Gig: Gig Student-Led Optimization of CAFS Digital Platforms

The Project
The Gig Training Project involves partnering with CAFS personnel on specific technology tasks to elevate the faculty user experience across all of CAFS digital platforms. As the university moves to update all websites, we want to ensure that CAFS user experience across all digital platforms are accessible and user friendly for faculty. The student's responsibilities will encompass strategic digital improvements, including, but not limited to: Project A: Applying UI/UX principles to a WordPress environment – The CAFS Website - to ensure faculty resources are accessible and functional for the entire UNC Charlotte faculty community to optimize the user experience. Furthermore, given the current dynamic environment in Higher Education, in collaboration with Andrea Dulin (Associate Director), the student will be responsible for ongoing monitoring of website material to maintain content accuracy and policy compliance. Project B: Optimizing the digital user experience for participants signing up for CAFS events/workshops. This will include, but is not limited to automatic calendar invitations being deployed to participants immediately after registration. Project C: CAFS has recently developed a podcast series to provide new faculty with information about resources and offices that can help make them successful at UNC Charlotte. The student will be charged with editing the podcasts that have already been recorded to create an optimal user experience. Project D: Digital Design Support for CAFS marketing. As CAFS continues to market and brand the office, a suite of templates is needed to communicate CAFS offerings to the campus community. Examples include newsletters, canvas pages, email signatures, and other items that are sent out regularly. To optimize CAFS’ marketing strategy, standardization across templates is required.

Learning Experience
Real World Application: The Student will translate classroom theory into professional practice by integrating tools to ensure that the digital infrastructure supporting all aspects of CAFS scope of work in faculty professional development remains robust and functional. Critical Thinking: Problem-solving skills will be honed through systemic troubleshooting. The student will be tasked with evaluating existing IT processes at CAFS to identify inefficiencies and propose scalable, secure technical solutions. The student will be encouraged to explore and implement innovative strategies in completing these tasks. Collaboration: The student will interface with all CAFS Team members, none of whom are experts in the IT domain. They will act as the technical bridge between the CAFS Team and the smooth functioning of the office’s IT. Students will participate in project planning sessions where they must translate complex technical requirements into actionable project milestones, ensuring everyone is aligned on the project’s "Why" and "How." Creativity and Ownership of Learning: The student will use creative thinking to customize existing platforms to meet the unique needs of the CAFS office—designing intuitive user interfaces to automate manual tasks in novel ways. The student will be given Project Autonomy. For specific IT initiatives the student will be the primary lead. This includes researching best-practice documentation, setting their own development goals, and taking full responsibility for the "hand-off" of a finished project to the CAFS staff. Knowledge Retention: Knowledge will be cemented through Iterative Implementation. The immediate feedback of a live environment will ensure that technical skills are retained by the student through hands-on repetition and subsequent improvement. The student will also develop a workbook, which will outline how to manage any processes they developed that might need updating over time. Preparation for the Future: In addition to mastering the technology skills specific to this project, the student will develop essential career competencies, including taking initiative, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, effective communication, sound decision-making, and teamwork and interpersonal relationship skills

Outcomes
The project is expected to deliver optimized digital platforms that provide an enhanced user experience for our faculty and a suite of digital templates for staff to use to market CAFS events/initiatives to faculty. UNC Charlotte Gig Training Program