*ESIL University
Information Technology Center
Information Technology Center (ITC) is the core division of Esil University responsible for developing and improving the university's IT infrastructure. The IT Center as a whole and each of its departments handle software and hardware maintenance and the development of the university's information infrastructure.
11staff members work at the IT Center, including the director
2departments within the center — DDSSO and DTMR
2012the year the rector initiated the university automation project
2015since this year, EsU has been developing the E-University project from scratch
*About the center
Objectives, structure and leadership
The IT Center consists of two units: the Software Development and Support Department and the Technical Maintenance and Repair Department.
01CIT objectives
Unified information spaceParticipation in the development, implementation, and support of corporate projects that form a unified information space for the University and the education system of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Computer infrastructureMaintenance and development of the University's computer infrastructure.
Software Market ResearchConducting marketing research of the software products market.
Technical information recordsSystematization, receipt, recording, classification, and registration of incoming technical information.
Training and TestingOrganizing and implementing electronic and technical support for teaching and testing at the University using information technology.
Discipline and occupational safetyMonitoring compliance with technological discipline, occupational safety rules and standards, and safety procedures.
02IT Center Departments
Software Development and Support DepartmentSoftware Development and Support Department. The department has implemented the "Human Resources Management" and "Academic Support for Students (Student Service Center)" subsystems.
Technical Support and Maintenance DepartmentTechnical Maintenance and Repair Department.
03Functions of the IT Center Director
Leadership and managementManages activities related to software and technical support and development of the University's IT infrastructure.
Information securityOversees efforts to keep the University's information security system up to date.
Organization and responsibilityOrganizes the work of the Center for Information Technology and is responsible for its performance and results.
Supervision of departmentsSupervises the work of the ORiSPO and OTOiR departments.
ProcurementOversees procurement of technical equipment, peripherals and software for the University.
*Digital ecosystem
E-University project
On the eve of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, EsU is building a turnkey, tailor-made integrated unified digital ecosystem.
01History and Approach
2012 — start of automationThe university's rector initiated the task of automating the university's operations.
Developed from scratch since 2015EsU is developing a unique E-University project that will digitalize the university's operations, streamline staff workflows, and improve services for students.
Flexibility of in-house developmentThe university is itself the developer, so the program code can be flexibly modified in response to incoming requests and internal memos about changes in the nature (or structure) of the input/output data used in the project.
02Key development criteria
Less routine, fewer errorsReducing time spent on routine processes and errors in work.
Business logic of the organizationPreserving the organization's business logic.
Accessibility and transparencyEnsuring accessibility and transparency of information.
Decision supportBuilding a decision support system.
03Platform and Partnership
Project addressThe E-University project is available at http://e.kuef.kz/.
InterSystems Cache DBMSEsU receives its license for the InterSystems Cache industrial DBMS from InterSystems Corporation, as the university is a participant in the University Outreach Program (intersystems.com/ru/services-support/university-outreach/universities/).
Courses and CertificationThe university receives free training courses delivered by visiting international corporate staff; this also provides certification for university employees.
Information access rulesThe set of rules governing the procedure and conditions of a user's access to information in the described ICT systems is aligned with the regulations and job descriptions under the QMS.
*E-University
Platform subsystems
The ecosystem consists of subsystems: some have already been developed and implemented, while others are planned for development.
01Subsystems developed and being implemented
User Interaction (Social Network) — 2015Users can find staff and students, message any user, and view profiles — the core features of social networks are implemented. 4,265 users of 24 types are registered (from the rector to students); the number is dynamic: staff leave and students become alumni. 92 messages have been sent between users, and 26,062 functional operations have been performed (top 3: work with modular educational programs, elective course catalogs, and applicants).
e-Library — 2015Automates the lending and return of books via electronic library accounts on a "supermarket principle": a student can request the needed book online right during a lecture, and the librarian immediately prepares it for pickup. At the library, it is enough to present an ID or state a login — the librarian identifies the student, scans the book's barcode and hands it over without filling out a library card: the data is already in the system. Total number of books as of 11/09/2018 — 93,801 records; from January to 02/10/2018, 600 books were issued.
E-University Model — 2015Manages the university's administrative functions: the university profile card, university settings, testing and gradebook settings, the education model, university structure, student and user contingent, and classroom facilities. The full list of managed information blocks is provided below on this page.
Marketing Research — 2016A unified database for collecting, processing and analyzing information for career-guidance work and marketing research: applicant questionnaires, collection of their e-mails for follow-up mailings, statistical data, and faculty reports on outreach work. The subsystem contains 630 prospective applicants — graduates of 87 schools in Astana and Akmola Region — for the 2018 admission campaign.
e-Admissions Office — 2017Over two years of operation, data on 2,500 applicants has been collected and processed. Documents are submitted electronically: a staff member scans the ID card and retrieves the full name, year of birth, gender, IIN and other information from the chip, cutting registration data-entry time many times over. The application, tuition agreement, questionnaire and exam transcript extracts are filled in and printed automatically; reports on applicants are available. This frees up more time for consultations and speeds up processing of the applicant flow. After the enrollment order is issued, applicants move to enrolled status, the deans' offices assign them to groups — and they become students.
Academic process — implementation in full swingAutomation of the academic process, streamlining the work of the academic planning and monitoring office, the Office of the Registrar, deans' offices and departments: automatic generation of working curricula and timetables within 24 hours, automatic formation of academic streams, automatic calculation of faculty teaching-load hours, stability of workload and schedules, and academic reports based on digitized data. The database includes academic calendars, standard curricula for all serviced specialties, catalogs of elective courses for the 2017 and 2018 intakes, and current modular educational programs; individual student curricula, departmental working curricula for the 2018–2019 academic year, course registers, and academic and extracurricular streams have been generated.
Human Resource Management — implementedHR service in electronic format: streamlined management of service records, tracking of staff movements, and transparent record-keeping. Entry and storage of information on departments and positions in accordance with the QMS (main provisions, tasks, functions, job duties, rights, responsibilities, and working relationships), and on employees according to the list of personal files and staff orders. Monthly statistics on attendance, academic degrees, ethnicity, trilingualism, and the number of faculty and staff.
Academic support for students (Student Service Center) — implementedHigh-quality, fast service on a one-stop-shop basis with a ticket queue system; requests are registered in the incoming correspondence log. Consultations based on guides and brochures: admission, transfers and reinstatement, organization of the academic process, academic mobility, social support, moving into and out of the Student House, professional internships. Acceptance of document requests: transfer from another university, issuance of certificates (for a bank, school, library, etc.), reinstatement, granting of and return from academic leave, expulsion, a place in the Student House, transcript issuance.
Science — 2020Tracking of publications (conferences in Kazakhstan, the CIS and beyond; journals of Kazakhstan, CQAES (KKSON), Scopus, WOS, Jstore; publications indexed in Scopus and WOS), H-index, participation in national and international projects, copyright certificates, patents, certificates of participation in conferences, olympiads, summer schools and exhibitions, academic mobility, double-degree programs, academic degrees and titles of staff, and research reports of faculty and students. The subsystem is further planned to be used for rewarding staff and students through KPI-based methods in research.
02Planned Subsystems
International cooperationTracking of ongoing projects, international agreements and academic mobility.
MaintenanceWill replace the functionality of the Electronic Helpdesk to enable integration and data exchange between subsystems.
Student DormitoryResident records, transition of housing applications to electronic format, and a registration log of applications for accommodation in the student residence.
ICT integrationIntegration of third-party information systems that cannot be rewritten: 1C Accounting (tuition payments, dormitory payments), APIs for submitting reports to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2NK, 3NK, ESUVO).
ReportsTemplate-based report generation and a report builder for creating any report, with differentiated access to information.
External auditAccess for external auditors to the university's digital resources, tailored to the information they review.
Supervision of staff performanceHelps every university administrator monitor performance against the operational plan and quality-objective indicators of the units they lead; rankings of top performers among departments, faculties, and instructors in teaching, research, career guidance, educational work, and professional development.
Career CenterRegistry of internship and employment bases by specialty and field, building and analyzing a graduate database, employment agreements and memoranda, five-year employment trend analysis, and entering graduate employment data.
Smart technology radarA planned innovative tool of the "Science" subsystem: it will identify the right "trending" directions for the university's research development and serve as a beacon for researchers. Sources processed: scientific journals and conference proceedings, patent information databases, and materials from the websites of ministries and agencies responsible for science and technology policy. The analysis will help undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students choose relevant research directions.
The "E-University Model" subsystem (2015): a complete list of managed information blocks.
- University profile card: Description, Accreditation Register, Project Register, Register of Agreements with Companies, Information on Research Income, Internship Agreements, World Rankings Register, Dormitory Directory, Academic Buildings, Sports Facilities.
- University settings: Study system, Start of the academic year, Quota for full-time faculty, Quota for faculty with academic titles and degrees, Workload supplement for the head of department, Workload supplement for the dean of the faculty, Length of the study period for a shortened academic year (weeks), Length of one semester/trimester (weeks), Length of the summer semester/trimester (weeks), Length of the winter semester/trimester (weeks).
- Testing settings: Allow use of all instructors' tests in testing; show the student a report after the test is completed; display correct answers in the student's test report; reload test questions after an unexpected test termination; maximum number of test attempts; display tests of all instructors; display correct answers to test questions; cap the student's testing time limit at the test end time; maximum number of questions that can be appealed; time allowed for appeals (in minutes); allow continuing the test from another computer (IP); assign the grade automatically; minimum number of questions; maximum number of questions; minimum test duration in minutes; maximum test duration in minutes.
- Gradebook settings: Score sufficient for exam admission; Schedule generation type; Maximum number of classes per day; Maximum number of classes per day per student; Precision of final grade calculation (number of decimal places); Inclusion of midterm control grades in the final grade calculation; Inclusion of the average current grade in the final grade calculation; Inclusion of the final grade when summarizing session results; Inclusion of the course paper grade when calculating exam admission; Calculate the average current grade separately for each module; Calculate admission to midterm controls based on the average current grade; Score sufficient for admission to midterm control; Verify the date of midterm control and exam grades against the student's calendar; Display the average current grade in the student's gradebook; Allow changes to the current grade after the exam grade is entered; Show unsatisfactory grades in GPA calculation.
- Education model: Level of education, specialty groups, specialties, types of final state attestation, academic degrees.
- University structure: Faculty, Department, Specialty, Groups, Library, Student Residence, Division, Subdivision.
- Target users: Tutor, Student, Parent, Adviser, Librarian, Office Registrar, Student Records Office staff member, Technical Administrator, Software Support Administrator, Applicant, Head of Department, Vice-Rector, Rector, Admissions Committee staff member, HR Department staff member, Academic Planning and Monitoring Department staff member, Department staff member, Science Office staff member, Dormitory staff member, Auditor, QMS Administrator, International Cooperation Office staff member, Dean of the Faculty of Core Training, Dean of the Faculty of Distance Learning, Dean of the Specialized Faculty, Faculty of Core Training staff member, Faculty of Distance Learning staff member, Specialized Faculty staff member, Marketing Department staff member.
- Classroom facilities: Buildings, Classrooms.
Business algorithm of the educational process
01Standard curricula and catalogs of elective disciplines
02MEP — modular educational programs
03IEP — individual education plans of students
04Working curricula of the departments
05Register of disciplines
06Academic streams
07Extracurricular streams
08Workload
09Schedule
10Journal
11Grade sheet
12Transcript
13Final State Attestation
14Appendix
15Diploma
Student Service Center service procedure
01Upon arriving at the Student Service Center, the student enters their IIN and selects a consultation or service at a dedicated terminal.
02The terminal prints a ticket and registers the student's request.
03The student hands the ticket to the Student Service Center staff.
04Student Service Center staff provide consultations on the chosen topic and deliver the electronic service within the established timeframe.
05The service application is forwarded to the relevant EsU structural unit, which provides the service to the applicant within the established timeframe.
*Communications
Information flows and data management
EsU uses all forms of information flows: horizontal, downward, and upward. Information is exchanged through the ICT tools described above, as well as in informal settings.
01Information exchange channels
Formal channelsFormal information is conveyed through memos, submissions, and other types of internal correspondence.
Rector's blog and innovationsThe website features the Rector's blog and a registration system for innovative proposals to improve the university's operations, which are sent to the supervising vice-rector.
Trust boxLocated in the university lobby.
Open Doors and Personal CommunicationThe leadership follows an open-door policy with set office hours, personally visits departments on any given morning, and never misses significant events, congratulating administrative staff.
Contacts and Student Service CenterContact details of all departments and staff are available on the university website; students may also contact the Student Service Center.
02Data analysis and use
In-system analysisInformation obtained via ICT is analyzed within the system itself. SQL queries and conversion to JSON are used to process, evaluate and analyze data, with custom brokers and services for displaying and manipulating the data.
Applicant databaseData from the Marketing Research subsystem is used by the call center to phone prospective applicants and send mailings to their email addresses.
Admission campaign statisticsStatistics on applicants who submitted documents via the e-admissions committee — by specialty, mode, duration, and language of study — are forwarded to the rector, the admissions committee coordinator, deans' offices, and departments.
HR StatisticsData from the HR Management subsystem is reported to the leadership monthly: trilingualism, share of staff with academic degrees, and headcount of employees and faculty.
Distance learning faculty dean's dashboardA complete consolidated analysis for the faculty is generated on the dean's dashboard; management decisions are made based on this data analysis. Timely analysis and adjustment of distance-learning delivery enables the Distance Education faculty to achieve its goals and objectives.
Plans of the Faculty of Continuing EducationThe faculty plans to develop distance learning technologies (DLT) in technological, legal and organizational aspects, as this technology broadens access to education: increasing the share of students studying via DLT and gradually replacing part-time study with learning through the distance education portal.
Course toward the "e-Dean's Office"Technologically — automating direct teacher–student interaction without intermediaries; legally — adjusting the system to new regulatory documents of the MES RK; organizationally — moving away from intermediate links toward the "e-Dean's Office" format.
*Grant project 2020–2022
Intelligent support and monitoring system for distance learning technologies
Grant IRN AP08856687Grant-funded project for 2020–2022 under the priority area "Information, Telecommunication and Space Technologies"; contract No. 329 dated November 23, 2020.
Project TeamResearch supervisor — Director of the Center for Information Technology, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PhD), Associate Professor M.M. Muratbekov. Responsible executors — PhDs: S.A. Altynbek, Head of the Technical Support and Maintenance Department, and A.B. Barlybayev, Head of the Software Development and Support Department.
What is being developedAn intelligent expert information system for monitoring and supporting distance learning technologies at the university, optimizing business processes in a distance learning environment: monitoring of educational processes and expert decision-making support for university management based on the assessment of quality control criteria for these processes.
Expected outcomesImproving the quality of education, preventing corruption, ensuring openness and accessibility of data, improving methods and increasing flexibility in managing the educational process under distance learning, and monitoring the research activity and academic credentials of department faculty.
Student-centered scheduleAn optimized faculty schedule built on a student-centered principle that avoids clashes between classes of the most in-demand (top-rated) tutor-instructors for students' convenience.
Online class monitoring and career guidanceAutomatic monitoring and verification of online classes with report output, as well as career guidance using distance technologies.
Student Personal AccountBetter student services: up-to-date timetables, an electronic library card, and one-stop access to various electronic certificates from the dean's office and other student-facing units.