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Want to test your R3 Project knowledge? Try out our Terminology crossword!

A counsellor and a student smiling at each other while the counsellor points at an open book with a pen.

It’s that time again—we’ve prepared our third installment of the R3 Project Terminology Quiz series! So far, we’ve done Admissions and Course Enrolment. Each quiz offers a unique game, so make sure to check them out if you haven’t already.

The R3 Project’s Glossary page houses all the terms we’ve defined so far, so it’s a great resource to understand what language we’ll be using once we go live with our new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis Student Management (Thesis SM). And what better way to learn new things than to play a fun game?

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Want to test your R3 Project knowledge? Take our Course Enrolment terminology quiz!

A student sitting on a couch on campus and looking down at her open laptop.

We’re back with our second installment of the R3 Project Terminology Quiz series! Our first topic was Admissions, so feel free to check the first quiz in case you missed it.

Our topics are based on the R3 terms we’ve defined and released so far, which you can find on our website’s Glossary page. It’s also a great glimpse into the language we’ll be using with our new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis Student Management (Thesis SM). With these interactive quizzes, we hope that you can either refresh your memory or learn something new—all while having fun!

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Want to test your R3 Project knowledge? Take our Admissions terminology quiz!

The entrance to the Admissions and Registration Office, with several large windows and a clear door providing a glimpse into the office.

If you’ve ever perused our R3 Project website, you may have stumbled upon the Glossary page, which includes all the R3 terms we’ve defined so far. As we prepare for the launch of the new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis Student Management (or Thesis SM for short), it’s important that our users understand the new and unique terminology that comes with it.

You may have also come across these new terms via New Term Tuesday or at our R3 Showcase events, so hopefully the terminology is somewhat familiar. And if you have been reading up on R3 lingo, now is your chance to test your skills!

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What is the R3 Project up to? Here’s an updated description of the project phases.

The R3 Project Timeline with 6 phases. 1. Discovery - Learning about the new SIS capabilities. Thesis learns about AC. Also called Familiarize phase. 2. A 'Here' marker is displayed on the Design and Develop phase - Configure the SIS for AC. Redesign business processes. Also called Personalize Phase. 3. Technical Testing - Team tests that the new SIS works as required. Business process sharing begins. Feedback collected and analyzed. Also called Integrated System Testing. 4. User Testing - Users test final version of new SIS. Also called User Acceptance Testing. 5. Deploy - Deployment of new SIS begins. Also called Deploy. 6. Close - Close. Also called Project Close.

The R3 Project officially started back in 2019, and since then, a lot has changed. As the largest project Algonquin College has ever seen, there’s no surprise that the project has evolved over the years based on what we’ve learned and accomplished.

To put things into perspective, let’s take some time to review the R3 Project Phases—we’ve also incorporated a simple construction analogy! Plus, we’ll highlight what’s been accomplished, what’s ahead, and why each phase matters.

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Want to know the latest R3 Project updates? Watch the December 2024 R3 Showcase!

December’s Showcase event was a recap of some of our biggest highlights and key messages in 2024. The event was hosted by Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO, and Krista Pearson, Vice President of Student Services and R3 Project’s Executive Sponsor, who welcomed more than 240 participants.

Jason Taker, Manager, SIS Implementation and Digital Transformation, provided an overview of Domestic on Demand (DoD), a new integration provided by the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS), and listed the forecasted benefits for applicants, the Admissions team, and Algonquin College.

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Meet Krista Pearson, the new Executive Sponsor of the R3 Project

Headshot of Krista Pearson

Krista Pearson, Algonquin College’s Vice President, Student Services, discusses her new role as the R3 Project’s Executive Sponsor.

 

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Krista Pearson is a higher-education executive leader with three decades of experience in colleges and universities across Canada. She joined Algonquin College in 2015 as Registrar and, following a national search process, assumed the role of Vice President, Student Services in August 2024.

As Registrar, Krista was one of the R3 Project’s Co-Business Leads. Now, in her new role, Krista serves as the Executive Sponsor of the R3 Project, which she describes as a transformative initiative “unlike any other project that the College has undertaken.”

We recently met with Krista in Nawapon to talk about her experience, her goals, and the impact of the R3 Project.

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Special interview: Amir Akbari on his passion for planning

A person in business attire is seated at a table, checking a printed report with charts while working on a laptop computer.

The R3 Project is developing Thesis SM, Algonquin College’s new Student Information System. This complex task requires the coordinated effort of a large group of people, including business analysts, integration architects, training specialists, and more.

With so many roles involved, how do project members stay in sync? Enter Amir Akbari, Project Scheduler. By overseeing an extensive workback schedule with thousands of entries, Amir plays a crucial role in maximizing collaboration across the R3 Project teams.

Igor Coelho A. S. Marques recently spoke with Amir to learn more about his work. Here’s a snippet of their conversation:

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