Introductions and Brief History
Team Members:
• Damond Nollan
• Derek Brinson
• Darin Tyler
• Michael Render
• Teccara Carmack
• Chesiree Mooring
Overview:
• Where We Were
• Where We Are
• Where We’re Going

Web services history
• The Upside
– Largest increase in enrollment in any university’s history
during this same period
– Our website’s reliability, usability, and overall quality
increased in the same period that our enrollment
increased by record numbers (Howard University DLL
Study)
– One of the first universities to broadcast live
commencement activities
– WNCU 90.7 FM
– Established Web Internship Program (W.I.P.)
• The Downside
– No Web Standards/Policy, No Consistency
– Difficult to Navigate
– Information was hard to find and often times outdated
– NCCU’s administrators ran web content, thus turning the
web into a large administrative document.
• How is that a problem? Administrators do not
enroll; students do.
– Under resourced
– Unmanaged
– Under valued
– Browser compatibility issues

Where We Were
• Where We Were
– Web Team started as team of one that was lead by a committee
– All work was done on a part time bases as a part of desktop support
services
– Web projects where not determine by priority, but by “who do you
know” or “first come, first serve basis”
– Some departments handled their own content and design. Others
outsourced design work, but lacked the technical maturity to
maintain the content.
• As a result, ITS performed maintenance work on unfamiliar
sites, in turn, increasing the level of difficulty.
• When and Why Did It Get Better?
– Decision makers recognized the need to manage our website.
– Today, a cohesive top-notch website is not a luxury - it is a necessity.
– NCCU began the life-long process of learning to leverage the web
site as a business tool.

Lessons Learned
• Make Your Right Hand Talk to Your Left
– All departments should be trying to go into the same direction
– Effectively communicate your enterprise web strategies
• Get Real Web Expertise
– Web Manager
– Developers
– Designers
– Content Writers
• Give Experts the Backing of Policy
• Deliver Comprehensive Enterprise-Wide Web Services
• Adhere to web standards
– Better cross-browser compatibility
• Management Content Effectively
– Internal vs. External Content
– Centralize and consolidate information. This Creates Ease-ability to manage
content. Duplication leads to Inaccuracies.
– Prioritize content
– Know the difference between Static and Dynamic
– Content Management vs. Business Management
– When NCCU’s web site content was run by our administrators, it became a big
administrative document. How is that a problem? Administrators do not enroll.

Lessons Learned (cont’d)
• Create Compelling and Relevant Content
– Create Professional Quality Graphics
– Keep Content Up-To-Date
– Remove Clutter
• Be concise. Web user’s do not read – they scan.
– Improve Information Architecture
• Increase Usability and “Findability”

Where We Are
• Resources and Tools
– S.C.R.U.M.
– Web Liaisons
– Student Web Services Internship Program
– Google Analytics
– Feedback Application
– Streaming Media
– Content Management System
• Cohesive Web Strategy
– Acquiring advocates (professorate, administrative,
student, etc.) of the university web strategy
– Web Liaisons
• Fulfils our need to collaborate with campus
representatives
• Content is managed by those who know it
best
– Maintaining a consistent vision and agenda across
different teams and different levels of
management
– Creating a unified web presence
• Uniform look on all pages
– Developing policies and guidelines
– Prioritized our services towards Prospective
Students
– Meet the needs of the University vs. the needs of
a single department.
• All Boats Rise

Where We Are (cont’d)
Web Applications

Where We’re Going - The Future
• More efficient Web-based applications
• Creating a Web Presence for Mobile Devices
– Apple iPhone & iTouch
– BlackBerry
– Windows Mobile and other Smart Phones
• Utilizing Cloud Computing
– Google Apps,
– Eye OS
– Aviary
• Better implementation of Web 2.0
– More than just a pretty face
– Application based web design driven by compelling content
– Refocus on content
• Content is king
• Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence and Predictive Analysis

Where We’re Going - The Future
For NCCU, The Future is B.I.:
Business Intelligence,
Data Warehousing,
Data Mining
Predictive Analysis
Definitions:
Turning data into information and information into knowledge.
Utilizing enterprise data to make decisions of value to your business.

Where We’re Going - The Future
Today, BI is in a similar place that
the WWW was circa 1990
– Fortune 500’s current BI expenditures resemble
their Web expenditures in early ‘90s
– Why is this important?

Where We’re Going - The Future
Q: How Are We Doing?
A: From last year’s ____ Report…

Where We’re Going - The Future
Q: How Are We Doing?
A: From last year’s ____ Report…

Where We’re Going - The Future
How Are We Doing?
”Last week’s numbers and trends
indicate…”

Where We’re Going - The Future
How Are We Doing, *Now*?
As available  Scorecard
Right This Instant!  Dashboard
• Overall Retention Rate – by Class, by Residence
• GPA or Drop/Add Rate – by Class, Overall, by Major
• Research Money In vs. Out
• Turnover Rate of Faculty and/or Staff
• Time to Graduate (AKA “Length of Stay”)

Where We’re Going - The Future
B.I. is not just for execs
Students also ask, “How am I doing?”
• The Obvious Questions
– GPA
– Percentile Rank
– Total Amount Due (with drill down to particulars)
• Map residence addresses by block
• “Students Who Took This Class Also Liked…” (Amazon app)
Better Service = Better Retention

Where We’re Going - The Future
Online Reporting is only the
Beginning of B.I.
• Data Mining
– Consider Harvard Business Review Study
Diapers and Beer  Valuable Business Decisions
• Predictive Analysis
– Modeling the Future
What if…?

Where We’re Going - The Future
How You Can Leverage BI, Today
You already own the data
Now, make it work for you
Your competition is

Where We’re Going - The Future
The Big Uneasy
Does all of your data come from the same
source?
• Data Integration
• Data Governance
• Data Management

Where We’re Going - The Future
Data Integration
Pull today’s data together coherently
• ETL Tools
• Data Mappings
Putting this cart before the horse causes
many a BI project to fail.

Where We’re Going - The Future
Data Governance
C-Level Management setting policy for the
entire enterprise/institution
• Data Standards
• Culture Change
• Top Down (the tail can’t wag the dog)

Where We’re Going - The Future
Pitfalls & Caveats:
Remember that, Do-It-Yourself BI will only
take you so far  Get the expertise
– No need to re-invent the wheel
– Vendors with experience in higher education
One Size Does NOT Fit All
– Understand your data, fir$t
– New skill sets need to be part of the BI Team
– Database Admin <> Subject Matter Expert <>
Business Analyst <> Data Architect

Where We’re Going - The Future
Be Patient
• Not a magic bullet
• Will not be ready overnight
• Can be part of an agile environment, with small,
incremental implementations
BI is a program, not a project