At Information Technology Services, innovation drives our pursuit to foster and support the academic mission of the University. The innovative projects that our team is pursuing at the moment support the tactical objectives of the University Strategic Plan, the ITS Strategic Plan, Quarter to Semester Conversion and the Graduation Initiative 2025. Tactical projects then become operationalized to create room for ongoing innovation.
The following are the strategic/innovative projects that the ITS Team is pursuing in collaboration with the Campus Community:
Infrastructure to Support Faculty Led Research
The Campus has partnered with the Pacific Research Platform (PRP), a science-driven high-capacity data-centric “freeway system” on a large regional scale. The CSUSB ITS Division has established a Data Transfer Node for the University’s network to connect to resources on the PRP. Through this partnership and infrastructure on Campus, CSUSB is able to accommodate high performance and high throughput computing from several grant funded programs in Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Cyber Security and Water Resources Institute.
For example, here is an URL to access a powerful machine ( multiple cores – multiple GPUs – 256 GB ) that is installed with MetaShape / PhotoScan software to render 3D imagining that one of our faculty is using. To access, just click at the following URL and provide a credential.
If your research of any kinds needs a power processing, please let us know. We and PRP scientists will assist you in setting up a high performance machine for your research.
Besides, the PRP membership, as a campus champion, we can directly provide you an access to XSEDE, a supper computing environment https://www.xsede.org/
California State University San Bernardino is one of the eight CSU Campuses has been upgraded to a 100 Gig link to California Research and Education Network (CalREN) operated by CENIC. One of the reasons CSUSB was chosen for this upgrade was its focus on supporting faculty led research.
If you are interested in learning more about this initiative, please contact one of our team members below:
Contact: Dr. Brad Owen, James MacDonnell or Dung Vu
AI First/Mobile First Development of the Student Success Ecosystem
The new MyCoyote portal and mobile application ties all the student success systems on Campus into a well-organized and intuitive interface that is user friendly, functional and powered by artificial intelligence.
Whether a student is looking for advising resources, academic pathways specific to their academic goals, financial aid or any other University information, the AI ChatBOT will lead them to the right place and provide accurate information without them having to search where to find information.
Contact: Michael Casadonte
Immersive Technologies Projects
Immersive technologies are new media that recreate the real world either by placing users into completely digital environments (virtual reality, 360-degree video) or by superimposing digital objects over the perceived physical reality (augmented reality, mixed reality). These technologies achieve immersion because: (a) users are offered high fidelity simulations through multiple sensory modalities; (b) users’ virtual body actions are finely mapped onto their real, physical bodies; (c) users experience a sense of being located within a perceived plausible space and therefore feel mentally and physically removed from the external world.
ITS, Academic Technologies & Innovation, partners with faculty to develop custom-produced immersive instructional content using augmented or virtual reality. Our team includes: student programmers under the supervision of Dr. Yunfei Hou (Computer Sciences); graphical design by Prof. Kurt Collins and his students (Art); sound design by Prof. Scott Vance and his students (Music); as well as technology solutions by the ATI team under the supervision of multimedia specialist James Trotter.
Contact: Mihaela Popescu
Foster and Support the Growth and Expansion of Online and Hybrid Programs and Courses
In order to provide better access to students and to allow them to graduate on time, CSUSB is interested in growing and expanding online and hybrid course offerings. Growth in online and hybrid courses will also allow students in our Palm Desert Campus to get access to courses that are not offered at that Campus. The ITS, Academic Technologies and Innovation Team is partnering with the Teaching Resources Center to offer an E-Learning Academy to provide faculty the training and resources necessary to offer quality and accessible online courses. The E-Learning Academy will focus on the development of online and hybrid courses to address bottleneck courses, CSU CourseMatch program and access to students at the Palm Desert Campus.
Contact: Mihaela Popescu
Affordable Learning Initiative
CSU's Affordable Learning Solutions enables faculty to choose and provide more affordable, quality educational content for their students. By reducing CSU student course material expenses, more students acquire the course materials they need to succeed and benefit from their CSU learning experience. Now CSU faculty and students have greater access to quality free and lower cost learning materials through a variety of AL$ programs and partnerships.
CSUSB is in the process of leveraging Senate Bill 1359 to expand the use of free and reduced cost materials for students.
Contact: Bibiana Diaz
Process Automation Projects
The University Strategic Plan called for the automation of twenty-five University wide processes in five years. Over the past three years, we have worked with different departments to automate several processes including the International Travel Authorization Form, the Computerized Information Access form, the delegation of authority form, faculty grade change form and the curriculum approval process.
We are currently working with the Financial Aid Office and the Office of the Registrar and have identified ten processes in each of those areas to automate.
Contact: Michael Casadonte
People First @ ITS
Based on Conversation with ITS Staff in the spring of 2016, the ITS leadership team launched two task forces to improve communication within ITS and to develop career pathways for staff for professional development and career advancement. Staff participated in multiple workshops over the last two years. Last fall we launched Office Vibe, an employee engagement and feedback tool through which we continue to collect thoughts and ideas from employees.
We believe that in order for ITS to continue to innovate and provide world class customer service, we need to put our employees first and give them meaningful opportunities to grow their professional skills and careers. To this end, we will continue to engage with our team members and allow them to help us launch programs and initiatives that will prepare them to achieve their professional aspirations.
Contact: Samuel Sudhakar