November 2020 IT Projects

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Brightspace LMS

The Project Teams continue to work diligently to ensure that everything is in place for the full Fall 2020 launch of Brightspace. Teaching and Learning teams across the System have developed training content and continue to dedicate maximum resources to faculty training, while the Technical Team is working on course content migration from Blackboard, additional third-party integrations, enhancements to the custom Brightspace Administration Tool and IT staff training. Student training resources have also been developed and shared in preparation for Fall.

To help keep faculty and staff updated, a System Announcements page has been created in Brightspace and includes information about improvements and changes to our Brightspace instance, as well as global changes to Brightspace.

Classrooms for the Future

Web Conferencing installations are underway on all campuses. The majority of equipment has been received with cameras expected to ship during the week of August 3rd. Computers are being delivered to the campuses and the baseline image is being finalized so it can be pushed out to all computers along with any additional software.

Over the next two weeks, installations will be completed, cameras will be added to the mounts, final configuration and testing will take place. Documentation will also be finalized along with training videos and live training.

Cloud Based Storage – Box to OneDrive Migration

The functional team has been formed and the kick-off meeting took place on July 27th. A vendor has been identified to migrate content from Box to OneDrive and negotiations are underway. In the meantime, use cases that fall outside of typical cloud-based storage are being gathered and reviewed.

A Box MIgration to OneDrive Confluence page has been established to provide project updates, FAQs and support for users. FAQs have been developed and will be added to the page upon completion. The teams are currently working on a Communication Plan, Cloud Storage Comparison Matrix and technical decision documentation.

Dell Desktop Services Implementation

The core team for the Dell Desktop Services implementation completed deliverables and discussed lessons learned during their closeout meeting.

The project has been extended to include the next stage of Dell asset tagging and reporting. Based upon these new deliverables, the core team has been modified to include representation from EUT, Operations (asset management) and InfoSec. The team will focus on identifying a custom label for Dell equipment and implementing asset tagging and reporting.

EAP Navigate: UMF Implementation

Go live is on track for staff on August 19 and students on August 28. EAB will begin moving configurations and data into the production system this week. Workflow validation will occur next week and staff user training is scheduled for August 19.

EAB Navigate: UMFK Implementation

Data validation and training are nearly complete, and the team has completed the majority of content creation. Student go-live is on schedule for 8.29.20.

EAB Navigate: USM Implementation

The functional team is working on developing content. Initial implementation will focus on events and communication. The technical team is working on data imports and validation.

Enterprise Pay for Print

For fall 2020, the only remaining task is to configure mobility print for UMFK & UMPI. Beginning early fall, the team will begin planning for the UM transition which may include code development work.

MaineStreet UX Enhancements

Over the summer, the HighPoint Campus Experience Implementation Team has made significant progress in moving toward the ultimate goal of providing a streamlined, mobile-friendly MaineStreet Student Information System to students. Most recently, the Technical Team completed migration of the HighPoint Campus Experience module to an additional test database and applied the latest point releases. An updated assessment of the module, its functionality and required decision points has been completed and shared with the Functional Team for review and feedback. The Functional Team is currently conducting User Acceptance Testing (UAT), which concludes on 8.14.20.

Note: “HighPoint Campus Experience” will likely not be a meaningful term for students as they are introduced to this new way of using MaineStreet Campus Solutions. Longer term, the approaching ERP assessment will help to determine how the product is referred to. In the short-term, it will be referred more generically as the “New MaineStreet Experience.”

Peoplesoft Financials AR/Billing for Miscellaneous Receivables

All baseline setup is in production. UMA is now processing all AR/Billing transactions in PeopleSoft and has moved off of MAS90. Due to competing demands on UMaine’s Bursar’s Office, its move to process transactions in production is now targeted for late August/early September.

UMA Website Replace 10up Code

The project team has revised the project plan and schedule to adjust for webtech resource availability.

A “sandbox” site was created and has been reviewed by the UMA team. The team believes that all site functionality can be built with the current theme options, but would like the portfolio component to be completed prior to going live.

UMF Telecom Upgrades (VoIP)

Deployment is complete in Franklin. Cabling is underway in Merrill with an estimated completion of mid-August.

The team has begun discussing the best use of the remaining budget funds and will be making recommendations in early August. Decommissioning of the Avaya system will be scheduled for late fall.

UMPI Telecom Upgrades (VoIP)

Cabling is currently underway in Preble Hall.

USM Telecom Upgrades (VoIP)

Cabling has been completed in Corthell and Russell Halls. Phone deployments are underway in Corthell Hall.

UMS Wireless Infrastructure

Cabling work continues in Costello Hall at USM and is scheduled to begin in Sullivan Gym at the end of July.

Zoom Video Conference Integration

The project has transitioned to the closeout phase. UMA has been the primary campus continuing to use TMS in the Spring 2020 semester. Since video conferencing classes are on hold as students and most faculty and staff continue work remotely (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), full transition to Zoom VC will not occur until VC classes are back in session. The project team will identify outstanding activities in the closeout report.