The University of Mary Discovers Outsourcing

Dynamic Campus Customizes IT to the Highest Level

When Father James Patrick Shea began his Presidency at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, the private school, founded in 1955 as a two-year institution, was flourishing. Now it had graduate and doctorate programs, and seven satellite campuses including one launching in Rome, Italy. As with any university, there were inherent challenges such as student recruitment and retention, and rapidly advancing technology.

The Challenges

Father Shea immediately began strategic planning to improve the college, asking himself, “How can I lead this growing university in a way which empowers everybody, and which allows our students to receive the best possible education?” IT was immediately identified as a priority challenge.

Limited Access

Father Shea saw an under staffed IT struggling to deliver access and support services with limited and ineffective wireless capabilities. Students were asking for and expecting modern technology. Father Shea wondered how to install an effective wireless system in the lumbering concrete buildings of 1950’s Brueur architecture; however, wireless wasn’t the only challenge.

Unclear Direction

The web portal and content management system were inefficient. Services and solutions that had worked well when the college was small were now antiquated. The lack of integration and software support had the potential to cause transcript discrepancies and other crisis. Adding to the daily challenges, the email spam filters were inhibiting communications especially with the Rome campus. Even most of the hardware was out of date – often purchased second hand; the dorms had poor printing services. Father Shea needed to provide IT with a clear direction.

Under Staffed and Under Resourced

Where does an under staffed IT department find the resources needed to keep pace with expanding technology? As Father Shea searched for tangible and practical answers, he knew it was imperative that effective and efficient IT processes be in place, and that faculty, staff, students, and IT be in sync.

The Solutions

Outsourcing as a Viable Option

Father Shea attended an annual conference for college presidents at the Council of Independent Colleges. As he met with his peers, they asked each other, “What keeps you up at night?” Father Shea and many other presidents answered, “IT.” At the conference, Father Shea discovered outsourcing as a viable option when he met Dynamic Campus and other IT companies. He had not heard of outsourcing IT and was interested in the potential advantages.

Inviting Dynamic Campus and other vendors to the Bismarck campus to discuss the possibility of a partnership, Father Shea considered one of the founding missions of the Benedictine Sisters.

“The university is in the business of higher education,” he said. “Our expertise is not IT. It is our job to prepare students for their professions, and to prepare them for life.” By outsourcing IT, the university could gain the expertise and resources they would otherwise not be able to feasibly access, which in turn would allow them to focus their attention on what they do best – higher education.

Partnership Concerns

Father Shea discussed partnerships with several vendors but still had concerns. The University of Mary values the community and considers employees as integral members, like a family. Father Shea foresaw that employee level of job satisfaction would be affected by how they were treated. As he met with Dynamic Campus, he felt synergy. He saw not only their professional level of commitment, but also their willingness to get to know the people of the university on an individual basis.

Dynamic Campus took their commitments to the highest level. They evaluated each IT staff person according to their existing professional assets and potential, and then offered them professional development opportunities to supplement their knowledge and talent. Father Shea refers to this as a miracle. “All of our people were treated with respect,” he said. “All of our people were retained. Their professional lives experienced a particular type of transformation. Their individual competencies were maximized, and they were set free to do the type of work meaningful to them.”

THE RESULTS

Customized Services

Dynamic Campus customized its services to the needs of the university. Within 30 days of entering the partnership, a 24x7 help desk was implemented. Glitches were worked out for a smooth transition into the of the school year. Spam filters were replaced and reconfigured to allow personal inbox management. Technology was functioning, and everyone was happier.

“The confidence of the IT staff was at a higher level,” said Father Shea. “It was wonderful to see.”

After the help desk was running, the Dynamic Campus team conducted a full technology assessment, and recommendations were given in regards to security, infrastructure, and personnel. Says Father Shea: “We were able to channel those recommendations in an intelligent way that was clearly prioritized.” A plan was soon approved, and the first phase of wireless services was implemented in the resident halls and apartments, and the second phase began for public spaces and classrooms.

Other priorities were also set into motion following the Annual Technology Project Plan developed by Dynamic Campus.

Software Capacity Maximized

Frustrations had been mounting, but Dynamic Campus tackled the issues. Not tied to any particular software, Dynamic Campus maximized the effectiveness of the existing Jenzabar ERP software. Student enrollments now process efficiently. The web portal and content management systems operate at top capacity allowing students instant access, and enabling the faculty to enhance their online curriculums. 

Standardized multimedia systems are now installed in the classrooms and have reliable support. Long-term service and replacement plans keep hardware functioning and up-to-date. A print management solution is being implemented across the campus.

Bursts of Expertise

Like any college president, Father Shea recognizes student interest and technical savvy. He always contemplates how learning can be improved in regards to technology. “There’s a lot of anxiety about the use of resources, efficiencies, and the new economy,” he says. “But they can be dealt with collaboratively. By partnering with Dynamic Campus, the university is able to address IT challenges in a clarified and intensified fashion that gives us ‘bursts of expertise’. This expertise is a resource that the school doesn’t need full time and is supplied at no additional costs to the university.”

With technology systems functioning efficiently, the University of Mary is focused on what they do best – the business of higher education. Students are applying today’s technology to their professional skills, which in turn is enhancing their leadership abilities and preparing them for their careers - and their lives. “The university hums underneath the hood,” says Father Shea.