McMaster IT Student Advisory Committee delivers year-end report

Recently, Christa Morrison from the MacPherson Institute, and Marzena Kielar with University Technology Services (UTS), both co-chairs for the Information Technology Student Advisory Committee (ITSAC), presented the committee’s first year final report to the McMaster IT Executive Committee.

ITSAC launched in September 2018 and provides a forum for undergraduate and graduate students to discuss current campus technology priorities and new IT initiatives. This committee is an essential channel for ensuring students have meaningful input and involvement in enhancing the IT experience at McMaster. You can read more about the students’ experience here.

In its inaugural year, the committee met monthly during the Fall and Winter terms and helped to ensure students had a voice in the development of the McMaster IT Strategic Plan. Moving forward, this committee will ensure students remain an integral part of the ‘Connected McMaster Community’ – a strategic pillar within the plan.

At the end of each year, the ITSAC provides a report to Senior Management, outlining recommendations and feedback on the IT services at McMaster. The 2018/2019 ITSAC Report highlights include:

• An overview of the IT service providers (including Thode Makerspace, Lyons New Media Centre and University Technology Services) on campus who shared their service offerings with the committee and asked for input and perspectives on planning, communication and promotion of the services.
• Support and suggestions for a McMaster mobile app
• A noted desire for an online ‘One Stop Shop’/hub for all McMaster IT Services – including project and pipeline information.
• A need for more visual communication (infographics, short videos, posters), particularly in campus high traffic areas (example: Residence, Library, Starbucks) for IT information
• A need for enhanced online training and information on how to use the various technology tools and services on campus
• Appreciation for learning about what happens behind the technology scenes on campus

You can read the full report here. The 2019/2020 ITSAC will reconvene in September.