海角视频

University of Miami, Learning Commons

Florida, USA

海角视频 supported the University of Miami to create a new 鈥淟earning Commons鈥�. Student success depends on the effectiveness of a wide variety of support services.

These might include getting help clarifying a paper鈥檚 thesis, conducting research, visualizing data, working through a problem set, editing a video, honing presentation skills, selecting courses, finding a career path, and connecting with peers with shared interests鈥攖o name a few.

Like many institutions, at the University of Miami these services were distributed across the campus and at the same time, student demographics and needs were changing rapidly.

海角视频’s advisory team engaged a wide-variety of stakeholders to gather perspectives and gain a deep understanding of the University’s services and staffing needs.

This approach was key to putting people at the center of the process rather than systems or policies.

We were able to build a comprehensive understanding of needs and priorities and from this developed a vision and strategy for a new Learning Center.

The Learning Commons has been a great success, receiving 898,586 physical and 959,509 digital visitors in its first year.

Challenge

海角视频 was enlisted by the University of Miami to bring services and staff together by developing a new Learning Commons.

This project was a true collaboration between students, staff and leadership and produced an inspiring vision supported by everyone involved. Image: 海角视频.

Solution

Our advisory team used design thinking to reimagine services, staffing and spaces in a collaborative process, working with a Steering Committee of university leaders and a working committee with representatives from more than ten different academic support service groups. We put people at the center of the process rather than systems or policies.

Our strategy and operating model design team solved problems collaboratively, informed by quantitative analysis, creative insights and a willingness to engage in difficult conversations. Together, we prototyped and piloted ideas to get feedback, learn and improve.

Our design brief summarized our research and our recommendations on spaces, services and staffing. It included our findings from interviews, workshops, observations and an online survey. It contained the future space program quantifying, qualifying and relating the space needs. It included the service model including the shared service philosophy, the common portfolio of services, the plan for physical service points and concepts for service delivery.

Finally, the design brief also included a staffing plan articulating which staff roles would be created, which would change and which would remain as is.

These ideas were translated into action with the creation of the Learning Commons, a space for both reflective and collaborative student support and learning, which opened in 2018. Image: 海角视频.

Value

Informed by this brief, the Learning Commons opened in 2018 and has been a great success. In its first year, the Commons was visited 898,586 times physically and 959,509 digitally, answered more than 11,000 questions, hosted workshops attended by more than 2,000 students and held more than 8,000 consultations with peers and staff.