MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Kathleen Ragan Associate Vice President for Division Administration Office of Student Development and Campus Life

Edward Chapel Vice President for Information Technology

EDUCAUSE Dallas, Texas October 11, 2006

Montclair State University Unplugged:Replacing Landlines with a Cellular Information Device

About Montclair State About Montclair State UniversityUniversity• New Jersey’s 2nd largest & fastest growing

• 16,076 students enrolled rising to 18,000+ by fall of 2008, MSU’s centennial

• Mostly undergraduate with 3400 living in residence

• Carnegie II Comprehensive Master Degree – 4 Doctoral Programs

• MSU offers 250 degree and certificate programs

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

The Challenge• Leverage pervasive mobile phones to

enrich the Montclair State University experience– Upgrade traditional landline services– Improve communication with students– Create stronger sense of community– Improve academic use of latest technologies– Enhance public safety

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Decision Drivers• I’m paying a lot for landlines that my

students don’t use…

• I’ve lost my long distance revenue stream…

• My phone system isn’t useful for anything other than voice…

• My students all have mobile phones, but I have no way to reach them…

• My students use their personal phones, email and Facebook more than campus-provided services…

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

• Student Development & Campus Life wanted it in 2002

• Not feasible originally– No number portability– E-911 not working– Not enough coverage

• Complex issues to navigate - need for vendor management partner

Evolution of the Program

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Solution Definition Process• Requirements Gathering

– Student surveys & Focus groups (students, faculty & staff)

• Requirements Definition

– Complete on-campus coverage; high-quality off-campus

– 911 emergency response must work

– Valued applications; not just voice

– Capacity for over 5000 with high quality of service

• Controlled implementation

– Validate applications and value

– Validate performance of network (coverage and capacity)

– 100 students for a semester-long proof of concept

MSU Solution

Requirements SolutionInfrastructure

Device

-Complete campus coverage-Landline quality service

-3 Temp towers on campus-Permanent build-out in progress-CDMA coming soon

-Student focused phones -Nextel i870, i860, i850; -Samsung A900; Sanyo 7500

-Data, TXT, Pics, Voice-Options for inexpensive thru high-end

-University Liable model-Pooling and re-packaging into customized plans

-Low maintenance, easily extended-Must meet admin, student, parent and faculty constituents

-University bought access to Rave hosted service -Communication, Community, Academic and Safety applications

Plans

Applications

-On-campus service and support-Outsourced billing-Easy management of plans by students

-Rave managed services-Use of existing billing partner -Self-service web portal (Rave)

Service & Support

Requirement Solution

From Landline to Mobile Communicator

Landline PhoneLandline Phone Mobile CommunicatorMobile Communicator

Voice ServicesCalling

Voice ServicesCalling

VoicemailConferencing

SafetyE911

Broadcast SMS AlertsLocation-Based Safety

AcademicsCourse Mgmt

In-class assessmentPodcasts/MP3’s

SafetyE911

CommunityPhone DirectoryCampus Events

Group CollaborationEntourage

Student ServicesCampus Bus Location

Dining MenusNJ Transit, Admin svcs

Creating a mobile network that delivers community and

services anywhere.

Creating a mobile network that delivers community and

services anywhere.

Academics

Safety

Community

CampusConnect

Transitions

Connecting To Tools For Academic Success

• In-class Assessments– What should be covered

in more detail ?

• Blackboard Access– Class announcement

– Grades

– Assignments

• Email Access• Professor Access

12

5

22

45

3

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Emergency Numbers

MobileGuardian

Panic Call

Safety & Wellness Connections

Stay connected to friends, recreation, study groups, clubs & campus events

Campus Groups

Community Connections

Connections To Help With Transition

Who’s Who? What’s What?– University Directory

How Do I Get There?– Shuttle Bus Locator– NJ Transit Schedule

What’s Urgent?– Alerts & Notifications

What’s My Mailbox?– mail.montclair.edu

Phased Implementation

• Pilot Test (Go or no go?)

• Students In Residence (fall ’05)

• All Incoming Students (fall ’06)

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Economics of Program• University Liable Accounts

– Allows for pooling of minutes (bulk purchase power)– Allows MSU to purchase fewer minutes than will be sold – Enables all students to qualify for phone regardless of credit

history or lack thereof

• Students Have Flexibility– Basic plan included in MSU Telecom Fee; students have

option to upgrade phone and/or plan– Can port in existing mobile number– Can change plans at any time– Can keep the phone when they graduate

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Base Phone Included in MSU Telecom Fee

Base Plan Included in MSU Telecom Fee

Rave Wireless helps each client select the optimal mix of plans and

devices to meet student needs

Rave Wireless helps each client select the optimal mix of plans and

devices to meet student needs

Student Can Upgrade Phone

Student Can Upgrade Plan

Students can upgrade/downgrade

at will, anytime

Students can upgrade/downgrade

at will, anytime

Students Register via Web

Rave Wireless provides custom,

university-branded online ordering and

CRM system

Rave Wireless provides custom,

university-branded online ordering and

CRM system

Students Choose Phone and Plan

Campus Connect – Student Web View

• Manage profile• Update personal

status• View groups• Choose

applications and content for your mobile phone

Campus Connect – Student Phone ViewHome Page

Campus Directory

Email

Broadcast Alerts

Groups & messaging

Academic: Course Alerts

• Blackboard LMS Integration

– Alerts for class cancellations, homework updates, etc.

– Mobile access to assignments, grades, course schedules

Rave Guardian – Student View

• Students activate Rave Guardian from their phone when uncomfortable, or have special needs requirements

• Important to note this is student-activated only

Transportation Student View• Shuttle bus tracker

based on GPS-enabled handsets

MSU Administration Console

• Send broadcast alerts

• Publish content• Designate

applications• Manage admin

permissions• View usage

reports

Guardian – Campus Police View

• Campus police are able to immediately investigate cases with location and profile information

Operations and Management • Plan packaging and optimization• Hardware selection (Rave certification of handsets)• Activation / Distribution• Billing• Customer support

– Bill reconciliation

– Upgrades, downgrades, other plan changes

– Hardware replacements

– Application set-up and support

– Online and in-person support

• Retail store management

Results to Date• 1,400 University liable

subscribers in first year• 2,030 additional

mandatory, and 300 voluntary activations in second year (this year)

• CNS build-out with 4-year commitment

• MSU wins Clery Award for Campus Safety

"We wanted to take this generation's preferred use of technology to enhance the learning environment and students' sense of community," - Susan A. Cole, President of Montclair State quoted in Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/11/05

"We wanted to take this generation's preferred use of technology to enhance the learning environment and students' sense of community," - Susan A. Cole, President of Montclair State quoted in Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/11/05

Typical Student Usage• Morning

– Plan day: Blackboard, meals, events

• Afternoon– Utilities: Bus, Email, Blackboard

• Evening– Entertainment, catch up on news,

check group notices

MSU Next Steps• WiFi dual mode devices

(disruptive technology)• Rave Extender development

toolkit• CDMA – rich media• Student services

– 612 capability for account monitoring

– Couponing

– Campus-related advertising for revenue streams

Additional Features & Functions

• Additional Applications– Goal Quest for student engagement

– Lecture 123

– Pod casting

– Real time classroom assessment

– Cell phone as access control, ID card & one card

• Administrative Applications Development

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Lessons Learned and Useful Tips

Tips: Choosing a Carrier

• Need coverage and capacity across campus• Need commitment to build out coverage and

capacity if necessary• MSU wanted Location Based Services (LBS)

capabilities for Rave Guardian• Consider where your students will be using

the phones off-campus• Rave Wireless provides negotiating leverage

and vendor management

Seamless operation for users off campus

Great coverage and capacity for users on campus

In-building signal enhancement

T-1

Choose a Carrier Who Will Commit to Coverage and Capacity

Tips: Mandatory or Voluntary?• MSU Chose to Make

Campus Connect Program Mandatory for 3 Reasons

1.Common tools ensure universal learning experience for all students

2.Certified handsets required for Rave Guardian safety application

3.Economies of scale provide deeper discounts to students

Tips: Get Started Early• Coverage build-out (if necessary)

takes time• Allow time to include key

constituents (e.g., student affairs, housing, academic computing)

• Market program to students early in matriculation process

• Ensure support processes are solid (recommend premium turnkey solution based on MSU experience)

Tips: Pitch It Right to Key Constituents

• Parents: It’s not just a phone, it’s a mobile device helping to educate, keep students safe, and improve the college experience

• Students: Compelling applications and financially acceptable programs

• Faculty and Administration: Improve the ability to communicate with students, make mobile phone useful inside and outside the classroom, forego unnecessary telecom expenses

Questions?

Edward Chapel, Ph.D.Vice President for Information

TechnologyMontclair State Universitychapele@mail.montclair.eduw: 973-655-7026

Kathleen Ragan

Associate Vice President for Division Administration – Student Development & Campus Life

Montclair State University

ragank@mail.montclair.edu

w: 973.655.3450