University investing in multi-million Digital Upgrade

The University of Wolverhampton is investing more than £10m to revolutionise its digital infrastructure, improving the learning experience for students.

The Digital Campus programme plans to transform the way the University uses technology in its learning and teaching and its day to day business.

The foundation phase is well underway and comprises of five distinct projects which will deliver innovative learning and teaching tools, provide quickly-accessible business data, provide students and staff with access to the software they need when and where they need it and provide a single access point into the University’s digital world.

The projects are:

• Virtual Learning Environment – a new digital platform to support students’ online learning and support new and exciting teaching and learning
• Student Portal – a single gateway into the University for students with key information, personalised messaging and links to vital university systems
• Apps Anywhere – providing students with all their software needs across all University campuses
• Data Storage – providing an innovative hybrid cloud storage solution for all the University’s data
• Business Intelligence – to provide all key business data and stats available to those who need it at the click of a button.

The University has committed £13m to the programme, which also includes £1.2m of funding for a rolling PC upgrade and renewal programme. This will result in 700 machines being replaced at its Wolverhampton and Walsall Campuses with plans in place to roll out to Telford later in the year.

‌University of Wolverhampton Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “The Digital Campus will transform the way we use technology across the University. First and foremost it will improve the experience of our students by harnessing the latest software and technologies to enhance their learning.

“The Digital Campus is just as important as the physical one. It will contribute to everything we do - the way we recruit and retain students, the quality of the student and classroom experience and the way we deliver our courses and services. It will also provide a rich and exciting platform upon which the University can strengthen and underpin its academic, research and community activities.

‌“It will benefit our staff and the way we work as an organisation and make us more agile. It is vital for universities, as places of enterprise and knowledge, to continue to innovate.

“This investment will not only help us meet the increasing demands of our students from a digital perspective but make us one of the market leaders in higher education.”

Fiona Parsons, Director of Academic Support, is responsible for implementing the programme.

She said: “It’s a hugely ambitious plan and it will provide huge benefits. We see it very much as a transformational programme, which has IT at the heart of the solution.

“We feel that once implemented it will put us as the leading edge in the sector. We are already having a lot of interest shown from other organisations in what we are doing and we’re quickly re-establishing our reputation as digital innovators.”

The Digital Campus programme is part of the University’s Our Vision, Your Opportunity strategy. This aims to generate £250m of investment over the next five years in education, learning and regeneration.

ENDS

For more information please contact James Allen in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322003.

Date Issued: Thursday 24th March 2016