What is Kuali Ready and will it help my institution?

Kuali Ready is a software tool that supports continuity of operations planning for higher education.  All departments on campus can use it to prepare for disruptive events of any type (e.g. flood, fire, criminal activity, technology failure, etc.).  Its aim is to enable a department (and the campus) to make itself resilient enough to continue functioning despite disruptive events; or to resume functioning as rapidly and gracefully as possible.

Can it be used by academic departments and research units?

Yes.  These units are “the core of the enterprise”.  One reason that continuity of operations planning (also called business continuity planning) has been slow to be adopted by higher education is its focus on “business functions” (support, administrative, infrastructure functions).  Our “business” in higher education is teaching, research, public service, and sometimes patient care.  Kuali Ready includes these in its focus.

What is the difference between continuity planning and emergency management?

Continuity Planning is a process that identifies and documents key functions of an organization, devises strategies to sustain operations, and proposes actions that can be done in advance to make the organization more resilient.  Its focus is on continuing normal operations.  Emergency Management, on the other hand, focuses on the preservation of life, health, and property; and the fast & effective response needed to secure those when disaster hits.  Both approaches are necessary.  There is overlap, and although the methodologies of the two disciplines are quite different, close collaboration between the two is quite important.

How much training is required to use Kuali Ready?

None.  Users can simply open the tool and begin using it.  Kuali Ready was designed with ease-of-use as a key requirement.     It has an intuitive interface with on-screen guidance.

Who is currently using Kuali Ready?

At present(Jul 2011), we have 62 subscribing institutions. These are primarily universities and colleges located in the United States, Canada and Australia.  The subscribers include large university systems, smaller colleges and a few medical centers.

Who can subscribe to Kuali Ready?

Any institution of higher education may subscribe; membership in the Kuali Foundation is not required.

How do I become a Kuali Ready subscriber?

Your institution can subscribe to Kuali Ready via the Kuali Foundation.  Visit the following web page for additional information:  http://kuali.org/ready/signup

How long is the initial subscription period?

Two (2) years.

What is the effective date of my subscription?

Your subscription begins on the date of your contract with the Kuali Foundation.

How are subscriptions priced?

There are four tiers of subscription price:  Ranging from $4K to $11K per year, depending on whether the subscribing campus is (a) a member of the Kuali Foundation and/or (b) a member of a multi-campus system.

For institutions that are not members of the Kuali Foundation:

  • $11K per year
  • $5.5K per year for each additional campus in a multi-campus system (initial campus is charged the full $11K rate)

For institutions that are members of the Kuali Foundation:

  • $8K per year
  • $4K per year for each additional campus in a multi-campus system (initial campus is charged the full $8K rate).

Do you offer subscriptions that are based on the size of the institution?

No, that is not part of our subscription model.  The Kuali Foundation is non-profit, and we set our subscription fees to cover the costs we incur to develop, host, maintain, and upgrade our software.   We think that our subscription fees offer institutions a great value, particularly when compared either to the cost of commercial software, or to the cost of an “on-premise” software installation on your own servers.

Is customer support included in the subscription fee?

Yes.  Full customer support is provided to all subscribing institutions in the following way.  Each subscribing institution is required to have a primary support person (Local Administrator), plus a backup person, who will be the point-of-contact for end-users on the campus who need assistance.  These are your employees and we call this Tier 1 support.  Issues unable to be resolved by the Tier 1 support persons will be passed by them to Tier 2 support (Kuali Foundation) who will resolve the issue, bringing in senior level technical or programmer assistance when needed.  Visit our support page at http://kuali.org/ready/support.

Once we subscribe, when can we begin using the service?

You may begin using the service after your contract with the Kuali Foundation is signed and emailed back to the Kuali Foundation.  Your instance of the software tool will be made available within 2 working days after the Kuali Foundation receives that document (unless you specify a later start-up date for your subscription).

Kuali Ready includes numerous features that you will “customize” to your institution’s preferences prior to opening the tool to your end-users.   This customization is typically done by the person(s) who will be the Local Administrator(s) (“Functional Owner”) of the tool on your campus.  Technical skills are not required for this customization, but most institutions spread this activity over a several-week period to allow time for thought, consultation, and gathering of information.

How do we explain the name “Kuali Ready” to our end-users?

You will not need to.  The software tool allows you to replace the “Kuali Ready” name with any name of your choosing.  It also allows you to replace the Kuali graphics with graphics associated with your institution.  The result is a tool that is “branded” to your institution. Graphics skills are not required; the actual graphics work is done by a Kuali Foundation staff member in consultation with your designated representative.

How do we access the service?

Using a web browser.   You will be given a link for your instance as part of the subscription process.

What web browsers can be used with Kuali Ready?

We've tested Kuali Ready with recent versions of Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.  Kuali Ready does not currently support mobile devices (e.g. iPad, iPhone, Android, WebOS, etc.).

How often is data backed up?

For customers hosted in the United States, backups are performed daily. Tapes are sent offsite on a weekly basis. We also have a backup hosting site at UCLA which would be activated in the event of a prolonged service disruption.

How do I contact someone for help?

The Local Administrator(s) contact information for your institution can be obtained by clicking on “Contact Us” at the bottom-center of every screen.

When is the next release?

Kuali Ready uses a feature-based release cycle rather than a time-based release cycle.  This allows us to add enhancements to the software without rigid time constraints.  Although the exact time and schedule between releases will vary using this approach, we anticipate that the time interval between major releases will be from 6-9 months, with individual enhancements added more frequently when that is judged to be important.

What if my question isn’t listed?

If you didn't find an answer to your question in the FAQ, you can contact us at ready.info@kuali.org

 

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