As our summer has quickly come to an end, we are heading into a very busy Fall semester. The R3 Project team has been working on providing you with exciting updates, live demos, events, and training opportunities that will take place over the next couple of months. With the Go-Live date announced last May 2023, you are probably asking yourself where we are at with the project.
So, let’s break that down for you.
UPDATE – There have been several delays in Thesis SM upgrades and because of this we have not been able to exit the Personalize Phase of the project as we had initially planned. Some product features are not available, and Thesis is consequently working through alternative solutions to accommodate the gaps. The R3 Leadership team and Algonquin’s Executives have been working closely on resolving the project schedule with Thesis. Despite the schedule adjustments, we want to reassure that the testing and deployment/training phases will not be compromised.
Laura Stanbra, Vice President, Student Services and Executive Sponsor of the R3 Project welcomed more than 275 attendees to the May 1 Showcase Event.
AC President and CEO, Claude Brulé, shared the exciting news of when Thesis SM and the Thesis Student Portal will go live!
Krista Pearson, Registrar and R3 Project Business Co-Lead, walked the audience through the process of choosing the go-live date and the plans to minimize disruptions to our business.
Afterwards, Lois Pollock – AC’s Chief Digital Officer and R3 Project Business Co-Lead, provided an overview of upcoming project timelines as well as what our post-launch support model plans include.
Finally, R3 Communications, Change Management and Training Project Manager, Laura Williams, gave us a quick refresher on training plans leading up to, and after, our go-live date.
The event ended with an engaging Q&A session.
In “A Day in the Life” series, we interview different employees on the R3 Project to take a peek at what is going on behind the scenes and get to know our hard-working colleagues that are rethinking how we do things at the college.
Today we sat down with R3 Instructional Designer, Sarah Lickley, to learn more about her work on the project and what her typical day looks like in the office
On March 29, the R3 Project Functional Team hosted the first Business Process Walkthrough event of 2023.
On the R3 Project, Working Groups review what the new Student Information System, Thesis SM, can do when it comes to its processes. The Working Groups then look at how it connects it to our current AC processes. Together, they identify a proposed future way of completing specific processes based on the built-in functionality of Thesis SM. Whether it’s a process tied to curriculum, admissions, registration or another area, it’s important for our College community to see the proposed changes and provide input.
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During the December 8 Showcase event, a software simulation was run to highlight it as a part of the eLearning approach for SIS training.
So, what is a simulation?
A Simulation is the technique of providing an interactive environment that represents the Student Information System (SIS), where users can practice tasks and workflows at any time. Users are able to access the demonstration at any time and exercise practical knowledge, without the need to maintain a training environment.
When it comes to student support for the implementation of the ACSIS replacement, the R3 Project is collaborating with Algonquin College’s Human-Centred Design Lab (HCDL).
The Lab serves as a bridge in collecting insights via qualitative research and it helps make sense of users’ behaviour.
HCDL is working to find out, on behalf of the R3 Project, how the Project can implement a beneficial strategic plan when it comes to providing training and support that will best meet students’ needs.
At the February 28 Showcase event, more than 230 participants attended the event hosted by Laura Stanbra, Vice President, Student Services and Executive Sponsor of the R3 Project. In addition to hosting the event, Laura also provided the audience with an overview of some recent R3 Project highlights.
The R3 Implementation Committee Co-Chair, Bryan Eburne shared the overall status of how the Working Groups are progressing and provided some examples of the work being done.
Admissions Coordinator, Lisa Wellman, presented a thorough review of the current admissions process at Algonquin College. She also shared how the new admissions process in Thesis SM, introduced new terminology, and touched on the benefits that this could bring to the student and employee experience.
Samantha Harris, Business Systems Analyst with the R3 Project, walked us through a live demo highlighting an Avatar’s (Jimmy) application journey to showcase the Applicant Checklist feature in the Thesis Student Portal.
The event ended with an engaging Q&A session.
Watch the Showcase:
Watch Each Section:
0:00 – 7:27: Welcome and Introductions: Laura Stanbra
7:27 – 9:40: Implementation Committee Update: Bryan Eburne
9:40 – 14:33: Recent R3 Project Highlights: Laura Stanbra on behalf of Claude Brulé
14:33 – 22:47: Admissions Process in Thesis SM: Lisa Wellman
22:47 – 34:23: The Applicant Checklist Demo in Thesis SM: Samantha Harris
34:23: Live Q&A
Education technologies assist day-to-day College operations with the ultimate goal to make a student’s and employee’s experience the best it can be.
With the R3 Project, a Digital Transformation will take place when the new Student Information System is implemented. It’s a two-fold approach that will involve an enhanced platform as well as improving the user experience.
When people hear about the R3 Project and the implementation of a new Student Information System (SIS), many might think that “R3” is the name of the new SIS.
Well, not necessarily.
With the R3 Project comes a lot of new terms, so we’re going to be breaking down some of these terms for you. More specifically, R3 and Thesis SM.
Since we’re hoping to accomplish a lot with the R3 Project, there are a number of people—from Algonquin College employees to contractors—working on this Project to help bring our vision to life. Each member of the R3 Team plays a vital role in ensuring that our five main objectives are met and that we’re always keeping the Algonquin College community in mind.
The R3 Project is comprised of several teams, and each one contributes something different to the Project. These teams are divided into smaller groups, and each one is in charge of accomplishing different tasks and working on different things.
For now, we’re going to be focusing on the two biggest teams on the R3 Project: Functional and Technical. These two teams are also led by the two co-chairs of the Implementation Committee, Bryan Eburne and Jason Taker.
Now, what does this mean? What do these teams do? How does their work affect the R3 Project and AC community?
We’ll answer all of these questions by explaining the differences between the Technical and Functional teams and outlining their roles within the Project.