Our 8 Commitments

The following eight commitments reflect the strategic activities and future directions for the Division of Digital Strategy & Innovation and the University of North Texas in the area of Digital Strategy. Each commitment is essential to creating resiliency and ensuring that UNT maintains its position as a world-class 21st century institution.

UNT DSI will:

  1. Ensure an inclusive environment
  2. Be recognized for world-class online courses and programs
  3. Encourage experimentation and foster a culture for research driven practice
  4. Champion high-utility information and learning technologies that lead to better outcomes
  5. Reach new students and learners
  6. Reimagine the physical classroom
  7. Be leaders in evidence-based faculty development
  8. Streamline data to allow for shareable, consumable and actionable information
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  • University of North Texas-DIGITAL STRATEGY 2023-8 Commitments: January 2023 Update
    University of North Texas-DIGITAL STRATEGY 2023-8 Commitments: January 2023 Update
  • 8 Commitments that create resiliency and ensure a world-class 21st century institution
    8 Commitments that create resiliency and ensure a world-class 21st century institution
  • UNT Strategic Plan 2020-2025 Student Empowerment and Transformation People and Processes Scholarly Activity and Innovation
    UNT Strategic Plan 2020-2025 Student Empowerment and Transformation People and Processes
  • UNT Strategic PlConnection to UNT Strategic Plan: Student Empowerment and Transformation Expand/develop inclusion and student success practices and policies What we have done: Ongoing commitment to the DSI Diversity Action Committee (DAC) and the DSI Allies Division-wide engagement in IDEA trainings and workshops Launched Inclusive Curriculum Lunch & Learn series, with culminating event Continued commitment to equity in recruitment and employment Strengthened partnership with Office of Disability Access by creating new positions focused on the support of student accessibility needs Recipient of the 2022 Bertina Hildreth Combes Inclusive Excellence Award What is next: Continue to advance the Diversity Action Committee (DAC) and DAC Allies, and host several Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Lunch & Learn sessions Actively promote IDEA designed “Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access Essentials” training on Coursera beyond UNT Research ways to implement technologies to bridge skill gaps an 2020-2025 Student Empowerment and Transformation People and Processes Scholarly Activity and Innovation
    Ensure an inclusive environment
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: People and Processes Increase enrollment at the Denton and Frisco campuses What we have done: Developed 233 online courses and 175 new, professionally produced engaging videos Launched Coursera Career Academy, providing free access to industry-relevant content (e.g. Google certificates) for all students, staff & faculty Increased enrollments in the Bachelor’s in Applied Arts & Sciences with Coursera by 46% year over year Empowered continued rise in rankings of UNT Online programs (e.g. 23rd in US for Best Online Programs by Newsweek) What is next: Establish foundation for microcredential innovation & development Optimize collaboration structures to facilitate the creation of new academic programs & courses Further promote services to increase rate of faculty collaboration and creation of engaging course content Design new structures that empower faculty to develop more engaging content for online courses
    Be recognized for world-class online courses and programs
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: People and Processes Increase enrollment at the Denton and Frisco campuses What we have done: Developed 233 online courses and 175 new, professionally produced engaging videos Launched Coursera Career Academy, providing free access to industry-relevant content (e.g. Google certificates) for all students, staff & faculty Increased enrollments in the Bachelor’s in Applied Arts & Sciences with Coursera by 46% year over year Empowered continued rise in rankings of UNT Online programs (e.g. 23rd in US for Best Online Programs by Newsweek) What is next: Establish foundation for microcredential innovation & development Optimize collaboration structures to facilitate the creation of new academic programs & courses Further promote services to increase rate of faculty collaboration and creation of engaging course content Design new structures that empower faculty to develop more engaging content for online courses
    Encourage experimentation and foster a culture for research driven practice
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: Scholarly Activity and Innovation Expand resources and revise procedures to facilitate innovation at UNT What we have done: Charged cross-departmental New Online Learning Technologies Testing team Tested new information and learning technologies to optimize the UNT student and faculty digital experience (e.g. Engagli, Harmonize, Packback’s Deep Dive, PlayPosit, PopeTech, InSpace and Proctorio) Implemented Packback Questions at an Enterprise level to improve discussion-based learning What is next: Increase staffing dedicated to training faculty on technology tools Continuous testing of DSI implemented (approved & supported) technologies, establishing best practice & addressing user concern and improvements Continue to review and implement new learning technologies via the Future Tech Testing Team Investigate ways to leverage generative AI in our day to day work and other digital spaces
    Champion high-utility information and learning technologies that lead to better outcomes
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: People and Process Decrease time to graduation, and increase and improve services to aid at-risk, underrepresented, transfer, non-traditional, veteran, online, and working students What we have done: Online.unt.edu consistently in top 10 highest visited sites across all UNT Collaboratively launched 4 new MOOCs (e.g. College English Prep, Ethnic Minorities & Race, Hospitality Management, and Marketing) Forged new strategic corporate partnerships with Amazon and Google Integrated PDX into UNT systems for the development of non-credit learning Facilitated cross-divisional working group to define “microcredentials” What is next: Grow enrollment outside of DFW Identify & collaboratively build new high-need high-yield online programs Facilitate the formation of stackable programming at UNT Optimize & grow the Professional Development Experience (PDX) Continue to build new industry partnerships Continue to forge partnerships with industry leading experts and various platforms to extend our capability to reach prospective new students
    Reach new students and learners
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: Student Empowerment and Transformation Increase best practice curricular experiences for students What we have done: Launched CLAW (Collaborative Learning and Active Workspaces) site to increase awareness & provide resources for the use of these innovative spaces Supported 194 classrooms, 92 non-classroom technology setups, and planned 190 upcoming system hardware upgrades Implemented hardware agnostic screen sharing solutions in all supported classrooms and class labs Launched and now supporting ~90 systems at the new Frisco Landing campus, empowering the new location to leverage modern technology solutions What is next: Ongoing collaboration towards ensuring technology strategy supports UNT’s enrollment growth Continue augmenting the technologies and capabilities of numerous classrooms Realize efficiencies created through implementation of more unified system designs Streamline the end user experience around common digital tools
    Reimagine the physical classroom
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: People and Processes Become a best place to work by providing training, resources, and development What we have done: Strengthened cross-divisional linkages with the Office of Faculty Success Used empirical research to drive service expansion Launched an engaging faculty book club on emerging topics in higher education In partnership with multiple divisions and colleges, hosted 7 workshops and 15 training sessions for faculty, with exceptionally high interest & 451 attendees Expanded in-person and digital training resources, and began providing on-demand access to all recorded trainings What is next: Develop & launch the “Certificate of Excellence in Teaching Online” (CETO) for all faculty, lecturers, adjuncts, etc. Launch training series for online instructional technologies Continue building community via the faculty book club Continue to augment instructional resources through literature reviews of research in the field of online teaching and learning
    Be leaders in evidence-based faculty development
  • Connection to UNT Strategic Plan: Scholarly Activity and Innovation Expand resources and revise procedures to facilitate innovation at UNT What we have done: Integrated Canvas data to inform retention efforts based on student course access patterns Launched survey to assess awareness of DSI services, with intention of identifying gaps and overall customer experience Generated first annual report to assess marketing actions + impact, providing a baseline for the future Leveraged market research subscriptions (e.g. Lightcast, EAB) & other resources to produce actionable insights for decision-making regarding academic program development and marketing What is next: Leverage survey data to inform current & future service planning Research & design a UNT Canvas analytics engine to inform engagement patterns, retention efforts, and outcomes Enhance use of market research resources & partnerships to continue producing actionable insights for decision-making Finalize and launch the Program Health and Opportunity Index (PHOI) for current and new academic programs
    Streamline data to allow for shareable, consumable and actionable information
  • Adam D. Fein Vice President Digital Strategy and Innovation digitalstrategy.unt.edu online.unt.edu, twitter @adamfein - Linkedin: Adam Fein
    Adam D. Fein Vice President Digital Strategy and Innovation digitalstrategy.unt.edu online.unt.edu,