Governance for the ARUCC MyCredsTM National Network
Project Leadership
ARUCC Board
The ARUCC Board provides overarching leadership and decision support, guiding the entire project through its project chair, Charmaine Hack (former president of ARUCC - 2016 to 2018; current VP Strategic Enrolment Management at Centennial College). ARUCC is a separately incorporated entity representing colleges, institutes, and universities from across Canada.
Organizations with representatives from Canada’s post-secondary institutions on the ARUCC Board: ARUCC, AARAO, BCI, CRALO, OURA, WARUCC
Steering Committee
The Project is being led by ARUCC through the ARUCC Groningen & Student Mobility Steering Committee. The Committee's authority is outlined in the formal Steering Committee Terms of Reference which were reviewed and approved by ARUCC. The Committee is led by its chair, Charmaine Hack. The Steering Committee meets four times a year and focuses on identifying and confirming priorities and a plan of action for moving MyCreds™ into its next phase.
Organizations with representatives on the Steering Committee: ARUCC, CanPESC, CUCCIO, PCCAT
Governance Committees
ARUCC Groningen & Student Mobility Technical Advisory Committee ('TAC') (completed its work)
The ARUCC Groningen & Student Mobility Steering Committee established a Technical Advisory Committee for the national student data exchange platform. This group completed its work in June 2019 although its members remain available as the project moves forward. These Committee members provided technical advice to support the technical aspects of the business case and RFP for the national data exchange solution. Its activities were governed by formal Terms of Reference. Meetings of this group occurred every three to four weeks throughout the winter, spring, and summer of 2019. The chair and vice-chair of the Committee were Brian Stewart, deputy CIO, University of Alberta, and Alex Ferworn, Professor, Ryerson University.
The Committee included representatives from higher education organizations and institutions who fulfilled the following criteria:
- Represented an institution/organization that has formally endorsed the national Project.
- Did not represent an institution/organization that is intending to participate in the RFP process for the national data exchange solution.
- Had expertise in data exchange, data security, and/or identity management related to the exchange of student data.
- Were supported by their leadership to participate in the Project.
ARUCC Groningen Project RFP Review Committee (completed its work)
The Project Steering Committee established a national RFP Review Committee to support the work of the Project Steering Committee. It was co-chaired by Charmaine Hack (VP Strategic Enrolment Management, Centennial College; ARUCC’s past president; Chair of the Project Steering Committee) and Brian Stewart (Deputy CIO, University of Alberta; member, Project Steering Committee; Chair, Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers). The Committee included leaders from across Canada with expertise in a range of areas including purchasing, registrarial business processes, IT system design and data architecture, data privacy, identity management, service agreements and warranties, licensing, and more. ARUCC directors are formally represented on both the RFP Review Committee and the Steering Committee. This committee concluded its work upon the successful close of the RFP process and the selection of Digitary as the provider for the MyCreds™ platform.
Communications Working Group
The Communications Working Group is responsible for guiding communications and marketing needed to support institution/organization onboarding and stakeholder outreach and change management.
Organizations and institutions with representatives on the committee: ARUCC, Bow Valley College, Conestoga College, Centennial College, Digitary, EducationPlannerBC, University of Calgary, University of Regina
PIA/Security & Security Testing Working Groups
These groups included experts from post-secondary institutions, government, and application centres from across Canada. The PIA/Security Working Group reviewed the overarching privacy impact assessment needs and high-level architecture during the creation of MyCreds™. They finalized the Privacy and Impact Assessment report which ARUCC formally adopted. The Security Testing Working Group conducted vulnerability testing on the MyCreds™ platform which resulted in national level security findings report formally adopted and approved by the ARUCC executive. These groups finished their work in fall 2020 and remain on standby should additional privacy related needs or additional security testing advice arise.
Organizations and institutions with representatives on the committee: ARUCC, BC Government, CanPESC, Humber College, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), Université de Montréal, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Guelph, University of Lethbridge
Integrated Working Group (IWG)
The Integrated Working Group is focused on operational and systems integration. The IWG serves as the main group for supporting schools, including registrars and CIOs, with developing API connectors to enterprise student information systems. It maintains ties to the CanPESC community through its co-chair to support interoperability using standards-based data exchange.
Organizations and institutions with representatives on the committee: ARUCC, CanPESC, CUCCIO, Digitary, Humber College, University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge
Technical User Group Forum
Once a month, ARUCC, with support from its service partner, Digitary, is leading a Technical User Group Forum to help schools with all their technical needs and questions through the onboarding process and beyond. The Integrated Working Group will be using this forum as a regular venue to support its integration and best practices work for building API connectors to enterprise student information systems and aligning with standards bodies. This is a closed group for institutions who are moving through the onboarding process.
Institutions with representatives on the committee: representatives from institutions launched or onboarding to MyCreds™
Registrars’ Advisory Group
The Registrars’ Advisory Group provides a discussion venue for registrars from early adopter schools that are launched or soon to launch. This group supports a focus on continuous improvement, stakeholder management, and future proofing the Network.
Institutions with representatives on the committee: registrars from institutions launched or onboarding to MyCreds™
Associate Registrars’ and Deputy Registrars’ (AR/DR) Advisory Group
The AR/DR Advisory Group provides a discussion venue for associate and deputy registrars from onboarded or onboarding schools to share best practices, policies, and advice as a support for local implementation of MyCreds™.
Institutions with representatives on the committee: associate/deputy registrars from institutions launched or onboarding to MyCreds™
MyCreds™ / MesCertifMC Strategic Advisory Committee
The MyCreds™ / MesCertifMC Strategic Advisory Committee is a strategic committee with the purpose of raising funds (grants, donations), awareness and advocacy support for MyCreds™. The committee’s objectives include attracting funding to support the continued growth and sustainability of MyCreds and securing government support and other partnerships that contribute to the long-term viability and sustainability of the network. The group also works to advance rapid adoption and support for the network and contribute in other ways as appropriate to the long-term vision for MyCreds™.
Chaired by Kathleen Massey, Associate Vice President (Students), University of Lethbridge
Project Support
Joanne Duklas of Duklas Cornerstone Consulting Inc. serves as the Executive Lead for the ARUCC National Network. She is a former registrar and president of ARUCC (2012). Joanne and her team provide strategic and operational support for the Project. Other members of the team include:
Maya Hardy, Communications Coordinator
Nathalie Girardin, ARUCC Liaison
Sonia Moore, Operations Coordinator
Digitary owns and provides the underlying core that powers MyCreds™. Digitary’s parent company is Parchment. Digitary is an international firm that won a tough national and international competition through a competitive RFP process led by ARUCC, its partners, and Canadian higher education leaders.
Members of the Digitary Canada team include:
Bert van der Geest, Regional Director – North America
Charlotte French, Project Manager
Sam Derian, Project Manager
Jérôme Braure, Customer Support Engineer
SplitMango Media Inc. provides web support for mycreds.ca and mescertif.ca.
Translation services are provided by various colleagues including Nathalie Girardin, a trilingual translator.
McPherson Management Ltd. is providing financial and additional operational support to the project.
Field Law is the law firm for ARUCC that is providing legal support for the project.
Questions regarding the governance for the National Project?
Contact Joanne Duklas, Executive Lead (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)