Page 12 - 2021 OIT Progress Report

The data mart we created this year is a foundational piece of the SMU-in-Four initiative and will be valuable for future student success initiatives.
As work began, discussions emerged regarding the structure of the data elements, definitions, appropriate uses, and more. Working closely with Institutional Research, it became clear that in order for the data to be reliable and actionable, the application of the data must be consistent. The team adjusted their approach to build not just a dashboard, but
a data mart platform that can be the foundation for many subsequent reports. According to Curt Herridge, Deputy CIO of Data, “a data mart should be accessible, secure, clear, and provide value. The value of a data mart is not simply the production of a dashboard, but rather the aggregation of data to examine potential relationships that may not
be readily obvious in the source system. The data mart we created this year is a foundational piece of the SMU-in-Four initiative and will be valuable for future student success initiatives.”
SIMPLIFYING PROCESSES, REMOVING MANUAL STEPS, AND IMPROVING SERVICE
In addition to the work above, two new solutions were implemented to simplify process and improve services.
The Office of Legal Affairs and OIT partnered to implement software to distribute Board of Trustee materials. The software was rolled out over the course of several board meetings ensuring there were no gaps in the process
or procedure. Previously, significant manual effort was invested to print and assemble hard copy board books
for use during these critical meetings. The new Diligent application provides the content in a secure digital format.
Additionally, improvements were made to the electronic tuition benefits approval process. Faculty, staff, and their dependents are eligible for tuition benefits. In the past, this was a paper form that needed a supervisor signature. This year, it was digitized within my.SMU.
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