Partnership
If there is a single word to describe the Mobile/Web Systems team, it would be partnership. This group of 20 or so individuals, known collectively as “MWS,” is dedicated to forging partnerships — across the Texas State University campus, with Bobcat students, and between one another. Because MWS serves as a primary conduit for the university’s enterprise systems, relationship-building is pivotal to the team’s success. Cultivating those relationships requires close attention to the communication goals of many stakeholders. With a priority of serving students, MWS actively collaborates with departments focused on student retention and success. Accomplishing this mission involves connecting with teams who provide critical resources and services, identifying audience connection points, and following the performance data to monitor and enhance efficacy. As a result, MWS regularly attends meetings and functions across campus to remain current on communication needs, and routinely coordinates efforts with other divisions and departments. Currently, for example, MWS is partnering with Student Success to ensure the timely and accessible dissemination of crucial student messaging. To partner with students, MWS conducts frequent surveys and polls, both online and in person. The partnerships at the core of MWS, though, are forged from within.
Empathy
For the members of MWS, exceptional teamwork begins with mutual awareness. Daily virtual “standups” create a space for each team member to communicate their priorities and goals. This reciprocal insight creates a high-level understanding of the work others perform and facilitates more productive collaboration. A shared skills document and flexible movement between projects gives MWS members the opportunity to enhance existing skill sets and cultivate new ones. Consistent emphasis on developing interpersonal relationships and individual skills promotes a productive appreciation of the abilities, talents, and interests every individual brings to the group. The team’s experiential diversity fosters news ways of looking at, and solving, challenges. The team recognizes, honors, and cultivates individuality. Every day presents fresh challenges, and the people on this team look for ways to expand their knowledge for the benefit of the university. MWS operates by a core set of team values, which reflect and extend the empathy and inclusivity they show to one another. Adhering to exacting accessibility protocols, MWS is very purposeful in product design. By designing for accessibility and usability first, the MWS team removes barriers to information and supports the success of all Bobcats.
Opportunity
Where others might think of obstacles as problematic, the MWS team sees only opportunities. Innate problem-solvers, this group has implemented scores of design concepts both visible and transparent to users. From ensuring stakeholders can move seamlessly between productivity environments, to industry-standard labeling of interface components and universal design, MWS searches for and resolves potential barriers to productivity and communication even before those obstacles appear. As the global administrator for Texas State’s Canvas Learning Management System, MWS handles many of the tools used to make instructors’ lives easier. Eliminating the need for added platform logins, MWS designs and develops integrated learning tools known as “LTIs” which, among others, include the attendance and final grade submission features. Besides Canvas, MWS ensures the functionality of roughly university 400 websites and many of its most notable applications. Through the TXST Mobile app, MWS curates and organizes the constant flow of information to students in ways both manageable and personal.
Connection
The driving force behind MWS is a desire to connect Bobcats to resources that support their success. The team focuses on developing reliable connection points using TXST Mobile, Canvas, and university websites, and engaging users with a personalized approach. In this way, MWS narrows the channels of communication through strategically designed and placed components. The MWS team wants the people they serve to feel like much more than just a number. Through their passion for responsive platform design, MWS team members strive each day to further university and stakeholder interests and objectives. Information is empowerment, and MWS wants to make sure every Bobcat is connected—to one another, the university, and the resources they need to be successful.
Kimberly Conner is a publications writer in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
