The Learning Lab experience is supported by both asynchronous and synchronous components. Each part includes a set of resources, an asynchronous discussion, and an interactive live session, all of which culminate in the development of a project to apply learning to local and specific contexts in support of the learning objectives.
Schedule
Part 1: Service Definition Fundamentals and Best Practices
January 21, 2026 | 2:30–4:00 p.m.ET
We’ll start by establishing a clear, shared definition of what a “service” is—and why defining customer-focused services is critical for building a high-performing service catalog. You’ll explore how to articulate value from the customer’s perspective, and categorize offerings for scalability and long-term durability. Through interactive examples and group discussions, you’ll start shaping your own service definitions and learn how to leverage The Higher Education IT Service Catalog: A Working Model for Comparison and Collaboration (second edition) to accelerate your progress. By the end of this session, you’ll have the building blocks for an easy-to-navigate catalog that speaks your customer’s language and aligns with institutional priorities.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the importance of establishing a “service” definition. Learn the fundamentals for defining a service to enable a repeatable process for your institution, including how to categorize for scale and durability.
- Learn how to use The Higher Education IT Service Catalog: A Working Model for Comparison and Collaboration (second edition) to accelerate progress at your institution by applying a proven service categorization model to begin structuring your own service catalog.
- Consider which elements or attributes are important to include in your service catalog.
Part 2: Architecting a Customer-Focused Service Catalog
January 26, 2026 | 2:30–4:00 p.m.ET
Building on what we learned in Part 1, we’ll discuss important considerations for building an online catalog that customers want to use. You’ll apply service design principles to make it easier for customers to discover, understand, and request services. Together, we’ll tackle key success factors, including driving organizational change, ensuring scalability and durability, engaging stakeholders, and securing buy-in at every level. You’ll begin shaping your own service catalog template—a practical, reusable structure you can tailor to your institution’s needs. This work sets you up for not only a polished product, but for long-term adoption and trust.
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply service design principles to create an accessible, customer-focused online service catalog where content is discoverable and easy to consume.
- Develop strategies for securing stakeholder buy-in, ensuring scalability and managing organizational change during catalog implementation.
- Create a draft service catalog template tailored to your institution’s needs.
Part 3: Expanding Your Catalog in Support of Enterprise Service Management
January 29, 2026 | 2:30–4:00 p.m.ET
Once your catalog is strategically designed, it’s time to consider how it might be used to support broader institutional needs. We’ll explore how the same principles you’ve applied in IT can extend across departments in an Enterprise Service Management (ESM) framework—streamlining service delivery and creating a better user experience campus-wide. A panel of seasoned ESM practitioners will share lessons learned, success stories, and pitfalls to avoid. Building on these insights, you’ll finalize your service template and fully define at least one service—turning strategy into action and applying theory to build a successful ITSM/ESM practice.
Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the value of an Enterprise Service catalog.
- Apply Enterprise Service Management (ESM) principles to extend the value of your service catalog to support institutional cross-functional needs.
- Learn from real-world ESM case studies to identify transferable practices and avoid potential pitfalls.
- Apply what you have learned to further build out or expand your Service Catalog.
Part 4: Launching and Sustaining Your Service Catalog
February 4, 2026 | 2:30–4:00 p.m.ET
We’ll close by transforming your catalog from a project into a living, evolving resource. You’ll refine your work based on peer feedback, identify opportunities for immediate wins, and map out strategies for continuous improvement. This session is your launchpad—arming you with a clear plan to maintain alignment with institutional goals, respond to changing customer needs, and measure your impact over time. By the end, you’ll leave with a service catalog that’s not only ready to implement, but ready to grow.
Learning Outcomes:
- Refine service catalog elements based on peer review and practical feedback.
- Develop a plan for ongoing catalog improvement, including strategies for measuring success and adapting to evolving customer needs.
- Identify immediate next steps for launching and promoting your service catalog within your institution.
Lab Project/Assignments
The culminating project for this Learning Lab is the development of a comprehensive Service Catalog framework that you can adapt and implement at your institution. This framework will include:
- High-level navigation and structure: Clearly organized service categories and groups for scalable, durable catalog design.
- A reusable service template: Standardized attributes and fields to ensure clarity, consistency, and a customer-focused experience.
- Fully defined services: A set of IT and enterprise services (3–5 IT services, 1–2 enterprise services) to seed your catalog and demonstrate template use.
- Challenge & Strategy Worksheet: Documentation of challenges, stakeholder considerations, and strategies for managing organizational change and adoption.
Completing this project equips you to build, launch, and sustain a customer-focused service catalog that delivers value for your institution and its community.