how names are stored and used in ROSI that directly impact any reports requiring the use of students’ legal names, including Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees (IRCC) reporting and Confirmation of Enrolment functionality.

Improve Automated Student Email Cleanup Process: Analysis and documentation of requirements to profile new processes to periodically clean up or update student email addresses in ROSI.

Add Candidacy Statuses to Batch Assign Admission Decision: Analysis and development of new functionality to the batch process that updates Admission Decision statuses.