Sacramento State Case Study: Creating Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Implement Business Continuity Plans with Kuali Ready
Overview
California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, is the sixth-largest campus in the California State University system. Its four-year graduation rate has risen by 208% since 2016. The university's unique geography, which sits on the banks of the American River and boasts more than 3,500 trees, is a draw for students.
Sacramento State takes pride in the diversity of its over 30,000-student student body. It is a Hispanic-serving institution and a Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, and U.S. News & World Report ranks its campus as the fourth-most-diverse in the West. Almost a third of all Sacramento State students are the first in their families to attend college, and the university boasts the second-largest veterans program in the California State University system.
Problem
Sacramento State wanted to create comprehensive business continuity plans (BCP) to respond to and recover from operational disruptions. The university had an old plan that a student had written, but it was difficult to access, and the school’s information technology (IT) department stopped supporting the plan’s aging code.
A review of recovery programs by the chancellor’s office sparked the need to revisit the existing BCP. The university realized it needed multiple plans that took into account factors such as its location along the river and its large commuter population. Additionally, administrators wanted to create a list of academic-critical functions and create plans and procedures particular to each of its 53 academic programs.
Creating business continuity plans presents a challenge for any institute of higher education. Simply getting all the major stakeholders involved in the plan to meet or provide input can spark logistical issues. Additionally, the university identified a need to address multiple security threats with the plan, placing greater demands on the chosen software. Other factors important to Sacramento State included:
- Ease of implementation, use, and maintenance.
- Flexibility of the program.
- Customization ability.
Solution
Sacramento State chose Kuali Ready to create BCPs. “A co-worker and I started out using Kuali,” says Don Nahhas, software and data analyst for the Risk Management Department at Sacramento State University. “We had great support from Kuali. It was just wonderful.”
The university took steps to train members of its eight different colleges and dozens of academic programs on how to use Kuali Ready. Involving them ensured greater accuracy and buy-in from those who knew the programs’ priorities and challenges best. The process included training based on real-life situations encountered by the university, which once had to shut down classes for several weeks due to nearby forest fires.
“We started doing classes on how to write your program step by step. We told them, ‘Hey, at least come up with one critical function, and then let’s get the rest filled out,’” says Nahhas. Participants considered issues such as how their program would be impacted if campus closed. They also looked at potential smaller-scale problems, like the impact of a burst pipe rendering computers in an office unusable.
Nahhas notes that simply getting departments’ information into the system helped lay the groundwork for BCPs. “Putting it down on paper was our difficult part,” he says. He has gone through the plans and noted similarities in critical functions between departments, making it easier to move those plans toward the finish line.
Results
Kuali helped Sacramento State achieve its goals of instituting BCPs that are easy to use and maintain while also offering the customization the university needs because of its location. Having a plan of attack in case the river floods or forest fires threaten nearby is critical to keeping students, faculty, and staff safe.
The platform’s transparency makes it easier to involve stakeholders to focus on distinct sections, which is necessary for a university with so many separate academic programs. Sacramento State continues to approach the BCPs as a work in progress, and Kuali Ready provides the support and flexibility to aid in that evolution. The next generation of Kuali Ready will give even more latitude for making BCPs specific to institutions and departments. “We’re still playing around with it, and we’re excited for those next steps,” says Nahhas.
Sacramento State Case Study: Creating Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Implement Business Continuity Plans with Kuali Ready
Overview
California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, is the sixth-largest campus in the California State University system. Its four-year graduation rate has risen by 208% since 2016. The university's unique geography, which sits on the banks of the American River and boasts more than 3,500 trees, is a draw for students.
Sacramento State takes pride in the diversity of its over 30,000-student student body. It is a Hispanic-serving institution and a Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, and U.S. News & World Report ranks its campus as the fourth-most-diverse in the West. Almost a third of all Sacramento State students are the first in their families to attend college, and the university boasts the second-largest veterans program in the California State University system.
Problem
Sacramento State wanted to create comprehensive business continuity plans (BCP) to respond to and recover from operational disruptions. The university had an old plan that a student had written, but it was difficult to access, and the school’s information technology (IT) department stopped supporting the plan’s aging code.
A review of recovery programs by the chancellor’s office sparked the need to revisit the existing BCP. The university realized it needed multiple plans that took into account factors such as its location along the river and its large commuter population. Additionally, administrators wanted to create a list of academic-critical functions and create plans and procedures particular to each of its 53 academic programs.
Creating business continuity plans presents a challenge for any institute of higher education. Simply getting all the major stakeholders involved in the plan to meet or provide input can spark logistical issues. Additionally, the university identified a need to address multiple security threats with the plan, placing greater demands on the chosen software. Other factors important to Sacramento State included:
- Ease of implementation, use, and maintenance.
- Flexibility of the program.
- Customization ability.
Solution
Sacramento State chose Kuali Ready to create BCPs. “A co-worker and I started out using Kuali,” says Don Nahhas, software and data analyst for the Risk Management Department at Sacramento State University. “We had great support from Kuali. It was just wonderful.”
The university took steps to train members of its eight different colleges and dozens of academic programs on how to use Kuali Ready. Involving them ensured greater accuracy and buy-in from those who knew the programs’ priorities and challenges best. The process included training based on real-life situations encountered by the university, which once had to shut down classes for several weeks due to nearby forest fires.
“We started doing classes on how to write your program step by step. We told them, ‘Hey, at least come up with one critical function, and then let’s get the rest filled out,’” says Nahhas. Participants considered issues such as how their program would be impacted if campus closed. They also looked at potential smaller-scale problems, like the impact of a burst pipe rendering computers in an office unusable.
Nahhas notes that simply getting departments’ information into the system helped lay the groundwork for BCPs. “Putting it down on paper was our difficult part,” he says. He has gone through the plans and noted similarities in critical functions between departments, making it easier to move those plans toward the finish line.
Results
Kuali helped Sacramento State achieve its goals of instituting BCPs that are easy to use and maintain while also offering the customization the university needs because of its location. Having a plan of attack in case the river floods or forest fires threaten nearby is critical to keeping students, faculty, and staff safe.
The platform’s transparency makes it easier to involve stakeholders to focus on distinct sections, which is necessary for a university with so many separate academic programs. Sacramento State continues to approach the BCPs as a work in progress, and Kuali Ready provides the support and flexibility to aid in that evolution. The next generation of Kuali Ready will give even more latitude for making BCPs specific to institutions and departments. “We’re still playing around with it, and we’re excited for those next steps,” says Nahhas.
Sacramento State Case Study: Creating Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Implement Business Continuity Plans with Kuali Ready
Sacramento State Case Study: Creating Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Implement Business Continuity Plans with Kuali Ready
Overview
California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, is the sixth-largest campus in the California State University system. Its four-year graduation rate has risen by 208% since 2016. The university's unique geography, which sits on the banks of the American River and boasts more than 3,500 trees, is a draw for students.
Sacramento State takes pride in the diversity of its over 30,000-student student body. It is a Hispanic-serving institution and a Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, and U.S. News & World Report ranks its campus as the fourth-most-diverse in the West. Almost a third of all Sacramento State students are the first in their families to attend college, and the university boasts the second-largest veterans program in the California State University system.
Problem
Sacramento State wanted to create comprehensive business continuity plans (BCP) to respond to and recover from operational disruptions. The university had an old plan that a student had written, but it was difficult to access, and the school’s information technology (IT) department stopped supporting the plan’s aging code.
A review of recovery programs by the chancellor’s office sparked the need to revisit the existing BCP. The university realized it needed multiple plans that took into account factors such as its location along the river and its large commuter population. Additionally, administrators wanted to create a list of academic-critical functions and create plans and procedures particular to each of its 53 academic programs.
Creating business continuity plans presents a challenge for any institute of higher education. Simply getting all the major stakeholders involved in the plan to meet or provide input can spark logistical issues. Additionally, the university identified a need to address multiple security threats with the plan, placing greater demands on the chosen software. Other factors important to Sacramento State included:
- Ease of implementation, use, and maintenance.
- Flexibility of the program.
- Customization ability.
Solution
Sacramento State chose Kuali Ready to create BCPs. “A co-worker and I started out using Kuali,” says Don Nahhas, software and data analyst for the Risk Management Department at Sacramento State University. “We had great support from Kuali. It was just wonderful.”
The university took steps to train members of its eight different colleges and dozens of academic programs on how to use Kuali Ready. Involving them ensured greater accuracy and buy-in from those who knew the programs’ priorities and challenges best. The process included training based on real-life situations encountered by the university, which once had to shut down classes for several weeks due to nearby forest fires.
“We started doing classes on how to write your program step by step. We told them, ‘Hey, at least come up with one critical function, and then let’s get the rest filled out,’” says Nahhas. Participants considered issues such as how their program would be impacted if campus closed. They also looked at potential smaller-scale problems, like the impact of a burst pipe rendering computers in an office unusable.
Nahhas notes that simply getting departments’ information into the system helped lay the groundwork for BCPs. “Putting it down on paper was our difficult part,” he says. He has gone through the plans and noted similarities in critical functions between departments, making it easier to move those plans toward the finish line.
Results
Kuali helped Sacramento State achieve its goals of instituting BCPs that are easy to use and maintain while also offering the customization the university needs because of its location. Having a plan of attack in case the river floods or forest fires threaten nearby is critical to keeping students, faculty, and staff safe.
The platform’s transparency makes it easier to involve stakeholders to focus on distinct sections, which is necessary for a university with so many separate academic programs. Sacramento State continues to approach the BCPs as a work in progress, and Kuali Ready provides the support and flexibility to aid in that evolution. The next generation of Kuali Ready will give even more latitude for making BCPs specific to institutions and departments. “We’re still playing around with it, and we’re excited for those next steps,” says Nahhas.
Sacramento State Case Study: Creating Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Implement Business Continuity Plans with Kuali Ready
Overview
California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, is the sixth-largest campus in the California State University system. Its four-year graduation rate has risen by 208% since 2016. The university's unique geography, which sits on the banks of the American River and boasts more than 3,500 trees, is a draw for students.
Sacramento State takes pride in the diversity of its over 30,000-student student body. It is a Hispanic-serving institution and a Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, and U.S. News & World Report ranks its campus as the fourth-most-diverse in the West. Almost a third of all Sacramento State students are the first in their families to attend college, and the university boasts the second-largest veterans program in the California State University system.
Problem
Sacramento State wanted to create comprehensive business continuity plans (BCP) to respond to and recover from operational disruptions. The university had an old plan that a student had written, but it was difficult to access, and the school’s information technology (IT) department stopped supporting the plan’s aging code.
A review of recovery programs by the chancellor’s office sparked the need to revisit the existing BCP. The university realized it needed multiple plans that took into account factors such as its location along the river and its large commuter population. Additionally, administrators wanted to create a list of academic-critical functions and create plans and procedures particular to each of its 53 academic programs.
Creating business continuity plans presents a challenge for any institute of higher education. Simply getting all the major stakeholders involved in the plan to meet or provide input can spark logistical issues. Additionally, the university identified a need to address multiple security threats with the plan, placing greater demands on the chosen software. Other factors important to Sacramento State included:
- Ease of implementation, use, and maintenance.
- Flexibility of the program.
- Customization ability.
Solution
Sacramento State chose Kuali Ready to create BCPs. “A co-worker and I started out using Kuali,” says Don Nahhas, software and data analyst for the Risk Management Department at Sacramento State University. “We had great support from Kuali. It was just wonderful.”
The university took steps to train members of its eight different colleges and dozens of academic programs on how to use Kuali Ready. Involving them ensured greater accuracy and buy-in from those who knew the programs’ priorities and challenges best. The process included training based on real-life situations encountered by the university, which once had to shut down classes for several weeks due to nearby forest fires.
“We started doing classes on how to write your program step by step. We told them, ‘Hey, at least come up with one critical function, and then let’s get the rest filled out,’” says Nahhas. Participants considered issues such as how their program would be impacted if campus closed. They also looked at potential smaller-scale problems, like the impact of a burst pipe rendering computers in an office unusable.
Nahhas notes that simply getting departments’ information into the system helped lay the groundwork for BCPs. “Putting it down on paper was our difficult part,” he says. He has gone through the plans and noted similarities in critical functions between departments, making it easier to move those plans toward the finish line.
Results
Kuali helped Sacramento State achieve its goals of instituting BCPs that are easy to use and maintain while also offering the customization the university needs because of its location. Having a plan of attack in case the river floods or forest fires threaten nearby is critical to keeping students, faculty, and staff safe.
The platform’s transparency makes it easier to involve stakeholders to focus on distinct sections, which is necessary for a university with so many separate academic programs. Sacramento State continues to approach the BCPs as a work in progress, and Kuali Ready provides the support and flexibility to aid in that evolution. The next generation of Kuali Ready will give even more latitude for making BCPs specific to institutions and departments. “We’re still playing around with it, and we’re excited for those next steps,” says Nahhas.
Sacramento State Case Study: Creating Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Implement Business Continuity Plans with Kuali Ready
Overview
California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, is the sixth-largest campus in the California State University system. Its four-year graduation rate has risen by 208% since 2016. The university's unique geography, which sits on the banks of the American River and boasts more than 3,500 trees, is a draw for students.
Sacramento State takes pride in the diversity of its over 30,000-student student body. It is a Hispanic-serving institution and a Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, and U.S. News & World Report ranks its campus as the fourth-most-diverse in the West. Almost a third of all Sacramento State students are the first in their families to attend college, and the university boasts the second-largest veterans program in the California State University system.
Problem
Sacramento State wanted to create comprehensive business continuity plans (BCP) to respond to and recover from operational disruptions. The university had an old plan that a student had written, but it was difficult to access, and the school’s information technology (IT) department stopped supporting the plan’s aging code.
A review of recovery programs by the chancellor’s office sparked the need to revisit the existing BCP. The university realized it needed multiple plans that took into account factors such as its location along the river and its large commuter population. Additionally, administrators wanted to create a list of academic-critical functions and create plans and procedures particular to each of its 53 academic programs.
Creating business continuity plans presents a challenge for any institute of higher education. Simply getting all the major stakeholders involved in the plan to meet or provide input can spark logistical issues. Additionally, the university identified a need to address multiple security threats with the plan, placing greater demands on the chosen software. Other factors important to Sacramento State included:
- Ease of implementation, use, and maintenance.
- Flexibility of the program.
- Customization ability.
Solution
Sacramento State chose Kuali Ready to create BCPs. “A co-worker and I started out using Kuali,” says Don Nahhas, software and data analyst for the Risk Management Department at Sacramento State University. “We had great support from Kuali. It was just wonderful.”
The university took steps to train members of its eight different colleges and dozens of academic programs on how to use Kuali Ready. Involving them ensured greater accuracy and buy-in from those who knew the programs’ priorities and challenges best. The process included training based on real-life situations encountered by the university, which once had to shut down classes for several weeks due to nearby forest fires.
“We started doing classes on how to write your program step by step. We told them, ‘Hey, at least come up with one critical function, and then let’s get the rest filled out,’” says Nahhas. Participants considered issues such as how their program would be impacted if campus closed. They also looked at potential smaller-scale problems, like the impact of a burst pipe rendering computers in an office unusable.
Nahhas notes that simply getting departments’ information into the system helped lay the groundwork for BCPs. “Putting it down on paper was our difficult part,” he says. He has gone through the plans and noted similarities in critical functions between departments, making it easier to move those plans toward the finish line.
Results
Kuali helped Sacramento State achieve its goals of instituting BCPs that are easy to use and maintain while also offering the customization the university needs because of its location. Having a plan of attack in case the river floods or forest fires threaten nearby is critical to keeping students, faculty, and staff safe.
The platform’s transparency makes it easier to involve stakeholders to focus on distinct sections, which is necessary for a university with so many separate academic programs. Sacramento State continues to approach the BCPs as a work in progress, and Kuali Ready provides the support and flexibility to aid in that evolution. The next generation of Kuali Ready will give even more latitude for making BCPs specific to institutions and departments. “We’re still playing around with it, and we’re excited for those next steps,” says Nahhas.