Faculty & Staff IT-OTS
🧠 ThinkSpace Synthesis Memo
Faculty & Staff – IT/OTS ThinkSpace
Facilitated by Beyond | May 8–9, 2025 | Duration: Two in-person sessions (~90 minutes each)
👥 Who Was in the Room?
Participants: ≈ 14 faculty and staff representing Academic Affairs, Student Accounts, Registrar, VETS, Instructional Design, Counseling, Infrastructure and Development.
Years at CSN: 1 year 8 months → 21 years (median ≈ 12 years), providing both long‑term institutional memory and newer perspectives.
🌟 Current Perception of OTS
Take‑away: Credibility is starting to shift from purely operational toward strategic partnership, but the “innovator” label is not yet widespread.
🎯 What We Set Out to Do
What’s Working Today
Device & hardware support – Every employee receives a college laptop; hardware is kept current.
Responsive on-site techs – AV, network, and systems teams are praised for quick in-person help.
Mac friendliness – OTS is “no longer anti-Macs,” expanding tool choice.
🔍 What We Heard
What’s Working
Device & hardware support – Every employee receives a college laptop; hardware is kept current.
Responsive on-site techs – AV, network, and systems teams are praised for quick in-person help.
Mac friendliness – OTS is “no longer anti-Macs,” expanding tool choice.
Take‑away: Credibility is starting to shift from purely operational toward strategic partnership, but the “innovator” label is not yet widespread.
Pain points & friction
Blockers slowing progress
Greymatter fit & UX – viewed as “not student or employee friendly.”
Outsourcing confusion – desire for more in‑house ownership and faster fixes.
Siloed approval chains – multi‑step sign‑offs delay even simple requests.
🧭 Where We Go From Here
Discussion starters for upcoming strategy session
Ticketing governance: What SLAs and ownership model could restore confidence in Greymatter?
Portal strategy: Re‑build GO CSN or leapfrog to a mobile‑first experience?
Ownership vs. outsourcing: Which functions must come in‑house to meet 24‑hour turnaround expectations?
Data integration roadmap: How will CSN prioritize a PeopleSoft‑integrated CRM within budget cycles?
Quick‑win communications: Which FAQ/training actions can land before Fall 2025 to build credibility?
🌱 Strategic Opportunities
Quick‑wins (0‑12 mo)
Publish an OTS “Who‑to‑Call / ticket cheat‑sheet.”
Simplify password policy & sync credentials.
Launch micro‑training videos & FAQ hub for GO CSN & Greymatter.
Create an “early‑notice” comms channel so changes aren’t discovered in the hallway.
Strategic bets (12‑36 mo)
A CRM that actually talks to PeopleSoft for end-to-end student experience.
Accurate self‑service degree‑audit & planning tools.
Mobile‑first CSN app/portal surfacing e‑mail, LMS & finances in one pane.
Automate contract, evaluation, and onboarding workflows to cut PDFs.
🔮 Vision 2030 – what “great” looks like
Single sign‑on to one platform for every task, status, and support channel.
AI‑powered hybrid classrooms with smart whiteboards and rich A/V.
Same‑day admissions and paperless processes with AI chatbots guiding students in multiple languages.
Data: “pulled quickly and consistently” for real‑time decisions.
✅ What Happens Next?
These insights will inform 1:1 follow-ups and shape the May site visit.
We’ll co-design a roadmap and messaging framework to align technology decisions with institutional impact.
More than anything: you spoke candidly, and it resonated. We’re here to help you turn those truths into traction.
✅ Bottom line
Faculty and staff respect OTS for reliable hardware and rapid tech support, but daily friction from fragmented portals, slow ticket workflows and limited end‑user influence undermines their experience. Addressing communication, ticket governance and user‑experience quick wins now will free capacity to pursue the larger 2030 vision of a seamless, mobile‑first, AI‑assisted campus.
