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How We Started

The Strategic Technology vision of North Shore Community College to ensure open communications, utilize Web options for processes, and create an I-Community made a Campus Portal a viable solution at this College. In December of 1999, North Shore Community College decided to license the SCT Banner Web for Student and Web for Faculty and Advisors Products. Implementation of these products started in February 2000. The initial implementation activities included identification of the Web Functional Team and Web Technical Team, schedule of resources to install the base software in the Banner environment as well as the Oracle Application Server (OAS) environment. This was discussed and made a priority for FY2001, by the Banner Implementation Team; a committee made up of representatives from each organizational unit that assists in prioritizing major projects or enhancements to the Banner system.

A campus portal became a topic of serious discussion when IS informed the community of the benefits that a campus portal could provide. The advantages of a true campus portal solution would not only enhance the web registration process, but also provide additional functionality and easier access to services. The Campus Portal becomes a true "Open Door" for the entire College Community.

Benefits of a Portal:

  1. Enable a one-username and password scheme with access to all services for students, faculty and employees.
  2. Access to email within the portal system.
  3. Account creations and event synchronizations are based on events or triggers in our core Banner administrative system, thus reducing or eliminating management or personnel overhead.
  4. Serves as an Intranet
  5. Students would have access to course resource areas for each course (Class chat, Threaded Discussion (forum), and email).
  6. Faculty would have access to course resource areas for each course (Class chat, Threaded discussion (forum), email with student class distribution lists already created, an easy mechanism to make available web links, syllabus, class notes, etc.).
  7. System is web based allowing for anytime/anywhere access including email system.
  8. The existing NSCC email system, GroupWise, could be integrated into the Pipeline environment.
  9. Adjunct Faculty would have Pipeline and email accounts automatically generated for them. In the past these faculty would have to place a formal request to the IS department to generate a GroupWise email account.