Cheryl Pruitt, M.S .

1. Addressing the Major Challenges Facing the CSU ATI with Sustainable Solutions and Sensitivity to the Diverse CSU Campus System Cheryl Pruitt, M.S.

2. Agenda • Leading in the Interim • Understanding the Challenges • Listening to the CSU Constituencies • Promoting Synergy • Encouraging Collaboration • Spreading the Word – ATI Outreach • Strategizing in the Short Term • Strategizing for the Long Term • Closing Comments

3. Leading in the Interim • ATI leadership requires the ability to bring our CSU system constituencies together to set realistic and attainable goals that will improve the CSU system’s implementation of the ATI. Goals that are identified and prioritized should be developed into projects that when completed will raise the level of ATI compliance system-wide, thereby providing increased access for all and reducing the risks associated with non-compliance. • The ATI did not have an Interim Director • Over the past several months I have endeavored to support campuses by providing them with strong guidance and positive reinforcement that has helped drive the ATI forward. My ability to effectively communicate, gain consensus, solve problems, and remove obstacles has inspired confidence from our ATI leadership and implementers, motivating both groups to contribute to crafting solutions to our ATI challenges despite the fact that they are currently very busy with their day-to-day campus work.

4. Leading in the Interim • The CSU is a vertical leadership and information organization – authority and information flows from top to bottom. It has been my experience that the ATI is more effective when we adopt a more horizontal leadership and information sharing approach. Over the past several months the sharing of authority, responsibility, and information has facilitated the creation and execution of projects that the campus community supports and is actively working on. • In order to move the ATI forward, I have continued to utilize our diverse and talented campus population. Our system-wide ATI program is populated by very well educated, forward thinking and innovative campus members. The horizontal leadership and information sharing approach has kept our campus community better informed and engaged, they have responded by presenting innovative ideas and working on projects related to their ideas. Encouraging campus individuals to take the lead on projects and employing the Matrix team approach where individuals with varied skills and knowledge work together on a team is allowing us to pursue large complex projects that the COATI could not accomplish on it’s own.

5. Understanding the Challenges • My work experience in the CSU System both at the campus level and at the CO have given me a deep understanding of the challenges faced by campuses and by the individuals on our campuses. • My work experience in the CSU started in 1999 • Consultant to the Chancellor’s Office, Accessible Technology Initiative • Web Developer in the College of Engineering, CSULB • Special Consultant to Equity and Diversity, CSULB • Faculty member in Computer Engineering and Computer Science, CSULB • Disabled Student Services High Tech Center, CSULB • University service • ATI Self-Evaluation Committee • ATI Web Accessibility Committee • Program Review & Academic Planning Council • Grant work • Two METRANS grants – Port of Los Angeles research • Project Prepare – curriculum improvement and using technology in the classroom

6. Listening to the CSU Constituencies • I listen to the CSU constituencies valuing their input and recognizing their differences without preconceived notions about their concerns. Careful listening builds trust and encourages honest and genuine communication that brings our campus members together utilizing our differences as a tool to create the best solutions for our challenges. • Leader of the Procurement and Web Communities of Practice • Leading well organized productive monthly meetings • Attendance has grown to 20+ community members in each community • Co-leader of the Leadership Council and Executive Sponsors Steering Committee • Co-leading with Mark Turner we have improved the quality of the meetings • A new meeting format for the ESSC meetings is facilitating collaboration, helping us focus on strategic topics of immediate concern to campuses, and the operational reporting is giving the Sponsors an overview of the ATI project work going on across the system.

7. Promoting Synergy • Over the last several months the ATI has been working on eleven major synergy projects that address system-wide accessibility challenges. These projects map to the Annual Report goals and success indicators. I oversee and provide support for the Web and Procurement projects. • Web (5) • Procurement (2) • Instructional Materials (4) • The project leads for Web and Procurement come from 4 different campuses. Over half of the 23 campuses are contributing to these projects. Several campuses have multiple persons working on different projects.

8. Promoting Synergy – Web Community Projects • HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff Web Accessibility Tool • RFQ process: selected the tool named above. The agreement from 20 campuses to use the same tool, instead of choosing from several tools resulted in a $300,000+ savings for the system. • Implementation: Implement the tool such that we are posting accessible content not just running reports and remediating the pages. A student senior capstone project group from Cal Poly Pomona is working on the implementation plan • CSU ATI Requirements: The goal is to have all campuses using the same set of automated and manual testing criteria. The baseline requirements are being integrated into the tool and are nearly finished then there will be training provided to campuses. • Training: the three contracted for web-based training sessions have been held. We will hold the 3 regional face-to-face training sessions sometime in the future. The CO has purchased 6 more training sessions at no cost to the campuses.

9. Promoting Synergy – Web Community Projects • Google Apps for Education Accessibility Evaluation • The goal is to test the Apps suite and issue a report covering accessibility issues so campuses can make an informed choice.

10. Promoting Synergy – Procurement Community Projects • Standardizing the Accessibility Components of the Procurement Process: Provide a generic process that integrates ATI requirements more tightly into the procurement process. Campuses will be able to adopt this process that will start with the purchase requestor and follow the purchase through the various levels including how to handle the accessibility gaps. The project covers 4 major areas: Process, Communication, Training, and Documentation. • Vendor Product Accessibility Evaluation and Consultation:Provide a request, accessibility evaluation, and vendor consultation process for products that are used by multiple campuses. The project will deliver the process and documents that campuses will be able to use in the future to request this service from the COATI and CUDA. The process will also include starting a “CSU one voice” dialog with the vendor to improve accessibility of the product which will facilitate leveraging our purchasing power to influence product improvement at the time of purchase or contract renewal. Apilot project is underway to refine the process.

11. Encouraging Collaboration • Effective synergies encourage a higher level of collaboration. Campus members know that their ideas and points of view are important and valued so they are more willing to share with others. • The diversity and open communication in our project groups has also facilitated collaboration on other campus issues as the project participants get to know one another. • “I appreciate the kinds of system-wide collaborative activities that you and others at the CO help organize; I believe your support enables unique opportunities for learning and improving the CSU as a whole. Your work helps support collaboration in a way that few universities (or university systems, for that matter) are able to.” –email comment from Peter Mosinskis, IT Project Supervisor, CSUCI

12. Spreading the Word - ATI Outreach • Grow the reputation of the CSU system as a leader in the implementation of accessibility. • International • CSUN presentation - 26th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference • Federal • Member of the Planning Committee - Center of Development Expertise (CODE) for Accessibility • State • Contract negotiation to provide training - CA Department of Rehabilitation(DOR)/CSU Interagency Agreement • CSU System • Conference presentation - Procurement and Support Services Officers Association

13. Strategizing in the Short Term • Continue the ATI community based projects utilizing campus members in all areas so we can be solving the maximum number of problems in a given time. • Use our annual report data to find the gaps in our implementation, and help campuses that are lagging behind in ATI implementation • Continue the ATI communities of practice which increase campus collaboration– reach out to campuses who are not participating. • Continue the effort to encourage collaboration between campuses and on campuses • Continue our efforts to work with vendors to provide the most accessible products for our system to purchase • Explore possibilities for developing new revenue streams to fund our system-wide ATI activities • Continue developing relationships with vendors who are interested in product accessibility • Continue building relationships with advocacy groups • Leverage the full spectrum of brain power in the CSU including executives, faculty, staff, and students • Increase executive and faculty buy-in • Increase the visibility of our ATI successes to our campus communities, other post secondary education institutions, federal and state agencies, advocacy groups and the general public.

14. Strategizing for the Long Term • Explore new ways to attack our system-wide accessibility challenges to produce sustainable results • Listen to the campus constituencies and address their issues and collect their ideas • Together with campuses, work on creative solutions to find new revenue sources to help fund our system-wide ATI activities • Establish partnerships with government and private sector organizations who share our vision for increased access for all. • Draw the campuses together, use the wisdom and experience of the “whole” to accomplish our goals.

15. Closing Comments • Over the past several months, it has been such a pleasure working with all the campuses in our system • I consider this ATI Director position a major challenge which will require all the following skills • Project management • Business process improvement • Communication • Negotiation • Consensus building • During the interim period between July 2010 and the present I hope I have demonstrated that I have the skills listed above and that I know how to apply them. • If I am chosen for this position I will put my heart and soul into accomplishing the goals and objectives of the ATI