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President, Trustees help kick off Rufus Initiative
Event features executive endorsements, video premiere, and a visit from Rufus the Bobcat
By Sean O'Malley, photos by Josh Armstrong
June 25, 2009
 The Rufus Initiative, Ohio University’s ambitious project to revamp the way it handles student data, formally got under way on Thursday, June 25, 2009 with a kickoff in the Baker Center Theater. 159 attended in person with 35 more coming in via live web stream.
The event began with President Roderick McDavis praising the project team for their commitment. “I have come to the room of true believers,” McDavis said, acknowledging the years of preparation and dedication that made the project possible. According to McDavis, the Rufus Initiative will create a better learning environment for students and will lead to more effective and efficient delivery of support services to academic units. “This is exactly where we need to be in 2009,” McDavis said.
After the President’s introduction, Chief Information Officer Brice Bible gave the audience a sneak peek at the “Rufus Initiative Orientation Film,” a humorous short video designed to introduce students to project’s history and future. After the premiere, Bible outlined the project’s status, indicating that Ciber, Inc. has been chosen as the university’s implementation partner. During the coming months, Ciber consultants will work closely with Rufus Initiative staff to bring systems on line, configure those systems to meet OHIO’s needs and, more importantly, re-design the way university offices handle student data.
 Trustees Chuck Stuckey and David Wolfort expressed the Board of Trustees' support for the initiative. “We are a part of this team,” Stuckey said. Stuckey stressed that, although the project staff face an intense process in the coming months, they should be excited now that the implementation is under way. “The tough part was getting the funds in place,” Stuckey said. “This is the fun part.”
Ciber vice president Mike Dillon praised the university for the Rufus Initiative's ambitious scope. “Undertaking data warehousing and reporting in tandem with implementing a new student system from day one will help you make better decisions, from recruitment to retention,” Dillon said.
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