Annual Review 2023-2024
Did you know?
Technology impacts the university in many ways, but did you know about the various areas and reach of Rutgers IT efforts? Migrating to a mobile-first environment through improved universal printing and wireless presentation capabilities in Camden, adopting new cost-free classroom technology solutions like Echo Poll in Newark, and implementing a new call center system for various departments at the university are just some of the ways Rutgers continues to enhance technology across campuses.
RU-Newark IT elevates campus engagement through new technologies
Recognizing that innovation is crucial in higher education for elevating the student learning experience, RU–Newark IT has been working to actively adopt technologies that enhance engagement, promote inclusivity, and foster an enriched educational environment.
One of these technologies, Echo Poll, has been purchased this year as a campus-wide polling solution that effectively removes the cost burden on students. This initiative delivers opportunities for full participation and increases interaction, regardless of class size, ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity to engage and provide real-time feedback during the class.
RU-Camden IT moves campus to mobile-first technology
RU–Camden IT continues to migrate the campus to a mobile first configuration. The team spent this year updating all printers and transitioning them to a universal queue, enabling print jobs to be released from any campus printer. Additionally, wireless presentation has been rolled out in all classrooms with upgrades to conference rooms underway, and all laptops have been configured for automatic OneDrive backup. These upgrades, along with the campus-wide wireless initiative, have made Camden fully mobile-first and mobile-ready.
New contact center software provider, Five9 deployed for various Rutgers departments
In early Spring 2024, Five9 debuted as a replacement for InContact to support our existing contact centers (aka call centers). Five9 was chosen as the enterprise service provider to further enhance the support of our community of Rutgers Contact Centers. To date, 14 departments within Rutgers, including the Office of Information Technology Help Desk, OneStop, OneSource, and IP&O, have transitioned to Five9.
Digital accessibility enhancements at Rutgers
Training opportunities
- 375 attendees participated in digital accessibility training offerings in Spring 2024.
- Training courses included Intro to Web Accessibility, How to use a screen reader, Social Media Accessibility, Making PowerPoints Accessible, and more. Additional training opportunities are available at the Training and Workshops webpage.
Digital accessibility risk assessment
- Conducted 40 product assessments in Spring 2024
Web accessibility review and assessment
- The Office of Information Technology Accessibility conducted an audit on central university websites at Rutgers and worked with those site owners via town halls, trainings, and drop-in hours with one-on-one assistance to address any accessibility issues found within Deque’s Axe Monitor reporting tool.
- This resulted in an 88% decrease in the number of issues that were presented via Deque Axe Monitor within the group of site owners that engaged in the effort. Over 3,400 accessibility issues were resolved across twenty websites enabling significant accessibility enhancement for Rutgers websites.
Record number of applications with Common App
As part of the Scarlet Journey initiative, Rutgers made a successful transition to the Common App—a significant milestone in a project bringing together OIT, University Finance and Administration, University Enrollment Services, and others at Rutgers. Since its launch on August 1, 2023, Rutgers received a record number of applications for the 2024-2025 academic year, most of them coming through the Common App. The simplified application process made possible through the Common App has expanded Rutgers’ reach to a broader set of prospective students who now can apply to our programs in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick on a single form, rather than with separate forms and fees.
IT staff join forces in new Salesforce community of practice group
The School of Social Work IT unit initiated the Rutgers Salesforce Community of Practice group in Fall 2023 to gather Rutgers use cases and share knowledge and expertise. With over twenty Salesforce deployments existing within the University, we have had more than thirty staff and more than ten units participate in our monthly meetings. In one example of cross-departmental collaboration, IT staff within the School of Social Work delivered a technical demonstration of Salesforce functionality to ten School of Arts and Sciences IT staff as they researched modern CRM systems to replace legacy software.
Rutgers Foundation boosts alumni engagement with Salesforce Marketing Cloud
Salesforce has significantly boosted Rutgers alumni engagement by streamlining gift processes, achieving a 30-second gift checkout with digital wallets, and increasing average online gifts by 20%. With Marketing Cloud, 90% of transactions are acknowledged within 48 hours, enhancing alumni relations and driving successful campaigns like Rutgers Giving Days.