‘A dedication to innovation, security and excellence’

Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS) plays an essential role in Concordia’s functioning as a next-generation university. In 2023-24, IITS focused on enhancing digital security, transforming engagement and support services, and driving operational excellence.

Philippe Delisle began his tenure as the new associate vice-president of IITS and chief information officer in September 2023, following France Bigras’ retirement. Delisle says he was immediately impressed with how responsive the team is to the needs of Concordians.

“They are very there for the community. They always want to react quickly,” he notes, adding that the unit has adopted a new slogan: IITS — We got IT.

“We are mastering our art of responsiveness while building for the future and being proactive."

Cybersecurity

IITS worked to fortify Concordia’s digital campus by implementing advanced threat detection systems. In 2023-24, they reduced cyberthreats by 85 per cent. They also began testing an artificial intelligence–powered system to detect security threats and are planning an upgrade to the security operations centre.

The unit also rolled out multi-factor authentication for students, further enhancing its user-friendly security mechanisms for the university. Delisle says the process has been advancing faster than expected and they have so far received positive feedback.

The university’s commitment to privacy was exemplified by IITS’ implementation of Law 25 cookie consent management, ensuring community members’ personal data is protected and respected.

And IITS continued to collaborate with Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa to share knowledge and resources relating to enhanced security operations within their respective institutions.

Community engagement

IITS continues to actively engage with the university community at large. For example, the team successfully oversaw the technical needs of several large-scale events in 2023-24, including Accessible Canada — Accessible World. This complex hybrid conference - managed through Hospitality Services — focused on advancing accessibility and inclusive design, and IITS helped facilitate all 32 sessions having audio interpretation channels, sign language and captions.

This year, IITS also teamed up with the School of Graduate Studies to launch a new virtual engagement platform for prospective and newly admitted students.

“Current Concordia graduate students can engage with potential students from around the world, providing valuable insights into graduate life in Montreal and answering their questions online,” Delisle explains. The system allows his team to gain important insights, helping the university improve recruitment strategies.

“We’re aiming to enrich future students' experiences through meaningful peer connections and continuous feedback.”

As well, IITS implemented a system to gather input from all Concordians, using online channels as well as user surveys. The feedback they gather directly informs service improvements, such as a recent upgrade to the Moodle system.

Additionally, the Service Desk handled more than 200,000 requests in 2023-24, ensuring IITS was able to meet the community's needs seamlessly and efficiently.

Operational excellence

This ongoing responsiveness was complemented by major system upgrades to improve security, reliability and performance in the past year.

Beyond the Moodle upgrade — which included new features such as assignment tracking, drag-and-drop course content and better accessibility — Concordia’s fundraising management system Gazelle also saw improvements. Its privacy settings are now aligned with global standards and enhanced security measures make the university’s fundraising system even better protected.

Overall, the Gazelle upgrade made for a smoother, more reliable user experience, including more customization options and integrated payment methods such as PayPal and Venmo.

“IITS has shown its dedication to innovation, security and excellence this year,” Delisle concludes. “We are excited about the future and look forward to achieving even more milestones together.”