The Digital Transformation Division Newsletter - January 2022

The Digital Transformation Division Newsletter - January 2022

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DX HALF-TIME LIVESTREAM

The Half-Time Livestream has been going strong since Jan. 8, 2020, bringing everyone in Dx together for the chance to:
  • Ask questions directly and get them answered
  • Hear up-to-date news about projects, changes, events, and more
  • Recognize team members for their great accomplishments
  • Ponder the quote of the week
  • Learn the stat of the week
  • Laugh at the plentiful dad jokes
To participate, tune in every Wednesday at 11:45 AM on the Half-Time Channel on the OIT - Public team in Teams. It's 15 minutes you won't get back, but hopefully, you won't want them back!

 

DX TEAM RECOGNITION

The Dx Team Recognition Award is a way to recognize our colleagues in Dx for their hard work and accomplishments. Recognized during our Half-Time live-stream each Wednesday at 11:45 AM, a deserving nominee will also receive an award certificate and two movie vouchers. 

To nominate someone, fill out this form or navigate to the OIT - Public team in Teams, enter the Half-Time channel, and select the Team Recognition tab from the top menu. Remember, nominations must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Tuesday to be eligible for the following Wednesday's Half-Time.

WOLVERINE SIGHTINGS

Have you seen a UVU staff member offering exceptional service or giving an exemplary performance? Remember to nominate them for the Wolverine Sighting Employee Recognition Award! The Wolverine Sighting Award is an employee recognition award sponsored by PACE. Nominees must be full- or part-time UVU staff employees, but there is no minimum requirement for years of employment and nominations are accepted year-round.

UVU'S GOODWILL ASSOCIATION

The UVU Goodwill Association sends get-well wishes to UVU employees with the primary goal of enhancing employee relations by maintaining a caring atmosphere at Utah Valley University. Membership dues are used for the following:
  • Sending get-well floral baskets for hospital stays greater than 3 days (typically for life-threatening illnesses). 
  • Sending bereavement floral baskets to employees who have lost a mother, father, child, in-law, or spouse. 
Do you know any employees needing goodwill? Please refer them by following this link. For more information about joining UVU's Goodwill Association, check out their page.

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NEW YEAR'S DAY

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Saturday, January 1, 2022, is the first day of the new year. As you kick off your celebrations, why not check out this article about the history of New Year's Day?
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CLASSES BEGIN

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The spring 2022 semester at UVU begins on Monday, January 10.

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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

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This year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 17. On this federal holiday, we honor the legacy of the civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. and his impact on American history. To learn more about MLK's life and teachings, consider reading this article

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A TIME FOR RENEWAL

Brett McKeachnie, Senior Director of Product Portfolio Management


Welcome, 2022!
 
It's odd how the simple difference of one day on a calendar can be so significant. Once December 31 becomes January 1, everything is supposed to spontaneously change for the better. But does it really?

As we make the symbolic transition from 2021 to 2022, we see the new year with bright eyes, high hopes, and great expectations. While it's good to look up at the future, we mustn't be blind to the reality of our circumstances and challenges. As much as we wish the world could magically transform overnight, the changing of the year doesn't resolve the previous year's challenges. We carry them with us.  

At this time of year, it's common to espouse a new year's resolution—a declaration of a desire to change our attitudes, increase our self-discipline, or improve our circumstances. A positive transformation is attainable, no doubt about it. Still, like any goal worth setting and pursuing, a new year's resolution must be pursued actively and intentionally before it comes to fruition. Otherwise, it's a beautiful sentiment that amounts to nothing, and the transformation we long for remains elusively suspended in the brighter future. 

How do we grasp that brighter future and achieve that transformation? 

We change our attitudes, facing reality with hope and optimism. We renew our self-discipline, voluntarily adopting responsibility for the things in our life that we can reasonably control. We persistently strive for that brighter future, patiently overcoming obstacles and helping others to do the same. These are the steps we can take to create the change we hope for in our world. Positive change doesn't just happen; we have to make it happen. It's on us, folks! 

Let's make it the best year ever!

 

A NEW YEAR, A NEW NAME

Nathan Gerber, Director of Web and Mobile Solutions

As part of the digital transformation process at UVU, Web Development Services has expanded responsibilities by adding mobile app development and management to our portfolio. Considering this update, we have officially changed our department name to Web and Mobile Solutions. We are thrilled to engage in this great effort to make more delightful experiences for all audiences in web, intranet, and now mobile app solutions. If you manage any system that includes our department name, we would appreciate your help in adjusting our department name to Web and Mobile Solutions.

A Little History

In 1994, a new public tool was released called the World Wide Web. UVU (then-UVCC) quickly jumped on the web bandwagon and launched its first website in 1995. The website, created by a couple of forward-thinking folks in our academics area as a "good idea," consisted of just a few pages only showing course catalog information. Within a year, UVU had a part-time person doing mostly web updates to these few pages and learning rapidly about this new delivery platform called the web.

By 1998, the Web Center was formed as an ad hoc center to help maintain this rapidly growing medium. Several departments joined the effort and provided content for a few additional pages about different services and departments on campus. By this time, the Web Center had one full-time coordinator and two part-time positions. Just over 100 people across the UVU campus had access to add and maintain content. The system structure was loosely defined, rapidly shifting, and struggling to have a consistent presentation or unified effort to represent UVU to the public. The incredible growth of this new web world was causing growing pains for UVU.

To oversee web efforts, UVU created a formal group in 1999. A new director position was approved, and the Web Center was founded as a department with one full-time developer and two part-time content coordinators. The university chose an official structure, and the UVU website was established on a dedicated server with formalized access processes and editing structures. The center created a loose design for pages to follow and launched the UVU website into the next phase of its journey.

In 2003, the UVU efforts for the World Wide Web were going full steam ahead. Every department started to work with content and engage with the Web Center to create new pages. It was clear that the university needed a new robust content management system for all web needs. It was also evident that the Web Center role had shifted from content-related duties to more development work. Because of this, we determined to rename the Web Center to Web Development Services and focus the team's efforts on supporting all page creation, building templates, and managing the system for all departments to contribute and maintain content. The website was formalized as a consistent, branded system, and a template was adopted for all new pages.

By 2007, a perfect storm was brewing in the web world. Most sites were shifting to a true content and design separation for each page, allowing content to be updated independently from the design. And although UVU was still Utah Valley State College (UVSC), it was poised to become a university. Around the same time, the tech community made another announcement that would dramatically change how we build websites. The iPhone was introduced in 2007, sparking a revolution in cell phone development. Within a few short years, the approach to building websites shifted to mobile-first design concepts, and the push to have apps created was a focus. It became apparent that the UVU system needed a severe overhaul once again.

As all of these factors converged in early 2008, a new website was born for UVU. It was powered by a new CMS system, updated with brand new content, and newly designed to showcase our fresh Utah Valley University website. We were excited for what our institution and our website had become.

Fast Forward to 2021

UVU has released several iterations of the public website and their internal website, myUVU. We also have several mobile apps for different groups, including the new UVU student mobile app focused on student success.

In light of all these updates, we determined to change the name of Web Development Services to Web and Mobile Solutions to better represent the team's efforts. What will 2022 bring in the web and mobile world at UVU? A new employee intranet? An employee mobile app? Stay tuned; it's going to be an incredible year!

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OPEN JOB POSITIONS

The following positions are available in Dx. Be sure to watch uvu.jobs for upcoming opportunities in Dx. 
Is there an opening in your division or department that needs to be filled? Be sure to get it approved according to the Temporary Human Resources Guidelines. Once the position is open, get the word out by submitting it to Caitlin Tobler for next month’s newsletter.

NEW EMPLOYEES

The following individuals have been recently hired by Dx:

  • Jolie Martin, Student Research Assistant

We are so excited to have new people on our team! Be sure to give them a warm welcome!