Welcome to our Year in Review. We are pleased to present this report that showcases some of our achievements and undertakings in our fiscal year 2023-2024.
This document is presented in four sections, each aligning with the Commitments and Pathways Forward as presented in the Finance and Administration Strategic Plan for 2023-2028. Each section contains several items highlighting our achievements and successes.
Our Vision
Working collaboratively, embracing new technologies and innovative ways of operating, we will provide best-in-class service to the Carleton community.
Our Mission
We contribute to Carleton’s academic mission of teaching, research, and community service by providing professional services that are effective, efficient, and timely.
Professional Services Staff
127
Service Desk Tickets Resolved
19,721
Service Desk Calls Answered
31,366
Projects In Progress
27
Together with our stakeholders, we work collaboratively to support teaching, learning, research and community engagement at Carleton.
New Collaborative Health Record System Launched
In May 2023, Carleton Health and Counselling Services introduced the Collaborative Health Record (CHR), an exciting, comprehensive all-in-one platform designed to facilitate appointment booking and communication between students and their providers, with assistance from ITS.
StarRez Provides One-Stop Solution for Housing and Residence Life Services
Students moving into residence for the 2024-2025 academic year experienced a modern, streamlined approach to selecting their rooms, and even choosing their roommates, thanks to the newly implemented StarRez system.
Apprendo Boosts Professional Development and Micro-Credentials
In spring 2024, Carleton University’s first professional development and micro-credential courses opened for registration using the Apprendo platform. The project represents a significant step forward in offering accessible, integrated and user-friendly professional development and micro-credentials courses.
Elevating Our Engagement with IT Sector Leaders and Organizations
During the academic year 2023-2024, ITS spent a considerable amount of time and effort engaging with sector leaders and organizations in post-secondary education, cybersecurity and research.
We pursue organizational and service excellence throughout our daily operations and strategic initiatives.
Discovery Phase Launched for Enterprise Resource Planning Modernization
The discovery phase of the Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP) modernization project was launched in 2023-2024. This approximately 18-month process aims to document the ERP ecosystem at Carleton ahead of a project to transform our ERP in a simple and cloud-native manner.
Digital Workplace Strategy Enhances Automation, Business Intelligence and AI
ITS worked to develop its digital workplace strategy throughout 2023-2024, with several transformative initiatives powered by Microsoft 365 tools under way. Automation of recurring internal processes is being built through Power Automate, while self-serve business intelligence through Power BI is poised to speed up internal reporting procedures.
UPS Upgrade Helps Minimize Service Disruptions
ITS has made infrastructure changes that gives the university a proactive stance against increasingly volatile weather events, as well as power disruption from other sources. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) upgrades in both the Pigiarvik (PKDC) and MacOdrum Library (MLDC) data centres provide backup power and minimize service disruptions.
Advanced Protection Features Boost Existing Cybersecurity Defences
Several advanced protection features were added to ITS’s existing suite of cybersecurity defences during the 2023-2024 academic year. Microsoft Extended Detection and Response went live in August 2023, while Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication was rolled out to all faculty and staff in September 2023, with student enrolment beginning in 2024.
cuTheme and RDS Coalesce Ahead of Campus-Wide Rollout
cuTheme, Carleton’s new web template with an enhanced design, feel and functionality, grew a great deal in 2023-2024. Powered by WordPress and its new Gutenberg editor, cuTheme is underpinned by the Raven Design System (RDS) which provides web managers across the university with a common, block-based visual language. These components coalesced in the past academic year.
Research Computing Services Marks 10-Year Anniversary
The Research Computing Services (RCS) team within ITS has worked closely with researchers, providing a broad range of supports, since 2014. RCS supports Carleton research projects that address some of today’s most pressing global environmental and social problems.
We value our people and we seek to create healthy work environments that enable everyone to thrive.
New CIO Engagement and Communications Strategy Enacted
To effectively engage and communicate with internal and external stakeholders, ITS has developed an Engagement and Communications Strategy for the CIO. The strategy will work to enhance visibility and accessibility of the CIO, foster a culture of open communication and collaboration, and ensure alignment with the university’s strategic priorities.
Information Security Interest Group Provides an Open Cybersecurity Forum
The Information Security Interest Group (ISIG) meets monthly to discuss new initiatives and updates relating to cybersecurity on campus. Led by ITS, the ISIG group contains members of Carleton’s Computing Service Units (CSUs) and provides an open forum for those with a shared responsibility for security.
As responsible managers of the university’s physical, technological, financial and human resources, we embed ESG considerations in our decision-making.
Digital Steering Committee Launched, Total Cost of Ownership Lens Adopted
Following the launch of our Digital Strategy and Roadmap in 2023, the first meeting of the renewed Digital Steering Committee (DSC) was held in Fall 2023 with representation from senior leaders across campus. Additionally, to help inform budget cycles and understand the financial impact of each project throughout its lifetime, the total cost of ownership lens was added to all ITS-managed projects in spring 2024.
IT Policies Streamlined to Provide Practicable Guidance to Stakeholders
Following recommendations from the 2020 Distributed Computing Audit, the university committed to significantly reduce and streamline IT policies to provide practicable guidance to all Carleton IT stakeholders. This process successfully condensed 15 policies into four and is assisting ITS in operationalize its governance.
Communications Hub Provides a Strategic Lens in Support of Finance and Administration Goals
With the goal of supporting the Finance and Administration Strategic Plan, ITS developed and launched its internal Communications Hub in early 2024. The Hub adds a strategic lens to any communication that leaves ITS and provides a consistent communications approach, ensuring our partners and colleagues experience ITS as professional, innovative, collaborative and transformational.