Strategic Direction Statement
Student Services at the University of Virginia
As part of the Integrated Systems Procurement project, a Student Services Task Force met from
November 1997 through January 1998 to discuss future directions for student processes and
systems at the University of Virginia. The Task Force built upon the work of the Integrated
Systems Task Force and the Student Enrollment Services Process Owners Group to develop this
strategic direction statement. In addition, the Task Force obtained student input.
This document was updated in April, 2005, in preparation for the selection of a student
information system vendor. The resulting beliefs and vision for the future described in this
document are intended to help guide the selection of a software vendor and an implementation
partner, and to assist current and future reengineering efforts.
The Student Services Task Force defined student services as encompassing all of the services
and activities from recruitment through transition out of the University:
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Recruit and select applicant/student for admission
Manage student finances, including provision of financial support and assessment, billing
and collection of tuition and fees
Register, advise, and track performance of students
Provide student life services
Provide students with transitional services such as career placement and post-graduation
support
Manage information throughout the student lifecycle
The Task Force defined the scope of its discussion broadly to include all types of students
(undergraduates, graduates, professional, and non-degree) in all academic programs of the
University.
Table of Contents
Summary
Each of the sections of the Strategic Direction Statement answers a set of questions about the
future:
I.
Strategic Context
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II.
Beliefs
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III.
What is the strategic context for change?
What are the key trends and issues impacting the delivery of student services and
information in the future?
What overarching beliefs does U.Va. have about student services, and how processes
and systems should support service delivery in the future?
Process Features and Event Vignettes
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What are the key design characteristics of the processes and systems that will enable
the delivery of specific activities in the future?
Based on the beliefs and process and system design characteristics, how will specific
activities occur in the future?
Recruit and Select for Admission
Manage Student Finances
Register, Advise, and Track Performance
Student Life Services
Summary
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The University seeks to maintain its position as one of the country’s leading public
universities and to sustain its ability to attract and retain top quality students, faculty, and
staff. The quality of its student information system must support this goal. Specifically,
the University believes that administrative processes and systems must change to respond
to stakeholder demands, the realities of decentralization from the Commonwealth of
Virginia as well as within the University, innovations in the external environment, and
competition for students, faculty, and staff. To further this goal, the University has
initiated a broad-based process simplification effort to review and re-engineer key
business processes. Therefore, the University seeks to implement systems that support
and enhance its current Process Simplification program.
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Today’s students, faculty, and staff are more technically sophisticated than ever before
and have significantly higher expectations for service. To meet these demands, the
University seeks to implement a student information system that will provide easy and
flexible access to on-demand information, services, and support.
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The University seeks to create and support a learning culture for all employees, provide
greater focus and attention to training from all levels of the institution, and create a
formal structure for collaboration among those most active in training. This learning
culture, which would include classes, manager support, help desks, information updates,
and other training opportunities, should surround and support employees in their jobs.
Therefore, the University seeks to implement a student information system where
technical and operational supports are readily available. Applicants, students, faculty,
staff, and other stakeholders should have the ability to answer most of their own
questions through training and on-line help. Where necessary, however, in-person
support and counseling should also be available and be easy to access.
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By necessity and design, the University of Virginia has a highly decentralized operating
environment. This model allows the University to achieve its mission of research,
teaching, and public service in a manner that is most effective for all University
stakeholders. For example, most of the schools at the University have special academic
programs with unconventional (non-semester based) calendars, and with their own
grading systems and other special conditions and parameters. Joint degree programs
across school boundaries allow students to pursue two degree simultaneously.
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A number of programs reflect the increasingly collaborative relationships between
University units (such as the recent cooperation between the Admission Office and
Student Financial Services to recruit and enroll low-income students through
AccessUVa). However, there continues to be a need for a high level of central
coordination of certain services. Also, there is an increasing need to share information
and practices across academic units engaged in interdisciplinary activities. Therefore, the
University seeks to implement a student information system that supports a variety of
operating models that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of the various
departments, schools, and colleges, while still providing a common integrated
architecture.
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As the University grows in both complexity and financial resources, there is an increasing
need to provide the senior management and the Board of Visitors of the institution with
more sophisticated demographic, performance, and financial information about the
operations of the University. Furthermore, the University seeks to implement a student
information system that will satisfy all internal, state, and federal compliance, control,
and accounting requirements, and which provides sophisticated data analysis and
management reporting capabilities.
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Technology will continue to evolve at a rapid pace, and the University must continuously
enhance its systems to take advantage of new developments. Specifically, the University
must be positioned to support and accommodate changes to its existing academic
programs, additions of new academic programs, and the administration of new
technologies insofar as they present advantages and conveniences to its students, faculty,
and staff. Therefore, the University seeks to implement a system that is flexible and open
in its design, and to work with a firm that is committed to incorporating proven best
practices into its product(s).
Changes in the demographics of individuals seeking an experience in higher education are
causing the University to evaluate the models whereby instruction is delivered to students and
the types of student-related services that are provided by the institution. For example, nontraditional, summer session, and continuing education students are demanding the University
offer them the same level of service and convenience as the traditional student body. The
University must change services and use technology to meet the needs of all students so they
have the same opportunities to apply, register for courses, and receive instruction and other
services, regardless of geographical location or physical condition. At the same time, there will
continue to be a need for an appropriate level of human contact and oversight. Therefore, the
University seeks to implement a student system that provides comprehensive and flexible access
to information and services for students.
I.
Strategic Context
What is the strategic context for change? What are the key trends and issues impacting the
delivery of student services in the future?
U.Va. faces challenges related to growing competition to recruit the best and brightest students
from diverse social and economic backgrounds; the need to offer high quality services and equal
treatment to attract and retain traditional and non-traditional students; and increasing demands
from applicants, students, faculty, and staff to have access to accurate and timely information
through multiple delivery modes. In response to these trends, the University plans to create and
support an environment in which faculty and staff work together to deliver quality, seamless
services to students and alumni anytime, anywhere.
The University faces an increasingly competitive market for students and recognizes the need to
conduct proactive, targeted, and personal recruiting at the national and international level for
undergraduate, graduate, and professional students of the highest quality and diversity. The
University will continue to strive to maintain a diverse student population in terms of geography,
race, ethnicity, outlook, and socio-economic status.
The University also needs to integrate and provide quality services and use technology in order
to meet the needs of non-traditional, summer session, and continuing and professional studies
students. More and more, these students demand that the University offer them the same
information and quality of service as the traditional student body enjoys. For example, they want
options that obviate the need to enroll in courses, pay tuition and fees, and complete the final
enrollment process all “in person.”
Applicants, enrolled students, and alumni are increasingly technically sophisticated and have
service expectations from university administrators and departments that are greater than those of
the past. In order to address these demands, now and in the future, the University needs to invest
in technology that facilitates the provision of accurate, up-to-date information and high quality
student services through multiple modes of technical delivery (i.e., mobile communication
devices, Internet, etc.). It must also maintain an appropriate level of human contact and oversight
of the services it offers to its clients.
In addition to providing superior, integrated services to applicants, students, and alumni of the
University, schools and administrators also require flexibility in how they deliver student
services and manage information. Their needs necessitate that administrative systems be capable
of easy, accurate, and timely transfer of information. At the same time, the University recognizes
the need to standardize policies and processes where possible and appropriate.
II.
Beliefs
What overarching beliefs does the University have about student services and how processes and
systems should support student services in the future?
We hold the following beliefs about how student processes and systems should function in the
future:
A. General
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Students should have multiple ways to receive and provide information. Electronic
communication should be the primary mode.
Students should have access to a single point of contact for information, and any
distinctions between administrative offices should appear transparent to them. Students
should not be required to become experts in the University’s administrative structure.
Administrative offices should have multiple ways to communicate with students.
Electronic communication should be the primary mode.
The student information system should be designed for all users: prospective and enrolled
students, faculty and administrators, alumni and authorized third-party users.
The system should be easy to use, update, and maintain, even for infrequent users.
Access to services and information provided by the system should be web-based and
ubiquitous, available fluidly both on-Grounds and off-Grounds, in wired and wireless
modes through PCs and mobile communications devices.
The system should be flexible enough to support diverse and evolving needs.
Information should mirror the stages of students who progress from prospective students
to applicants to alumni.
B. Data Capture and Storage
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Prospective and enrolled students, faculty, staff, and alumni should be encouraged to
initiate transactions so that information is entered into the system once at a logical, initial
point.
Data must be accurate and available in a timely manner.
Data security must be maintained in a new, integrated environment.
Data definitions should be consistent.
Flexible tools should be available to access and analyze data. Trend, statistical, and
demographic analyses must be easy to conduct.
Data should be easily obtained from the central, integrated system to eliminate data reentry at the departmental level.
C. Workflow
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Students, faculty, and staff should be able to track all transactions online with appropriate
levels of access and security in place.
Electronic transactions should replace paper-based transactions wherever possible.
Information and action items should be “pushed out” electronically to students, faculty,
and staff to the fullest extent appropriate.
There should be flexible information and transaction routing.
Exceptions should be automated and handled efficiently.
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Security should not complicate access to system, but must safeguard data adequately and
comply with legal requirements.
D. Business Rules
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The University should develop and implement standard policies, procedures, and
technology institution-wide, whenever possible and appropriate.
Transactions should be tracked and archived electronically.
E. Oversight, Training, and Support
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Prospective and current students, faculty, and staff should have the resources that enable
them to answer their own questions using a comprehensive and user-friendly system.
Alumni should understand where the University’s student system “ends,” and the alumni
system begins.
A “real person” should be available when the system cannot provide sufficient support,
counseling, or information.
Administrative staff should be trained to understand the student service processes from
end-to-end in order to communicate effectively with students and other constituents.
The technical nature of jobs may require the review and reclassification of support staff
positions. U.Va. will seek to develop and employ a population of “process-smart”
knowledge workers.
Technical and operational support should be readily available for all students, faculty,
and staff.
All users should be trained to use the system effectively. Refresher training should be
available. Multiple types of training facilities should be available—including, but not
limited to, classroom training, online help, online training, and step-by-step guidebooks.
III.
Process Features and Event Vignettes
A. Recruit and Select for Admission
In the future, U.Va. will have student services and supporting systems that offer positive and
informative experiences to prospective students, applicants, enrolled students, staff, faculty,
parents, high school students, alumni, and other constituents, while creating opportunities for
students to matriculate and ultimately develop a relationship with U.Va.
1) Process and System Design Characteristics
What are the key design characteristics of the processes and systems that will enable the delivery
of specific Recruit and Select activities in the future?
Throughout the Recruit and Select for Admission process, external and internal stakeholders
need both web-based and in-person access to accurate information. The University should
provide the same quality of services regardless of the stakeholder’s location or program interests
(e.g., distance learning or continuing and professional studies). For ease of understanding, the
key design characteristics for admission services are segmented between external and internal
stakeholders’ perspectives.
External Stakeholder Perspectives
External stakeholders (such as prospects, applicants, parents, high schools, and other key
stakeholders) want to be better informed. To meet these demands, the University plans to provide
stakeholders with multiple ways to access current and accurate information in a variety of
formats. They should have the ability to:
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Use multiple media, such as web-based virtual tours, video clips, and admission staff
presentations.
Obtain information about academic and non-academic programs, distance-learning, and
continuing and professional studies programs.
Complete inquiries, applications, and other admission documents online.
Rely on interactive, electronic capabilities to transmit transcripts and other documents,
text, numerical data, images, audio, video, etc. This capability is especially important to
facilitate the evaluation of candidates and transfer students for admission between the
University and high schools and other colleges and universities.
Access information related to inquiries, application requirements, deadlines, and online
status checks throughout the admission process.
Access additional web links to locality information and attractions (weather, cultural,
geographical) to encourage applicants to accept admission.
Receive and accept offers of admission electronically.
Once accepted, provide information related to the University’s requirements
electronically; for example, housing applications, dining service contracts, and student
health insurance.
Have the option to make payments and submit deposits electronically.
Receive information electronically that replaces and consolidates multiple mailings from
multiple sources at U.Va.
Even though new technology will enable many more admission activities to be automated, the
University will ensure that the human side of the process is maintained through appropriate
personal interaction and oversight. Applicants, parents, high schools, and alumni will continue to
demand that the University preserve a personalized admission process and seek an understanding
of each applicant’s sensitivities and unique characteristics.
Internal Stakeholder Perspectives
The faculty, schools, departments, auxiliary services, and administrative staff should have access
to accurate and current information. Their objective is to improve the caliber and yield of
qualified incoming undergraduate and graduate students by proactively marketing the
University’s offerings and contacting prospects and targeted applicants. In order to broaden the
pool of talented and diverse applicants at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels,
the University will increase access to information about applicants, admitted students, and
matriculated students. Updated processes and technology will help to:
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Increase interaction with applicants through personal contact, personalized information,
direct emails, and distribution of attractive packages to promising admitted candidates.
Facilitate planning, evaluating, reporting, and contacting applicants to supply and receive
relevant information.
Provide necessary information on admitted students in real time to auxiliary services and
administrative departments.
Correlate admission profile information with students’ activities while enrolled (e.g.,
intended vs. actual majors, use of facilities, and personnel resource allocations).
Make student information collected during the admission process available to faculty and
others in order to facilitate their communications with students and to enhance their
departmental or program analysis and planning.
Increase the possibility of faculty involvement in the recruit and select process by
providing easier access to the process using email, letters, mobile communication
devices, and visits. Such involvement will facilitate matching outstanding prospects with
relevant faculty.
Use new methods of training and training products to ensure the competency of
admission staff and faculty involved in making admission decisions.
2) Recruit and Select for Admission Vignettes
Based on the Beliefs and the Process and System Design Characteristics, how will specific
Recruit and Select activities occur in the future?
Admission Identifies Need to Target a Region of the U.S.
The admission director, Adam Direct, accesses an information system at the University to create
an historical perspective that predicts the percentages of applications that will arrive from
various countries around the world, by state, and from within Virginia. He retrieves and
examines the demographic statistics of the current student body, and retrieves and reviews the
projected budget for recruiting efforts and marketing materials. Armed with all of this
information, Adam determines a need to allocate additional resources to targeted marketing in
New England.
Joe Guide, a high school guidance counselor in New England, recently received an email
message from the Office of Admission at U.Va. The message encouraged him to log on to a
portal at U.Va.’s website. Joe logs on to learn about new programs that may be of interest to his
students. Joe uses the username supplied in the email and creates an account on the portal.
Because he is a guidance counselor, Joe is able to see information tailored to his needs. He
peruses the information on the website and identifies a few of his current high school students
who would be good candidates for U.Va. He clicks on the “email this article” link to email
information to a few of his counselees. The student system notes Joe’s user name and logs which
email addresses he uses to send emails. The system captures such metrics so that the Office of
Admission can see which guidance counselors effectively use technology to educate their
students about U.Va. The Office of Admission then uses this information to target subsequent
recruiting efforts, to plan recruitment travel, and to determine where technological recruitment
initiatives might supplant travel.
Jessica Highstone, a high school honor student from New England, met with Joe Guide to come
up with a list of potential schools. Having recently received information about U.Va., Joe
suggests that Jessica should learn more about the University. Jessica is anxious about taking her
upcoming SAT I test, and decides to explore her options next week, after the SAT I.
Candidate’s Test Scores are Delivered to U.Va.
Jessica just finished the SAT I. She sent her scores to a number of schools near home, and, since
she could designate one more, decided to send them to U.Va. as well. She knows that U.Va. is a
highly selective school, especially for out-of-state applicants. But she chose U.Va. because her
guidance counselor suggested she look into it.
Later that week, U.Va. receives a file of SAT I scores from ETS. Jessica’s scores, along with
other students who designated U.Va. to receive their scores, are uploaded to the student system
through a nightly batch process. There is a robust check for duplicate records before creating
new prospective student records. During the duplicate check, the process identifies a record
already created as a potential match for Jessica. The name, DOB, and SSN are a match. The
interface adds Jessica’s test scores to the record already created.
Scores that are above a certain threshold are marked for follow-up action. The Office of
Admission has created a standardized message that is sent automatically to those prospective
students who meet certain criteria.
Jessica did very well on the SAT I. Satisfied with her performance on the test, Jessica decides to
check her email and send a quick message to her cousin at U.Va. When she goes to her inbox,
Jessica is surprised to see a message from the Admission Office. She opens the message and
learns that they received her SAT I scores. The message also contains a video clip and invites her
to take a virtual tour of U.Va. As she reads, she discovers that she has been assigned a user name
which she can use to log on to a portal through U.Va.’s website. The URL for U.Va. is
prominently displayed in the message, and Jessica clicks on it.
Jessica is immediately prompted for her user name and creates a password for her portal account.
She logs on and sees the test scores that she submitted. Because she is a prospective student,
Jessica sees a number of links pertinent to a prospective student. She can click on a link to
register to visit a class or email a University Guide Ambassador. She can also chat with some
Ambassadors who are online. She can view the Rotunda and cafeteria web cams to see what
current students are doing right now.
There are messages displayed on her portal home page with invitations to recruiting events near
her home town. She can register to attend them or register to visit the University. Jessica is
excited to learn about all the activities U.Va. offers that seem to be perfect for her. She talks with
her parents that evening and they agree that it is interesting, but they are concerned about the cost
and how her education will be funded.
Candidate Applies for Undergraduate Admission
In her high school’s computer lab later the next day, Jessica logs into the portal to find a virtual
“one-stop” center for information about U.Va., including the new AccessUVa financial aid
program. She is pleased to see a wide range of information, including clear information on how
to apply for financial aid, as well as links to an online application, current student events, U.Va.
sports, the weather, cultural events, faculty, the course offering directory, statistics on majors
selected, residence life options, and even job placement information for after graduation. She
finds statistics on the number of admitted students versus number of applications received; the
break-down of in-and out-of-state students; and an option to email volunteer U.Va. alumni,
students, and faculty with questions about their experiences at the University. Since the cost of
travel is prohibitively expensive and she will not be able to visit the University in person, Jessica
takes a virtual tour of the Grounds and residence halls. She loves the classical architecture of the
Rotunda and Lawn after seeing it on the RotundaCam, and is interested in the University and
local events and activities that she sees described online.
For now, Jessica decides to concentrate on the electronic application, demographic information,
deadlines, and status. First, she updates her basic information (email address, parent email
address, education, extracurricular activities, employment, etc.). Next, Jessica completes all of
her essays and uploads a few articles she wrote for the local paper. She completes her entire
application, submits it with a fee-waiver request, and receives an email confirmation receipt from
the Admission Office. Finally, Jessica uses electronic, web-based templates for requesting her
transcript and letters of recommendation. U.Va. sends email confirmation of receipt, and her
online personal checklist reflects the University’s receipt of all required items, such as
transcripts, SAT I and SAT II scores, and letters of recommendation. Jessica is impressed by
how information-rich and user-friendly the application process is, and expects that it
foreshadows a student’s experience at the University. Her parents feel informed and included in
the process after receiving an email from Adam Direct.
Admission Staff Evaluate Undergraduate Application for Admission to U.Va.
Admission staff log on to the student system and see there are some applications that have been
submitted from the day before. Jessica’s application is among them. She has filled out the
application online and checked the box for more information on financial aid.
The student system has captured Jessica’s application information, and financial aid application
information is matched to her applicant record. Based on pre-defined criteria, the system has
identified Jessica as a potential AccessUVa candidate. Her record is marked as such and
forwarded through appropriate workflow to an admission reviewer. Because she requested the
materials, financial aid and AccessUVa information is also pushed to her email address on file.
International Candidate Applies for Admission to Graduate Program
Ivan Yvshenko, an entrepreneurial Russian businessman, has been contemplating furthering his
education by earning an M.B.A. in the United States. Having spent a winter tending bar in
Jamaica, he accumulated numerous I.D. cards lost by visiting students; intrigued by the U.Va.
cards in his collection, he explores the school’s web page and discovers that it has a graduate
business school. Through the site, he locates a couple Darden alumni living in Russia with whom
he can speak in person, and ultimately decides it would be an ideal school for him. A visit with a
Darden representative at a World MBA Tour recruiting fair in Moscow cements his decision to
apply.
Ivan completes the online application, including the supplemental information required of
international applicants, and pays the application fee with his credit card. He also schedules an
interview at the school for later in the spring. Separately, he arranges to have his GMAT and
TOEFL scores, letters of recommendation, and an electronic copy of his undergraduate transcript
sent to Darden.
A couple months later, following a visit to Darden and a successful interview, Ivan is notified
that his application has been accepted. After paying the $1,000 deposit, again with his credit
card, Ivan begins the process of obtaining a student visa. Through the International Studies
Office web page, he prints a copy of his U.Va.-approved I-20 form, which he takes to the U.S.
consulate in Moscow. His application goes surprisingly quickly, and by early June he has leased
an apartment through the Darden Incoming Student website and booked a flight to
Charlottesville.
B.
Manage Student Finances
In the future, U.Va. will continue to provide financial assistance to applicants in order to support
the registration and graduation of a diverse student body. Throughout the student lifecycle,
varying levels of financial assistance and fund management advice are required. Both the
applicant/student and administrative staff will have real-time access to accurate information
about each student’s entire financial picture, including the award or loan package, and tuition and
fee payments. Personal assistance on financial matters, via email or in-person, will also be
available in a seamless fashion.
1) Process and System Design Characteristics
What are the key design characteristics of the processes and systems that aid in managing
Student Finance activities in the future?
Provide Financial Support
From the student perspective, the financial aid process in the future should:
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Ensure seamless integration and communication of admission, student financial services,
enrollment/academic record information, and external scholarships into the student’s
profile, loan/award package, and bills.
Improve web-based communication with students, proactively providing information
about eligibility, status, and award notices online, and providing reminder notices when
information is missing.
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Provide entrance/exit information such as budget planning, repayment schedules, and
basic financial skills in multiple formats, including an initial training/orientation so
students can understand their complete financial picture.
Enable access to comprehensive financial aid information, allowing the student to search
for and access information about scholarship and fellowship packages.
Enable access to self-select jobs that are managed around individual course schedules and
match their student profile/interests.
Provide timely and constructive counseling to applicants, students, and families (e.g.,
alternative loan and emergency fund options, and award payment options).
Develop and provide access to “what-if” tools to analyze impact of changes in financial
and academic status. These should include online, context-sensitive help documentation
and online tutorials, as well as the option to meet face-to-face with a financial aid
specialist.
The central Student Financial Aid office will work to:
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Utilize online electronic forms, electronic signatures (where possible), electronic
verification of requirements, exceptions processing, and archiving capabilities.
Continue to determine and verify eligibility and calculate awards electronically.
Improve accuracy and timeliness of processing student aid/loan applications and the
packaging and delivery of aid.
Facilitate and streamline the printing, sending, receiving, and processing of promissory
notes for subsidized and unsubsidized (non-need based) loans.
Develop ability to follow current federal methodology and adapt quickly to changes (e.g.,
NSLDS, SSCR, Pell Reporting, FISAP).
Provide a cohesive technological structure in the office, with wired and wireless network
access and imaging capability
Use push technologies with pre-populated forms that require review and approval for
submission, rather than requiring students to remember to submit the appropriate forms
by the deadline(s).
Train staff to solve problems and answer fundamental questions about financial
assistance (the look and feel of a one-stop service center).
Other departments will need access to integrated information, including grades, payroll, and
financial aid information. As appropriate, those departments should have online access to
information, including work study information, for management and reporting purposes.
Assessment and Collection
U.Va. wants to move towards “one-stop shopping” for payment processes. To facilitate this,
U.Va. should:
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Provide bills primarily in electronic format.
Support a variety of payment options, including accepting authenticated credit card
information and automatic deductions from accounts, via ACH.
Develop the ability to view billing information online immediately after enrollment.
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Provide a single, easy to read, online financial statement that includes tuition, fees,
auxiliary services charges, financial aid, projected income from University employment,
grants, and scholarships in one place.
Provide proxy access to student account information as designated by the student.
Provide proxy access to apply payments to an account as stipulated by the student.
“Push” information out to entire target population, including students and departments.
Support better communication with auxiliary services, departments, deans, students,
parents/bill payers, and alumni.
Of course, there will continue to be a need for personal service. Questions should be able to be
handled through a “virtual” office with a single point of entry. Support staff at all common points
of entry for inquiries will need to be retrained to counsel and consult rather than process paper
and answer only routine questions.
Other features that should be in place for the assessment and collection processes to function
smoothly include:
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Ability to communicate electronically with external government agencies.
Integration of online enrollment and payment for students in multiple program formats.
Define decision points in determination of enrollment and student status.
Integration of Summer Session, January Term, and the School of Continuing and
Professional Studies into the University’s enrollment and payment processes.
Define similarities and differences between the Health System and the University.
Easy transfer of housing, dining, and other relevant information to the student
information system.
Integration between the student and financial systems.
2) Manage Student Finances Vignettes
Based on the Beliefs and the Process and System Design Characteristics, how will specific
financial activities occur in the future?
Applicant Learns of Potential Financial Aid Scenarios
When Jessica applied online, she was granted an application fee waiver. Because she is eager to
see if the Office of Admission has made a decision on her application, she checks the U.Va.
portal frequently. She notices the portal changes almost daily with new content that is of interest
to her. Additionally, after her application fee waiver was processed, she notices a prospective
student account was set up for her. The account shows her application fee as having been waived
on the day she submitted her application. There are also a number of tools she can use to forecast
her potential financial aid scenarios.
Jessica submitted her FAFSA online in January. The Admission Office reviews Jessica’s
application and plans to offer Jessica admission to the University. In the meantime, the system
has matched Jessica’s ISIR to her record in the student system. In early April, Jessica notices that
a new link from the Admission Office appears on her portal. After opening the link, Jessica
joyfully discovers that she has been offered admission to the University. Within a day or so of
her updated admission status Jessica notices another change in the U.Va. portal. A new link
appeared that gave her access to her preliminary financial aid award scenario. She realizes that
her dream to attend U.Va. will not be impeded by her financial need. Her estimated family
contribution (EFC) has earmarked her as a potential AccessUVa candidate.
In reviewing the preliminary award information, Jessica notices her scholarship from the Rotary
Club is not reflected in the award package. Jessica clicks on a link to fill out a form indicating
that she has not received her scholarship money yet, but should receive it within a week.
Jessica also discovers that subsequent documentation is required for verification. The checklist
shows that her parents’ tax returns and W-2 forms have not yet been received by the Student
Financial Services office. She makes a note on her calendar to email her parents tomorrow to
request the information. As it turns out, they have already received an email request for this
information from the University.
Meanwhile, Thomas Wright, a Third Year transfer student, is also reviewing his anticipated
award scenario. He notes that he is eligible for a Pell grant and federal work study. Newly
informed, he makes his decision to attend U.Va., and completes the online admission reply form.
After submitting his reply form and paying his tuition deposit online, he notes his status as an
admitted student is updated to accepted student.
Student Has Access to Complete Financial Details and Ability to Run “What-If” Models
An undergraduate student, Rick Weston, views and has the option to print a current and
comprehensive University financial statement. The report includes all of his financial aid, grantin-aid for being on the soccer team, scholarships, tuition, fees, payments, and other charges from
around Grounds. Rick holds his breath while he scans down the list of charges and credits and
quickly verifies that all of his loans and scholarship monies have materialized. Rick uses the
system to see which work study jobs are still available, double checks his class schedule, and
signs himself up for the morning shift for his job at the computer center.
Next, he uses the system’s “what-if” feature to calculate how his earnings from the computer
center help his financial situation. Next year, his parents will have another child in college. Rick
enters this change to his personal profile and sees an estimate of the amount of additional loans
for which he may be eligible next year, as well as the related interest charges. He tests the effect
of moving off-Grounds versus various on-Grounds living options. Armed with all of this
information, Rick is able to manage his financial situation during his remaining years at the
University.
System Proactively Notifies Students of Delinquencies on Bill Payments and Fines
Rick Weston receives an email message from Student Financial Services. It is an automatically
generated final reminder message that instructs Rick to pay his library fine before the end of the
month, or his enrollment for the next semester will be blocked. Rick pays the bill online by
authorizing a direct debit from his checking account. His account is updated automatically to
reflect the paid fine.
Personal Support is Available to Address Student’s Questions
As Rick continues to review his online financial statement, he is confused about a $10 charge
listed in the fees section. To access details regarding this charge, Rick clicks on the charge
notation and sees that it is for a replacement student identification card. He is given the option to
pay the charge or obtain further information through an email message, online chat session, or
phone conversation with a customer service representative. Rick decides to send an instant
message to a staff member who is trained to field most of the frequently asked questions related
to student financial statements. She explains to Rick that the charge is from the Card Office for
his replacement student I.D. card. Next, Rick asks the staff member for the interest rate on the
unsubsidized loan he plans to take next semester. The staff member provides the current loan rate
but advises Rick that the rate is subject to change. She sends him the link to loan rate information
so Rick can keep himself up to date.
C. Register, Advise, and Track Performance
To support its educational mission, the University will provide easy ways for students to register
for courses, receive advising assistance, and monitor academic performance and progress. In the
future, students will be able to make informed choices about academic opportunities through a
user-friendly student system that provides answers to commonly asked questions. High quality
and timely services will be provided to all students whether they are on- or off-Grounds.
The amount of time that students and faculty spend on administrative matters should be
minimized so they focus on the transfer of knowledge process and research. No student or
faculty member should have to know with which office they need to do business: the only entity
of visibility should be the internal agencies (this is plural. don’t you want only 1 visible entity?)
that support this aspect of the University mission. No one needs to know what a particular office
does nor where it is located. Offices will create significant outreach efforts that help to determine
what products and services need to be delivered to students and faculty “just in time.” In a new
business model, support services work in concert with clients (awkward to introduce the concept
of “client” at this point. If you want to use it, introduce it. This paragraph represents a change in
style from rest of document) involved in research and the transfer of knowledge in order to
produce the deliverables that clients need.
The Office of the University Registrar will develop processes that handle 80% of the business
needs of its clients in an almost invisible fashion. The rest of the Registrar’s Office’s time and
energies will be focused on handling exceptions and on reaching out to the University
community to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of current processes and to determine the
emerging needs of clients.
1) Process and System Design Characteristics
What are the key design characteristics of the processes and systems supporting Registration,
Advising, and Tracking Performance activities in the future?
Process and system features are described from the perspective of the various stakeholders in the
process.
Students
Students will have access to real-time, online information to assist with course selection,
enrollment, and degree-tracking progress. This access will reduce the number of routine
questions that students ask advisors, and will allow advisors to focus on a higher level of
advising. Students will have online access to:
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Real-time course offerings, including restrictions and the number of remaining openings.
Qualifying electives and pre-requisite checking.
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Course guides, course evaluations, and average grade distributions over the previous five
years.
Information on instructors (contact information, level, credentials).
Intuitive course scheduling that allows for course review and selection of course section
based on time, course location, or degree audit results.
GPA calculator that allows “what-if” scenarios, enabling students to enter their current
GPA and find out what GPA they must earn in their remaining semesters to graduate with
honors.
Information and links to any office imposing enrollment blocks (i.e., Student Health, the
Dean of Students, etc.) as well as the means by which any financial obligation can
resolved immediately via online tools.
Expert advisor system with frequently asked questions.
Access to video clips (faculty, students, alumni, etc.) that offer a different approach to
advising information.
Advisor appointment scheduling system.
Sophisticated and flexible means by which priority for course enrollments can be created.
Online grade books for all class enrollments within the student system, including
statistical analysis of class standing, class averages, etc.
Electronic transmission, both in-bound and out-bound, of academic record/transcript
requests and provision of the information.
All students, whether on-Grounds or off, will be able to pre-register and register online. Also,
students will be notified automatically about deadlines (i.e., add/drops). Tuition charges will be
assessed automatically based on the student’s program of study, the course location, and any
special course fees.
School Registrars
The amount of paper processed in the various school registrars’ offices should be reduced and
reporting enabled through:
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Online and electronic access for students, faculty, and staff to enrollment, academic
record, and degree progress information.
Use of electronic workflows and authorizations/signatures for grade, status changes, and
course enrollment transactions.
Electronic transmission and receipt of all academic record information.
Transfer articulation driven by electronic data that is stored in the student system and
used to produce real-time degree audits.
Demand analysis course scheduling including section, time, and geographic components.
Standardized use of an alternate student I.D. number that is not the same as a Social
Security number.
Flexibility to handle multiple start and end dates for academic semesters and sessions.
Reports that are easy to access, create, read, and use.
Because the student system will allow for a reduction in the amount of time devoted to clerical
activities, staff will need to be retrained on new technologies and service delivery approaches,
and will be redirected to higher value activities. This shift in employment responsibilities may
require the reclassification of jobs.
Advisors
Advising for undergraduates and, to a lesser extent, graduate and professional students, will
become more consultative, philosophical, and exception-based as students are able to locate
answers to routine questions themselves. Support for advisors should include:
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Capability to conduct on-going degree audits and check electives in a prompt fashion.
Development of online advising reference information that allows students to find
answers quickly.
Availability of contact list of experts as references for students.
Graduate advising will continue to be more individualized and involve more direct contact.
Nevertheless, the same online capabilities and services available to undergraduate students will
be available to those students as well.
Faculty, Departments, and Schools
Faculty, departments, and schools will have the ability to monitor course enrollments in realtime. They will be notified of course demand and waiting lists so they can consider new sections.
Within the system, schools will have the ability to use school-specific flags and data elements.
They will have easy access to information available by law, in accordance with the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and rules of the
Department of Education (34 C.F.R. Part 99), commonly referred to as FERPA or the Buckley
Amendment.
Departments will have the ability to place or remove enrollment blocks and the option to place a
block automatically in certain situations. Similarly, appropriate departmental administrators
should be notified by email when students receive an enrollment block.
Faculty should have additional tools available to facilitate the administrative aspects of teaching.
Features should include:
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Access to online grade book that permits submission and change of grades.
Provision of online class roll with bulletin board and chat-room, and email addresses to
generate distribution lists automatically.
Online course evaluations.
2) Register, Advise, and Track Performance Vignettes
Based on the Beliefs and the Process and System Design Characteristics, how will specific
Enrollment, Advising and Tracking Performance activities occur in the future?
A Continuing and Professional Studies Student Enrolls Quickly and Easily Online
Beatrice Henderson has decided to take more courses after a ten-year break from academic work
at the University to raise her children. She connects to U.Va.’s homepage, where she performs a
“what if” calculation with the courses she has completed at a community college, and discovers
she has enough credits to enroll in the Batchelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program. She
completes the enrollment form and receives confirmation that her application has been received.
She receives an email reply congratulating her on her conditional acceptance and providing
instructions on how to register for courses. She logs on to the website and sees a message from
her advisor requesting a meeting. She clicks on the message and uses the calendar to set up an
appointment to meet with her advisor. She also sees a checklist of requirements, and notices that
she needs a transcript of her work completed at the community college. Included in the notice is
an embedded link to the community college she attended, through which she can request the
transcript. She also sees a list of the current semester courses appropriate for her degree track.
After reviewing the accounting courses offered, she decides to start with a basic class to get a
refresher on concepts and terminology. Beatrice enrolls in the accounting class, pays her tuition
and fees, and completes the entire registration process, all online.
An Undergraduate Student Enrolls and Reviews his Progress toward Degree
Rick Weston is completing his third semester at U.Va. During his first semester, he took
advantage of the optional orientation course and learned how to use the student system’s various
self-help options while on-Grounds or from home. Online applications provide answers to many
of his questions about the enrollment and degree completion process. Rick accesses his
personalized student profile and related activity report. Part of the report allows him to view or
print his current progress toward his degree requirements, along with recommendations for
upcoming classes that will keep him on track toward his career goals.
After class today, Rick walks to the student center to grab lunch with a friend and check his
email on his PDA. When Rick logs on, he sees two unread messages. The first one concerns a
Spanish class that was closed when his enrollment priority came up earlier in the month. Based
on his degree progress report, he knew he needed a particular Spanish course as a prerequisite for
the next level, but the class was full when Rick had his first opportunity to enroll. He added
himself to the course’s online waitlist and indicated his preferred time slot. His request was
added to the department’s daily report that captured enrollment levels and the number of requests
for Spanish classes. Based on demand, the Spanish Department knew they could fill another
section and opened one this morning. The automatically-generated message contains the good
news that Rick has been enrolled in the new Spanish section that fits his schedule.
The second message notifies Rick of his passing grade for the current semester in a Computer
Sciences course, which means that he has now completed the basic computer competency
requirement for his degree program. Thinking he might pursue a double major, Rick goes online
to use the “what-if” analysis tools to view a degree audit report of how this newly-completed
course and others he hopes to complete fit into a couple of majors he selects from the pull-down
menu. Encouraged by what he finds, he takes the opportunity to send a message, attaching part
of his calendar, to schedule a meeting with his advisor to discuss his options.
A Graduate Student Enrolls and Completes his First Semester
Arriving in Charlottesville in early August, Ivan Yvshenko is eager to begin his studies at the
Darden School. His first-year courses are mostly pre-assigned by the school, and by mid-fall he
has already completed a couple first-session courses. Final grades are posted to the student
system at the end of each round of courses, and even unofficial mid-semester progress grades are
available to rate his progress in the year-long courses. In the late fall, first-year students are
allowed to select spring electives, and by using a cache of points, each student submits bids over
the Darden intranet. When bidding is complete and final elective assignments are made, Darden
staff upload the results to the student system.
Faculty Advisor Meets with Student
Mary Smith, a faculty member in the English department, checks her email in-basket and finds a
message from Rick Weston asking to schedule an appointment to discuss pursuing a double
major. She confirms a time for the next day and an electronic confirmation is delivered to Rick
via email.
Rick comes in as one of Mary’s student appointments the next day, and Mary accesses a realtime degree audit for his planned double major, based on information that Rick entered in the
system earlier. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a double major. As they
discuss planning strategies and use the system to do “what-if” scenarios, the system’s search
capabilities help them find courses in Rick’s areas of interest that will meet his major and other
core requirements. Mary agrees with Rick that the double major is feasible and a good choice.
Students have the option to designate in the student system if they either allow or refuse access
to their advisor notes by other advisors, and Mary notes that Rick has granted other faculty
members access to his past advisor notes files. After her meeting with Rick, Mary records her
advisor notes in the system, which will enable other faculty members who work with him in the
future to build on her conversations. She is quite factual in her comments, understanding that her
comments are part of Rick’s education record as described in the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) and, therefore, accessible to him.
Faculty Creates New Section
After reviewing the waitlist report generated from the system, the Spanish department creates
another section of Spanish 301 class and assigns Darin Snow as the instructor. An electronic
notification alerts Professor Snow that the section has been approved by the department chair,
and when he signs on to his email he sees the notification with a link to access the course
information. He opens up the course and chooses the attributes he wants to show in the course
website. Because he has created this course before, he chooses to copy the format from a
previous section, thus duplicating the syllabus, assignments, alternate materials section, textbook
listing, and the grading method. The changed course is now routed to the Dean for final
approval, and an electronic notification alerts the Dean of pending action needed. Once the Dean
approves the new section, an electronic notification is sent to Professor Snow and the course is
available online for enrollment. The students on the electronic waitlist are enrolled
systematically and sent notification of the change to their schedules. Professor Snow is able to
view the current roster, including the student’s pictures, online. A few days later, he uses the
section’s email list to send a “Welcome to Spanish 301” email to all his students.
Faculty Enters Grades
When Professor Snow finishes grading of the first Spanish 301 test, he logs on and pulls up the
grading function for this class and sorts by the section number and student I.D. numbers. He
wants to do blind grading, so he hides the field with the students’ names. After he enters the
grades and when the grades he has posted become “official” as per University timelines and
policy, his students receive an email notification alerting them the grade has been entered and
they can log on and view their results.
D. University Services
Student Life Services include student affairs, student health, housing, student activities, dining,
parking, career placement, and others. Students should be able to go to one place for information
on these services and the other student support services described above. However, the Student
Services Task Force was in agreement that it would not prescribe exactly what student life
functions should be available, but rather ensure that there is flexibility in the future student
information system. With a flexible future system, U.Va. will be able to adapt the system as it
responds to student demands and makes decisions about how to deliver student life services in
the future.
1) Process and System Design Characteristics
What are the key design characteristics of the processes and systems supporting University
Services in the future?
The following are some examples of the types of services the University may decide to offer in
the future:
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Ability for students to create customized web pages to track their own information.
Ability for University to “push” certain information out to students.
Ability to apply online for housing, parking permits, and meal plans, and to pay deposits
and fees electronically.
Scheduling of programming and classroom space online, with search capabilities that
allow students to find events by group, location, time, or type of events.
Information about the local housing market and electronic links to real estate
management companies.
Ability to order textbooks online.
Ability to use ART$ dollars and links to organizations, concerts, plays, and
entertainment, both on-Grounds and in the Charlottesville community.
Email accounts for applicants to receive and provide information about themselves to the
University.
Access for off-Grounds students to all relevant student life services, such as access to
student events, auxiliary services, library card catalogs, library loans, and online
databases.
As appropriate, the ability to share student information with police, Student Health, and
other interested service providers.
2) University Services Vignettes
How will specific University Services be delivered in the future?
Student Begins Life on-Grounds
Jessica Highstone is now recovering from the excitement and blur of moving-in, orientation, and
the first week of classes. Already, she can’t remember much of what she heard and saw. Her
roommate has gone to a movie, but it was one that Jessica had already seen, so she goes to her
computer and opens her email and personalized home page. She finds several messages waiting
for her from the student information system. To her dismay, she notes that the real-time balance
on her cash card is already getting low. The names of her resident staff members, points of
contact in the Housing Office, Dining Services and other offices are there, with links to send an
email to any of them. Based on the data in her application package and online interest inventory
she completed during orientation, the system generated a list of student organizations and
activities she might find interesting, with links to their web-sites. The interactive “First Year
Student Directory” has helped her put together a personalized address book of the people she’s
been meeting, including their pictures and biographical summaries. Jessica spends some time
exploring the links and discovers that U.Va. has an ice hockey club. She signs up for the hockey
club tryouts and emails her mother and her best friend from her high school hockey team before
going to supper at Runk Hall.
Student Applies for On-Grounds Housing
Rick Weston and Jerry Smithfield have been roommates since they were first-year students
together in Watson House. Rick has used the “what-if” capability of the student financial
application to determine that he cannot afford to move off-Grounds until at least his third year,
assuming he can land a computer programming job next summer. Jerry, on the other hand, wants
to share an apartment at University Heights with some other friends. He already has used the
room selection utility to note his intention to move off-Grounds when his contract expires. Rick
has to decide whether to stay in his current room or apply for a single room in another residential
area. He uses the room selection utility to check for a match for Jerry’s space. He clicks some
compatibility characteristics about himself (smoking/non-smoking, sleeping habits, music
preferences, attitudes about guests, etc.) and clicks the “match” icon. The system provides three
names of students whose preferences match his. He recognizes the name of a friend on his
intramural basketball team and clicks the link to send him an email to invite him to apply for
Jerry’s assignment. The system records a pending assignment and holds the place for Rick’s
friend for a week. After that time, Rick can start over, either checking for someone else or
applying for a single room.
Group of Students Select a Housing Assignment
Shania Martinez is a first year student living on-Grounds. Checking her email, she finds an
automatic reminder from the Housing Office that the deadline for applying for on-Grounds
housing for the next year is fast approaching. Using the link embedded in the message, she goes
to the room selection utility. The last time she was in the utility, she entered the names of three
friends who want to share an apartment in Copeley or Bice House with her next year. The system
saved her choices as pending room selections. All of her prospective roommates received emails
and replied, confirming their intent to form a group. At this time, there is an apartment available
in Copeley, but none in Bice. Two of the four had already accepted the assignment. She accepts
the assignment for herself by email. The student system will make the assignment final when the
fourth roommate accepts.