The Academic Project Support Office (APSO) connects the academic community with the resources of the Office of Information Technology to provide media and technology solutions for a wide variety of projects. Many factors determine how a project is managed and delivered, including project scope, classroom impact, budget, technology needed, deadlines, etc.

If you have academic project that can be supported by the APSO, please follow these guidelines for beginning the process:

Step 1: Plan ahead

Many academic projects spend months or years in planning and development, but only address technology and media at the very end of the process. By including technology considerations early into the planning phase, you will guarantee the right amount of time, money, resources, etc. are available to deliver the exact product to match the project outcomes. Even before projects begin, grants are awarded or personnel are allocated, the APSO can assist in planning, writing letters of support, estimating technology costs, etc.

Step 2: Determine if the project directly impacts classroom instruction

The Division of Online and Strategic Learning serves the instructional design and technology learning needs of faculty members developing and teaching online or blended courses. Their instructional design team takes faculty from consultation and development of a course through completion and evaluation. If your technology needs are part of a larger course development plan, contact iLearn to make sure your course is being developed effectively.

If your project is part of a grant, an addition to an existing course, or does not fall into the category of course development or creation, the APSO will provide an initial consultation to discuss your media and technology needs.

Step 3: Initial Consultation with the APSO

Contact Brandon Smith, director of the APSO, to schedule an initial discussion about your project and the desired outcomes. Most important, bring to the discussion your goals for using technology, and don’t overly focus on the exact methods or types of technology that will be used. Often, through this initial exploration and discussion, it may become obvious there are cheaper, faster, or more effective uses of technology to use on your project than originally thought. This consultation will gather initial estimates on impact, scope, required resources, timeline, etc.

Step 4: Production

If the project proposed is of limited scope, has an expedited timeline, or meets other requirements, it may be immediately handed off to the appropriate support unit within Information Technologies to see through to completion. If the project has a larger scope, longer timeline, greater potential impact, or meets other requirements, the APSO will create a detailed project plan and establish a working group from across IT to make follow the project through to completion.