Texas A&M University–Kingsville, through the Hawkins Empowering Educators (HEE) Grant, seeks to partner with a qualified full-service agency to design, develop, implement, and support the Javelina Education Hub (JEH) —a bilingual, comprehensive digital platform serving as a one-stop resource for EPP teacher candidates. The vendor will collaborate closely with CEHP, EPP faculty, the Center for Academic Technology (CAT), and Enrollment Management to create a secure, scalable, user-friendly system that strengthens academic success, enhances student belonging, and supports the diverse needs of future educators. 2.1 The Project Purpose is to establish a virtual platform that integrates academic support, mentorship, communication, curriculum resources, and data-driven engagement tools to improve retention, certification outcomes, and the overall success of teacher candidates, with the potential to offer more and expand to other programs on campus and to students enrolled. 2.2 Required Platform Features - The selected agency must deliver a platform that includes a minimum: • Student and faculty profiles with interest matching • Discussion forums for academic, social, and program-based communication • Live chat and messaging capabilities • Study groups and collaborative workspaces • Curriculum repository for faculty-created instructional content • Mentorship and advising integration • Academic Resource Hub (tutoring, writing support, mental health resources) • Recognition wall for student achievements • Surveys and feedback tools to monitor student needs and platform usability These are mainly the components that reflect the required functions outlined in the Hawkins Virtual Center documentation. 2.3 Technical and Integration Requirements - The agency must provide a platform that is: • Bilingual/multilingual, accessible, ADA/WCAG 2.1 compliant • Secure, FERPA-compliant, and aligned with Texas state cybersecurity standards • Integrated with TAMUK systems, including: o LMS (Blackboard/Canvas) via LTI 1.3 o Single Sign-On (SAML, OAuth2, or CAS) o Ellucian/Banner student information systems o Zoom/Teams and other academic tools The platform must support future scalability, increased user capacity, and integration with other TAMUK academic programs. 2.4 AI, Automation, and Data Analytics Requirements - The vendor must incorporate modern technologies such as: • AI-assisted Q&A and automated knowledge base • Natural Language Processing (NLP) for trending issues and student sentiment • Analytics dashboards reporting usage, engagement, and Hawkins performance measures • Automated tagging, routing, and notifications • OCR/document processing for curriculum content These features are expected to support faculty efficiency and expand student support capacity. 2.5 Development Approach and Project Management - The agency must: • Utilize a recognized project management methodology (e.g., Agile SDLC) • Provide a detailed implementation timeline, milestones, and deliverables • Conduct design workshops and user requirement sessions • Develop prototypes and perform iterative testing • Provide training for faculty, mentors, administrators, and student leaders • Offer transition and change management support 2.6 Deliverables - The final deliverables include: 1. Fully functional Virtual Student Success Center platform 2. System integrations with all required TAMUK technologies 3. Migration and creation of content (curriculum, resources, guides) 4. Training materials and documentation 5. Administrative dashboard and analytics suite 6. Accessibility and security compliance verification 7. Stabilization period with ongoing technical support
