George Mason’s Information Technology Unit (ITU) staff has created a web-based lab and event management toolset that is now also available for licensing to other colleges and universities.

The ITU developed WEMS (Workshops, Walk-ins, Events, Equipment, Evaluation Management System) for use by any department that offers workshops, events, and computer lab services. Originally developed for their own needs, the system has grown to support many other units on campus that offer their own training and workshop events, including the Division of Instructional and Technology Support Services (DoIT), which is the home of their New Media Center.

WEMS was designed to manage numerous workshops and training sessions, manage the occasional event, track walk-in lab use with an online sign-in sheet, provide a system for equipment reservations and check out, allow clients the ability to reserve a seat in a lab, evaluate workshops and events, solicit opinions with surveys, create standard and customizable data reports, download data into spreadsheets, control and manage data and system access, and facilitate communications with clients with automated, customized emails and screen messages.

WEMS functions are supported by a sophisticated back end system that allows for controlled access at five levels of security with multiple permission configurations. System administrators and clients can manage client accounts. Communications via email and screen messages are customizable and can be automated.

To learn more about WEMS, see http://wems.doit.gmu.edu/