The creation of the University's first Digital Strategy was a collaborative effort involving a broad group of campus stakeholders. This strategy is intended to guide our institutional digital-related priorities and plans over the coming years. Through this work a set of themes and goals were developed based on the needs of the institution.
Our Guiding Principles
As we implement the goals and initiatives in this digital strategy, the following guiding principles should be intentionally considered and included:
institutional values and guiding principles
- Putting the Student experience first
- Growing our spirit of collaboration
- Using digital to demonstrate EDIA
technical guiding principles
-
Create a digital experience that is safe and secure
-
Safeguard our stakeholders’ data
- Know that our systems are reliable
Building the digital Experience
The following section identifies each of the themes developed by the participants in the strategy process. The group developed a series of goals for each as described in the sections below.
Goals at a Glance
Digital for teaching and learning
Our digital tools must provide an accessible and inclusive learning experience that mirrors the modern digital landscape that students will be part of, and lead within, once their learning journey at X is complete.
DTL 1: Tech-enabled student experience
DTL 2: Effective learning management system (LMS)
DTL 3: Consistent + effective digitally-enabled learning spaces
Digital for decision making
Our digital systems must be interconnected and simplified to provide a single source of truth for our data. Building the powerful data culture we want requires that our data is easily and digitally accessible, reportable, and understandable for all users.
DDM 1: Strengthened data culture at StFX
DDM 2: Analytics for university operations
Digital for self-service
Our digital tools must be designed and grouped in a way that aligns with end-user needs and tasks. By applying a ‘one-stop-shop’ model, users can leverage self-service and digitally-automated workflows that are faster, clearer, and satisfy user needs.
DSS 1: Clear and easy digital tasks
DSS 2: Improved digital literacy
Digital for everyday excellence
Our digital systems must be streamlined, integrated, and meaningfully connected to reflect StFX as a whole institution. The ideal StFX digital experience is both invisible and powerfully present in everything we do and differentiates us from our competitors in the space.
DEE 1: Grow the ‘digital first’ operational culture at StFX
DEE 2: Elevate StFX research activities and administration through digital tools
Initiatives at a Glance
Digital for teaching and learning
DTL 1.1: Implement an automated and self-service degree audit tool with connected bulk registration function
DTL 1.2: Implement an analytics-driven, automated academic risk tool to flag those who need additional academic support
DTL 2.1: Optimize existing LMS through consistent use of all available functionality
DTL 2.2: Strengthen the integration between LMS and other SIS tools for grades, withdrawals, etc.
DTL 3.1: Standardize and optimize teaching engagement tools and technology
DTL 3.2: Increase learner accessibility, accommodation, and flexibility through digital delivery tools
DTL 3.3: Support student success by implementing a digital attendance tool for students
Digital for decision making
DDM 1.1: Integrate / streamline key institutional data sources
DDM 1.2: Co-create a data dictionary for use at StFX
DDM 1.3: Apply customized StFX institutional data governance policies and procedures
DDM 1.4: Create a robust, self-service institutional data reporting suite that is interactive and highly customizable
DDM 2.1: Apply analytics for StFX academic planning and day-to-day academic operations
DDM 2.2: Apply analytics for StFX non-academic operations
Digital for self-service
DSS 1.1: Establish an intuitive and predictive internal search engine
DSS 1.2: Create customized one-stop information and self-service portals for students (current and future) and staff
DSS 2.1: Deliver student-focused digital literacy assessment and training
DSS 2.2: Deliver faculty-focused digital literacy assessment and training
DSS 2.3: Deliver employee-focused digital literacy assessment and training
DSS 2.4: Deliver cloud-based, real-time IT support for all user groups
Digital for everyday excellence
DEE 1.1: Streamline and strengthen the full suite of StFX digital systems and tools
DEE 1.2: Digitize and integrate remaining university paper-based operational processes
DEE 1.3: Drive secure access to university systems
DEE 2.1: Assess current suite of research administration digital tools
DEE 2.2: Develop an integrated approach to research data management
DEE 2.3: Create a suite of digital data management tools and templates for StFX researchers
DEE 2.4: Grow the StFX research profile through an interactive site that promotes research activities, shares successes, and connects students to research opportunities
Process
A consulting organization was engaged to help create the digital strategy needed to guide the institutions digital transformation over the coming years. A Steering Committee was established and made up of representatives from across the university. The group played a key role in guiding the work through all the project phases. Meaningful stakeholder engagements were key on this project as digital touches the entire campus community; it is important that the digital strategy reflect the voice of all stakeholders.
Steering Committee Members
Andrew Beckett: Vice President, Finance and Administration
John DeLorey: Director, IT Services
Lisa Craig: Director, Finance
Bob Hale: Director, Ancillary Services
Daniel Draper: Director, Human Resources
Leon MacLellan: Director, Facilities Management
Tara Buksaitis: Registrar and Director of Enrolment Planning
Jacqueline De Leebeeck: Director, Student Life
Wendy Langley: Director, Development
Meredith Cudmore-Keating: Students’ Union VP Academic
Naomi Stobart: Students’ Union Chair of Council
Jack Rice: Director, Continuing and Distance Education
Joe Apaloo: Dean of Science
Stakeholder Engagements
- Discovery interviews were held with various facets of the organization
- Eight people were interviewed in spring 2022 to gather relevant historical context and identify future opportunities
- A digital transformation survey was sent out to the StFX community
- The survey ran from May 2-16, 2022 and was shared with the internal StFX Community. Nearly 150 people participated in the survey, 75% of respondents were employees and 26% students.
- Two 'dream' future-state visioning sessions were held with internal StFX stakeholders on the topic of 'creating our world class digital experience'.
- Two virtual 90-minute sessions were held in June 2022.
- A total of 62 participants helped co-create this vision of the future
- Two 'design' action planning sessions were held with internal StFX stakeholders to frame the action steps
- Two virtual 120-minute sessions were held in June 2022
- A total of 44 participants helped co-create this vision of the future
- Deep dive meetings were held with stakeholders where items needing further exploration were identified.
