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A digital strategy provides clear and realistic expectations of technology, services and operational practices, and ensures that the solutions we implement are approached purposefully and meet the needs of the communities that we serve.
This will enable individual and institutional success, help us to understand the potential of digital technologies and associated services, prioritize our investments, and readily apply them to better serve our diverse community.
Learn more about how we developed our digital strategy below or download the PDF.
"Accessibility should be at the forefront when creating or updating software."
"We need to provide the option to participate virtually or in-person which increases participation, is easier to fit into schedules, and removes unnecessary travel."
"Our digital strategy is the thread that holds it all together."
"Laurier should maintain balance between accessibility, cost-efficiency, and quality of service."
"Digital transformation shouldn’t be a steamroller. We need to find a balance between in-person and online. We need to learn what can improve and make digital and what can stay within that physical space."
Through engagements with the community and work within the Digital Strategy Working Group, three key priorities were identified as being the most important to our diverse community and imperative to our strategic success. These themes are:
This five-year roadmap outlines projects that will change how students, faculty and staff work, learn, teach and research at Laurier. As funding, opportunities and priorities change, new projects may be added or removed from this timeline to help us achieve the goals set out in Laurier’s Digital Strategy.
Provisioning access to essential services for Wilfrid Laurier International College (WLIC) students, instructors and staff
Standardizing, expanding, and improving Laurier Wi-Fi networks
Implementing smart and responsive Student Service solutions including OneCard mobile payment, modernizing food services, and more
Creating an organized and accessible service portal and knowledge base promoting self service
Providing network access for any device
Telephone system transformation – allowing phone calls through software over traditional hardware
Promoting and rolling out communication, collaboration and productivity applications
Delivery of projects and project management software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms that allow us to effectively manage interactions and relationships
Implementing a new computer lab strategy to allow personal devices to connect to docking stations
Technology to support researchers
Portal to allow for electronic CV that enables and supports the Annual Report of Activities for faculties and librarians
Transforming our business intelligence to support the analysis and reporting of data sources from across our institution
Improving the accessibility of software, hardware, and the way that we support our community
Advising solution and process review, providing a centralized platform that better support students
Navigation, booking, and scheduling solutions
Integration platform to connect systems, applications, and data across our institution
A digital credential platform for accessing, viewing, and sharing your academic credentials
Student Services Portal that centralizes resources, services and tools that are available to students
In 2023, we will start setting our baseline for each of the following key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs will serve as an initial starting point that we will use to track our progress. Additional KPIs may be added subsequent years.
|
Metric |
Description |
Data Source(s) |
|---|---|---|
|
Digital Solutions |
Number of planned solutions implemented, and projects completed on the roadmap to support students, faculties, and departments. |
|
|
User Satisfaction |
Satisfaction from students, faculty, and staff with digital solutions and self-service offerings. |
|
|
Consultations |
Increased participation in town halls, focus groups, and various committees regarding digital initiatives. |
|
|
Data Connections |
Percentage of data sources connected to the central data warehouse. |
|
|
Training and Upskilling |
Percentage of staff that complete cyber security training. |
|
Our Digital Strategy has overarching and integrated themes across all strategic areas of the Laurier Strategy (2019-2024) and will be essential to helping the university be successful in achieving its objectives.
Each of strategic priorities in Laurier’s Digital Strategy were selected for the significance of their impact on our university community and specific activities that will be necessary for Laurier to achieve its broader objectives of thriving community and future-readiness.
Achieving these objectives will require support from leaders and a collaborative effort within the Laurier community to implement projects and initiatives that work towards these goals. It will also require proper project prioritization and an understanding that we have limited resources and must work collectively to ensure an appropriate balance between enterprise-level solutions and services that serve business units and/or functional needs.
The Digital Strategy Working group is made up of diverse leaders from across the university that represent various strategic priorities of the university. The group meets bi-weekly to discuss current priorities, work planning and actions required. Sponsors are provided a monthly report detailing the progress that have been made towards developing our digital strategy.
Our Digital Strategy will provide a shared vision to enhance teaching, learning, research, administration, and service through sustainable digital innovation for Laurier and for our community of partners. In developing our approach, the Digital Strategy Working Group has identified a series of values that will drive its development.
Through this strategy we will: