IT Outcomes 2024
Raymond Lefebvre
Vice Chancellor and CIO
Welcome!
Welcome to this year’s edition of IT Outcomes, where we celebrate the technological advancements, innovative initiatives, and collaborative efforts that define UMass Boston’s approach to shaping the future. This year, we are proud to center our efforts on the theme of “ConnectivITy”—a principle that reflects how technology bridges gaps, fosters innovation, and builds stronger communities.
At UMass Boston, ConnectivITy is more than just a theme; it is a cornerstone of who we are. It is embodied in the groundbreaking Immersive Nursing Suite, a project that combines state-of-the-art virtual simulations with real-world training environments to revolutionize nursing education. It’s seen in the new Canvas LMS platform, streamlining course management and improving the learning experience for thousands of students and faculty. It also fuels the spirit of collaboration in spaces like the Flex IT Space, where flexible work arrangements and shared tools empower our teams to adapt, innovate, and succeed.
Through the lens of ConnectivITy, we aim to expand inclusivity and accessibility. Initiatives such as the U-Access Laptop Donations ensure that students can overcome technological barriers, while updates to employee identity management systems reflect our commitment to fostering an environment of belonging for everyone on campus.
These accomplishments highlight our belief in the transformative power of partnerships—between students and faculty, departments and disciplines, and our university and the community. Our Makerspace brings creativity to life, enabling students from all disciplines to collaborate and innovate. Meanwhile, the Technovator Lab equips faculty and students with cutting-edge tools that blend theory with practice, sparking the next wave of educational innovations & excellence.
As you explore this edition, we invite you to reflect on how ConnectivITy shapes your own experiences and aspirations. Whether through seamless systems, empowered learning, or inclusive practices, IT’s role is to bridge possibilities and make them a reality.
Together, let us embrace the opportunities ahead, guided by innovation and collaboration. Thank you for being part of our journey in transforming UMass Boston into a beacon of technological progress and human connection.
This welcome letter was generated using generative AI, guided by content created by our writers and managing editor, Brandon Miller. The AI was tasked with creating a welcome letter for the issue, reflecting our yearly theme of ConnectivITy and highlighting key accomplishments and initiatives.
Enriching Student Learning
Nursing Immersive Suite–UMass Boston’s Nursing Program raises the bar with innovative immersive learning
UMass Boston’s nursing program is top of the line, and one of the reasons for that is the commitment to engaging students in dynamic and innovative ways. A new project is set to change the game entirely by creating an immersive nursing suite that can simulate real-world settings using state-of-the-art technology. “The rooms are multisensory, engaging, and realistic,” says Zack Ronald, Manager of Innovative Education Technology. “This space will have some extremely innovative, and first in New England technologies.”
New Canvas Learning Management System (LMS)
When UMass Boston learned that its contract with Blackboard would be ending in Summer 2025, those in charge were faced with a decision. On the one hand, they could remain with Blackboard as the company migrated to a new version after its purchase by Anthology. On the other hand, there was the possibility of moving to another learning management system, as UMass Amherst had already done when they switched to Instructure. Two teams were created—a core team in charge of decisions and a larger team made up of 270 faculty, staff, and students from the campus community—to weigh these two options.
IT Cares—Inside IT’s charitable efforts
Ananta Sinha is Supervisor of Lab Operations and a Cloud PC Specialist in the IT Managed Services Department. This past year, with the encouragement of his supervisor, Director of IT Managed Services Trieu Ly, Sinha volunteered for U-Access for the first time. U-Access (or officially, the Office of Urban and Off-Campus Support Services) aims to empower and ease the burdens facing UMass Boston students struggling financially. The goal is to provide resources so that students can focus on their academic pursuits and not how they will fulfill basic needs. One of the biggest services that U-Access provides is a food pantry, which requires volunteer help to operate to its maximum potential.
Connectivity
Inclusive Identity
Within the UMass system, there have been continuing efforts to better understand the needs of different communities of people and to make life on campus more comfortable for all students, faculty, and staff. The goal is for UMass Boston and its sister campuses to be not only diverse, but inclusive and welcoming to people of all identities and from all walks of life. Progress has been made in these efforts in 2024, with updates to the way employee identities are listed in HR Direct. “We are a higher ed institution and we want to ensure that people feel comfortable here in all aspects. Inclusivity is key in making people feel as comfortable as possible,” says Paul McLaughlin, Manager of HR Info Systems.
ThreatWatcher—Now monitoring tornado activity
While we most often associate American tornadoes with the Midwest and South, they can—and do—occur outside of these hotspots. In fact, dozens of tornadoes have touched down in Massachusetts since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began tracking them in 1950, including several in the F4 and F5 categories (the two highest on the scale). With global warming making weather more unpredictable than ever, a deadly cyclone in Boston is a threat for which every campus must have a plan.
U-Access Laptop Donations
A generous donation from a City of Boston office allowed the IT Department to offer laptop donations this past year, meeting the needs of dozens of students lacking functional, dependable, and updated technology. This program was in addition to the Chromebooks frequently provided to students by way of U-Access, to which IT donates devices regularly. Over 100 students received repurposed Chromebooks last year, as the IT Department is continuously monitoring their inventory. There are roughly 300 Chromebooks on campus at the moment, per Director of IT Managed Services Trieu Ly. Once a year, staff examine each device to assess newness and functionality. Older devices are then fixed up and donated to students in need.
Alert Beacon—UMass Boston enhances emergency alerts
It is difficult work for all involved, but the only way to be prepared for a potential emergency is to ensure that systems are in place to handle any dangerous situation promptly and appropriately. At UMass Boston, that has meant prioritizing public safety protocols and purchasing the best technology possible. It has also meant anticipating potential threats we would all rather not imagine, such as a shooter on campus.
Community & Executive Education (C&EE)
UMass Boston is in the process of bringing continuing education courses back to campus, after years without them following the end of CAPS. In particular, the university is developing a community and executive education program that will be open to anyone looking for non-credit learning opportunities. According to Assistant Provost, Community and Executive Education Tina Chang, the goal is to have a separate academic unit that offers these continuing education courses, offering things such as certificates and micro credentials upon course completion.
Increasing Efficiencies
MakerSpace—Where creativity and education meet
UMass Boston’s MakerSpace is a place that fosters creativity and hands-on engagement in the learning process. In the last couple of years, the space had shifted to a model wherein the “lab” was turned into a creative studio. ”With IT funds we were able to get reliable printers and components to continue to make the place a true MakerSpace Studio,” says Zack Ronald, Manager of Innovation Education Technology. “Our model now is student driven. Students can take a 90-minute MakerSpace Certification Course, taught by one of the MakerSpace students, and be able to print within reason.” Students, staff and faculty now have access to 3D printing, 3D modeling, electrical components such as Arduino, ESP32’s and Raspberry Pi’s and components, sewing machines, robotic components, and a numberof tools which allow them to make and create.
Technovation—Enhancing student learning with innovative technologies
Technovation is about the merging of technology and innovation, and there has been no shortage of innovation this past year. The Technovator (UMass Boston’s Technology Innovation Incubator) has 15 virtual reality headsets—and numerous applications such as VR Expeditions 2.0, Visible Body Atlas, and FrameVR—that can be used to create immersive experiences appealing to all learners.
One Button Studio
In November 2024, UMass Boston’s Healy Library
got an exciting new feature that is sure to impact
the campus for years to come. It is called the
One Button Studio—a place where students, faculty,
and staff can go to record presentations, lectures, and other material using a turn-key system with only one button. Insert a flash drive, push the button, and the camera, lights, and microphone turn on.
Wiser Online Training
When Wiser was first introduced to UMass Boston, there was a full-time person whose job it was to train staff and faculty on how to use the multi-purpose student administration system. When that person retired, instructional Technology Specialist Katherine Ananis whittled the three-hour, in-person training down to two hours, but the inefficiency of the model became clearer once COVID-19 hit.
A Tale of Two Technologies—The convergence of AI and cybersecurity
In the world of cybersecurity, we’re witnessing an arms race that feels straight out of a sci-fi novel. Artificial Intelligence (AI), once the stuff of imagination, is now the star player on both sides of the digital battlefield. We are witnessing firsthand how AI transforms our approach to protecting digital assets, but here’s the kicker: it is also significantly enhancing the capabilities of cybercriminals.
T2 Flex Parking
In recent years, UMass Boston has both tackled a crumbling underground garage and created new above-ground parking, but neither of these endeavors streamlined the overly long processes in place for obtaining permits, updating vehicle information in the system, or other seemingly simple tasks. This year, the IT Department partnered with Transportation Services to put in place software offering a self-service portal that is both more efficient and more dependable for the customer.
Student Orientation—Success starts in the lab
Since student orientation is largely centered in campus computer labs, Director of IT Managed Services Trieu Ly and his team play a pivotal role in whether things run smoothly or not. With so many incoming students scheduled back-to-back, there is no room for lengthy delays or incomplete fixes. Ly’s team began preparing for 2024 orientation long before students arrived. They set up all computers to automatically forget cookies at the end of each session, updated all software so no pop-ups distracted students, and set up mobile carts with projectors in each lab.
IT Pop-Up Service Desk—Making service easier than ever
No matter how long ago they attended, anyone who has ever been a college student knows how overwhelming those first few weeks can be. There is so much to learn even before you show up in class for instruction, and very little of it can be done without technology. This emphasizes the importance of having a customer-focused IT Department that is committed to making life easier for students (as well as staff) as they become acclimated to UMass Boston.
Flex IT Space—Bringing hoteling to UMass Boston
Apriority for IT Chief Information Officer Raymond Lefebvre since joining UMass Boston has always been the wellbeing of IT staff. In the spring of 2022 Lefebvre introduced a fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness platform called Wellbeats to all IT employees geared towards improving everyone’s wellbeing. The platform contains numerous instructional and informational videos for IT staff to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing both at home and at work.
Tech Recycling Days
While UMass Boston has less than 3,000 employees, the university’s computer inventory has grown significantly over the years, including many devices that are no longer viable. This was the motivation for establishing Tech Recycling Days—events designed to make it easy for staff and faculty to dispose of outdated computers with minimal effort.
Modernizing Classrooms
The IT Department at UMass Boston has a commitment to doing everything it can to ensure student success, while at the same time easing the lives of faculty and staff as much as possible. A key part of this mission involves consistently upgrading technology that has reached the end of its life cycle or for which better options have been developed. This past year, there were some exciting improvements to multiple rooms in University Hall, including room 1100—a 500-seat auditorium and the most utilized classroom space on campus.
Student Worker Pipeline
Student workers in the IT Department receive intensive on-the-job training, and this—along with their familiarity with UMass Boston and proven track records—makes them especially strong candidates when full-time jobs become available. For these reasons, there is a long list of IT personnel who began as student employees,