Hello, fellow Clark colleagues. We have been involved in an exciting move of some data from all community and technical colleges in Washington. In support of the FirstLink colleges (Spokane and Tacoma) going live as beta testers for ctcLink, the SBCTC technical team needed to  migrate some critical data into the new system (ctcLink) from the legacy system we are still currently using. This was done in early April, even though FirstLinks are not  going live until August.

There are types of data that are “global” in nature, meaning it may be useful to all 34 colleges in the ctcLink system. For example, the biographical and demographic data for students and employees are global. You might be a student at one college and an employee at another college–but, since both colleges are part of ctcLink, you only need one shared record with one ID for both institutions. The vendor list for colleges is another example of global data.

So in preparation for the August 2014 go-live for Firstlink colleges, the SBCTC and Ciber teams migrated the data from our legacy systems into the new ctcLink system. This was the first global movement of data into ctcLink; it was done so that as colleges move onto the new ctcLink system, the global data will be there for them.

The data that was moved is data the Clark College has been focused on in a cleanup effort so that it would migrate (move over) to the new system without a hitch. This move doesn’t affect those of us still using the legacy system, because all that student, employee and vendor data still reside in our current databases as well. The real importance is that the project of getting ready for ctcLink has met a big milestone with migration of global data into the new system. Much is to be learned as this process continues. More updates will be available on the project next month.

While we work quietly behind the scenes on other efforts in preparation for the August 2014 – May 2015 transition of Wave One colleges, I wanted to share a video that was produced by one of our fellow Wave One colleges, Grays Harbor College. It is a great short video regarding what ctcLink is, why we are doing it, and whom it will affect. Plus, it’s got a few jokes sure to appeal to those of us who remember the ’80s. You’ll just have to watch it to see what I mean.

In this video you will hear reference to our subject matter expert (SMEs). So I’m providing a link to the ctcLink internal webpage for Clark College that has additional information regarding ctcLink and who all of our SME’s are: http://team.clark.edu/sites/ClarkNet/departments/changemanagement/SitePages/ctcLink.aspx.

As always, if you have any questions regarding ctcLink, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Director of Change Management Jane Beatty

Let’s continue to explore some of the aspects of what will change when we go live on ctcLink in May 2015. Some of us here at the college don’t use the legacy systems (PPMS, SMS or FMS). But even in those cases, ctcLink will improve our work lives. All employees will have access to a new self-service online portal, where you can change basic information–things like your address or phone number–without hunting down the right contact person or form.

There will be separate areas in the portal designed for Clark employees, students, and faculty, to adjust to their different needs. But if you’re both a student and an employee at Clark, good news! Your information will be automatically updated throughout the system–no more having to submit the same update to multiple systems.

Here is an example of an employee self-service screen shot–this is a mockup, but shows an example of what will be available in ctcLink self-service centers.

For those people at the college who use the legacy systems every day, the improvements will be more dramatic. Staff in Corporate & Continuing Education, for example, anticipate a significant change. CCE has been using a separate student management system for over six years; with ctcLink, they will all be using the same system the rest of the college uses, making everything from class management to student management much more streamlined and easily managed.

Faculty, meanwhile, can look forward to having a system that can apply a prerequisite screen for students’ registration after grades are submitted. Currently, faculty often wind up spending a lot of the first day of classes checking the prerequisites for each student, because students who passed the prerequisite class registered before the preceding quarter’s grade was submitted. Often faculty don’t even know students lack the prerequisite for the class, so they have to identify those students and find a way of speaking privately with them the first day. This just adds to the number of overwhelming tasks associated with the first week.

These are just a few examples of the changes that the new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system will bring to Clark College. Stay tuned for more examples and information on this change that Clark College, and all 34 community and technical colleges in Washington, will experience.

For more information on Clark’s adoption of ctcLink, visit the Change Management area on Clark’s intranet (login required).

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

As Clark College’s Director of Change Management, one of my goals is to increase awareness of the Community and Technical Link (ctcLink) project at our college. This project will change our working environment in a big–but positive–way. Please read below for more information. If you have any questions about the project, I am always available to help answer them for you.

What is it ctcLink

ctcLink is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project that will modernize, centralize, and standardize the Washington Community & Technical Colleges’ administrative systems. Our current legacy systems (Student Management, Financial Management, Payroll & Personnel Management, and Financial Aid) will be replaced by Oracle Peoplesoft applications.

Why do we need to replace our current systems?

Our current administrative system is over 30 years old. As most of you have experienced, it is usually offline for several hours each night, and it has very little flexibility or support for modern technologies and needs, such as mobile device support or 24/7 access for students and employees. If you have stories you’d like to share regarding the current system and its limitations, please send them to me. I’d love to share with everyone next month how some of these limitations can be resolved with ctcLink.

When is all this happening?

This changeover will take place in May 2015, but we have a lot to do before that happens: Cleaning up all of our current data from the old system, convert that data for the new system, and understanding how the new software will change how we do business at the college. In August 2014 (yes, just seven months away!) the SBCTC and Ciber (a vendor helping us implement the changeover) will arrive at Clark College and start taking us through a plethora of activities to get us ready. Between now and then, we have a lot of work to do to better understand the software’s functionality and to make sure our data will move over to the new system successfully. The timeline below gives a clear idea of how the change will be structured.

Who will be affected?

The short answer is: everyone! Everyone who accesses and/or administers any part of our current systems (including class, employee, financial, procurement, and student systems) will be affected. Once the ctcLink project is completed, you will be using entirely new systems. (Don’t worry: There will be training available for everyone. Training needs and schedules will vary depending on your role at the college.)

Additional Information and Resources

The Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has a dedicated ctcLink website with lots of resources and information.

Clark College also has an intranet web area for Change Management and ctcLink (ClarkNet login required). You can go to this website to find out more information and links to further information. This website also contains the names of many people who have been working diligently to help get some foundational decisions made regarding the overall architecture and infrastructure of how the system must work to comply with regulations and college policies. These are our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). You can find someone in the area in which you work.

Thanks,

Jane Beatty
Directory of Change Management
X2903
jbeatty@clark.edu

Director of Change Management Jane Beatty

In anticipation of upcoming statewide changes to the community and technical college system, Clark College recently hired experienced manager Jane Beatty to help guide the college through what will be a complicated but beneficial transition.

Beatty has been hired to oversee changes occurring across the college. A great place for her to start is with the college’s adaptation of ctcLink, a new, standardized system of online functions that will replace the current computer system used by Washington state’s 34 community and technical colleges (CTCs), which is more than 30 years old. In this position, which is expected to run for about five years, she will identify organizational changes required to make ctcLink successful at the college; represent the college in statewide discussions about ctcLink; and ensure that the college adheres to its schedule for ctcLink implementation. She will also work closely with stakeholders from all departments affected by ctcLink—departments as varied as Instruction, Enrollment, Financial Aid, Information Technology, Business Services, and Human Resources.

“This campus has a rich history and an energy that speaks of excitement, growth, and future possibilities for students, faculty, and staff,” said Beatty. “In learning more about the Director of Change Management position, I realized I could help the college understand, prepare for, and embrace the changes that are ahead of us. In order to fully reach our potential, change must take place. Working together, we can take Clark College toward that vision. I’m really pleased to be a part of that effort and a part of Clark College.”

“As our new Director of Change Management, Jane Beatty’s deep industry experience and understanding of systems implementation will really benefit Clark College,” said Clark College President Robert K. Knight. “She will be a great addition to the college and the executive leadership team.”

About Jane Beatty

Jane Beatty is an experienced leader and manager with a strong commitment to community service. Most recently she was the president of Custom Interface, Inc., a producer of electromechanical devices. Previous to that she worked at Intel Corporation in Human Resources, where she supported a worldwide software implementation that replaced legacy systems in finance, receiving and inventory and helped to drive training, change management and business alignment to the new system. Despite a two-decade history of success in the private sector, however, Beatty began her career as a high school teacher and welcomes a return to an academic environment.

Beatty earned her bachelor’s degree from Emory University and Masters in Education from Georgia State University. Both colleges are located in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was born.

Beatty recently relocated to Camas, Washington, from the Columbia Gorge, where she was an active member of the community. She served as president of the Gorge Technology Alliance, a non-profit that supports STEM education, building strong technology-related businesses and other means of community support. Additionally, she was a member of the Hood River City Council.

About ctcLink

ctcLink is the implementation of a single, centralized system of online functions that will give students, faculty and staff 24/7 access to a modern, efficient way of doing their college business. But it’s about much more than new software. As the existing legacy software is replaced with modern technology, all college districts will also redesign and align current business processes.

ctcLink will be a massive upgrade for the entire CTC system. Students, faculty and staff will have access to information from anywhere at any time, with many processes available from a mobile device. Students will use online tools for doing their college business and they’ll have a more common experience across the CTC system, whether they transfer from one college to another or attend two or more CTCs at once. They will have one student ID and use common online tools for everything from admission to graduation. Among many other things, colleges—and the system as a whole—will benefit from a single source for accurate and timely data and the standardization of select administrative processes to support efficiency and effectiveness across the system.

ctcLink is anticipated to take five-to-six years to fully implement. Two pilot colleges, Tacoma Community College and the Community Colleges of Spokane, have been chosen to begin implementation in summer 2014. Other colleges will follow in “waves” of up to eight colleges each. It has yet to be determined in which wave Clark College will be.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Jane Beatty was appointed to the position of Director of Change Management effective August 19, 2013. Jane has a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She has previous work experience at Custom Interface, Inc., and Intel Corporation.

Korey Marquez was appointed to the position of Associate Director of Tutoring effective September 11, 2013. Korey has a bachelor’s degree in English from University of Oregon, and a Master of Arts in English from Portland State University. She has previous work experience at Portland State University, Sonoma State University, and University of Washington.

Daniel Mroz was appointed to the position of Deaf Interpreter 3 in the Disability Support Services Department effective September 11, 2013. Daniel has an Associate of Applied Science in Sign Language Interpreting from Portland Community College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Marylhurst University. He has previous work experience as a freelance interpreter, and as a contract interpreter at Clark College and Lower Columbia College.

Michaela Mareva was appointed to the position of Administrative Assistant 2 in the Office of Instruction effective September 9, 2013. Michaela has a bachelor’s degree from University of Portland. She has previous work experience at Macy’s and University of Portland.

Julie Robertson was appointed to the position of Research and Continuous Improvement Professional effective August 26, 2013. Julie has a master’s degree in social work and public health from Portland State University. She has previous work experience at OHSU, Clark County Public Health Department, Legacy Health System, Housing Authority of Portland, and Lewis & Clark College.