In accordance with UIC’s mission and the leadership’s charge to improve graduation and retention rates, the Office of Project Management for Student Success Initiatives (OPMSSI) provides project management support for all initiatives related to undergraduate success. The role of this office is to prioritize and launch projects, facilitate collaboration, troubleshoot issues, advocate for the success of the projects, and share the outcomes with the campus.
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Project Management Framework
OPMSSI uses a project management framework and collaborates closely with the project leads, members, and sponsors to support the completion and delivery of high-impact projects related to student success. This framework takes advantage of tools and methodologies that facilitate documentation and clarify roles and responsibilities.
The project documentation system captures the project plan, research outcomes, progress reports, and final reports. The project management framework facilitates the monitoring of the progress of each project and offers transparency about the work. Key project documents, as well as regular status reports, are shared with the campus community via the project website.
Please see the following for additional information on project management templates and guidelines:
Project Management Practices Guide
A useful guide for the project leads and team members, clarifying the roles and processes used within the project management framework in UIC. Download the Practice Guide.
Project Management Plan
A document prepared for each project in collaboration with the team members and the lead, that provides clarity about the project, including the objectives, expected outcomes, expectations, roles, and responsibilities. Download the Project Management Plan template.
Work Breakdown Structure
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a deliverable-orientated hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team, designed to help project teams accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. The WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project. (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 2004, 3rd ed., p 112.) Download the Work Breakdown Structure template.
Project Workplan
A list of project tasks in the form of a schedule with built-in dependencies and milestones. The work plan can be used as the “road map” for a project. Download the Project Workplan template.
Project Log
A log of risks, issues, and decisions for a project, which is used to facilitate project execution and documentation of a project. Download the Project Log template.
Project Status Report
Regular updates on project status are available to the UIC community and key project stakeholders. Click here to open the online form for the project status report.
Project Final Report
When projects reach conclusion, a final report is created to document the outcomes, impact, and sustainability plans for the outcomes. Click here to open the Final Project Report Template, and the check list for the “project completion.”
Meeting Documentation
Minutes from the team meetings, which include the list of attendees, time, and location, provide details on issues, risks, decisions, and action plans, as well as any supporting documents relevant to the work of the team (e.g., data, articles, reports).
Request for Financial Resources
Project leads may submit a request for funding by providing the required documents and filing out the online form.