SUNY AIRPO – SICAS IR FAUG Group Meeting Notes
June 10, 2009
Carol Runge, SICAS IR FAUG Chair, welcomed the group.
Bill Grau reviewed the different features and resources available related to the SIRIS system on the
SICAS web site. Information on the site includes SIRIS documentation, released RFs, event
registration and contact information.
http://sicas.suny.edu
Topics:
1) SIRIS, Test Semester - Carol Marriot, Genesee CC
Spring 2009 is the semester to run except for the first six schools who should be continuing to
submit Fall 2008.
2) SBGI codes in STVSBGI, How to convert multiple codes for one institution - Carol Marriot,
Genesee CC
(Issue was addressed in Bill Grau’s presentation earlier in the afternoon.) Process looks for
either the FICE or CEEB code. Other coding schemes have been used by schools. STVYIPD is
an important table. Do you go back and change history, fix it all? A local mod is required. In
the case of multiple college sites that have the same FICE code, one option is to choose one
location to represent all locations.
Additional Question: There is a warning related to Admissions Status = 5 and this is for nondegree seeking, not in a program student. Why on the SUNY screen does the person look like a
Continuing Ed person when the person is non-matriculated? Check the crosswalk to make sure
it’s ok.
3) Concurrent HS Reporting - Donna Johnson, Ulster CC
Efforts have been made to input registrations before the semester Census date, but many times
the registrations are entered into the system after the census date. At least one institution enters
registrations for the fall semester before the high school students end studies during the
previous spring.
Bill Grau: The registrations will be reported in the end-of-term file. There is a census date mod
that includes enrollment that spans one term to another term. A function used at Nassau uses
separate terms for non-credit courses and with good success. Maybe this function could be
adapted for this problem.
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SUNY AIRPO – SICAS IR FAUG Group Meeting Notes
June 10, 2009
4) SICAS ODS experience and creating reporting tables/views based on SIRIS data- Elina
Belyablya, Monroe CC
Bill Grau: We’ve used ODS in a limited way. Process is still getting SICAS elements into
ODS. We will be hiring a Business Intelligence Solution Specialist for report writing, ODS
development and who has knowledge of Banner, ODS and Oracle Business Intelligence Tools.
We’ve contracted with SunGard and are working on entities in the OBIEE tool including
Admissions, Enrollment and Accounts Payable. There are 35,000 tables and 300 views. We’ve
boiled this down to 30 and the business intelligence system will include dashboards and
reporting.
Helen Ernst: The SUNY Business Intelligence Initiative (SBII) is doing a proof of concept
using the Banner ODS and Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI). This does not include the new
submission files. The SBII Banner Committee includes campus and SICAS staff. The POC
includes work provided through a contract with SunGard where they developed four reporting
areas; Active Registration, Admission Application, Receivable Revenue and Student Detail.
The Banner POC will provide several dashboards and reporting that can be used to show what
the OBI tool and ODS can create.
5) SICAS and System Admin – Assistance with the new IPEDS/HEOA requirements – Jackie
Andrews, SUNY New Paltz
Previously discussed in Bill Grau’s presentation:
SICAS will develop a report to collect the aggregate financial aid information. Campuses will
need to run the report and upload a file to system admin. At this time, this will not be part of
the SIRIS process nor will it work like the SIRIS processes. Campuses will need to submit a
file using FTP or a similar method. SUNY will guide as required. SUNY IR will work with
financial aid directors for the SIRIS FA submission.
Additional Information on HEOA from John Porter:
The Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA), signed into law on August 14,
2008, requires new disclosures on IPEDS' Institutional Characteristics,
Student Financial Aid, and Graduation Rate Surveys. For the most part, the
new disclosures involve student charges and financial aid; also, a Pell
graduation rate cohort. SUNY IR plans on capturing this data through SIRIS;
however, there isn't sufficient time nor resources to implement new data
modules for the 2009-10 IPEDS reporting year. Campuses will have to respond
to the disclosures on their own in the first year.
SUNY will inform
campuses concerning the information that is required and guide campuses
through the process. Campuses should take steps now to activate financial
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SUNY AIRPO – SICAS IR FAUG Group Meeting Notes
June 10, 2009
Additional Information on HEOA from John Porter: (Continued)
aid files back to 2006-07 if possible, including FASFA. These files will be
helpful in responding to the new disclosures.
Also, SUNY IR has been
working with a group of financial aid directors to develop the data
specifications for a SIRIS financial aid submission.
Yves Gachette attended the national Association for Institutional Research conference and
provided handouts from a session related to new requirements related to IPEDS/HEOA
reporting.
Open Discussion
Question: Is an updated online data dictionary available?
Helen Ernst: The online data dictionary is very close to being up to date. The great importance of it being up to
date is understood. Requirements changed as we moved through the process. We want to utilize Confluence, a
wiki, for blogs, news items, notes on meetings and presentations as well as an AIRPO listserv. The strategy
changed over time for SIRIS system edits as it was felt that many edits were best viewed with the Business
Intelligence reports in contrast to hard edits. You can see the numbers in relation to prior data submissions.
Question
Angel Andreu: What about recording grades for dual credit students? Some grades are not immediately
reported by teachers. Once the grade is turned in, we update. This can happen in June or early July.
Helen Ernst: This would be a question for John Porter. SIRIS doesn’t need every grade. There is a long term
plan for a correction submission.
Question
Marlene Arno: How can we correct bad SSNs and file final grades? Could there be a FAQ on this?
Helen Ernst: SUNY – in the new system, SSN won’t be sent.
Bill Grau: The first transmission takes awhile. It’s matching over all records. The SSN is used to match.
Elina Belyablya: Why not use the upload file versus a live transmission?
Bill Grau: There is no way for the file to be uploaded; the Data Transfer System (DTS) must be used. Errors and
edits occur immediately. There are campus hardware constraints. A TSDS patch will be sent out that will
increase efficiency of transfer as more schools participate in SIRIS file submissions.
Question
Julie Rao: HR personnel do not want to send SSN as it is out of their control and makes them nervous. Is there
any way to go to HR system and send a SUNY ID. What about the SUNY student ID?
Bill Grau:
The SPRY_SID table stores a SUNY ID. This is a separate table from the normal SPRIDEN table where ID
information is stored. The SUNY Student ID number will also stored in this table under a different name. SICAS
created a different table because the SUNY ID is greater than 9 characters and Banner can currently only store
9 characters. For State Ops the employee and student ID are different ID types.
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SUNY AIRPO – SICAS IR FAUG Group Meeting Notes
June 10, 2009
The SPRY_SYD table stores a SUNY ID for a match; the HRMS has a 5/6 digit ID. A separate table will store
the SUNY Student ID. The SUNY ID is greater than 9 characters. Banner currently only has 9 characters. For
State Ops the employee and student ID are different ID types.
Question:
Angel Andreu: The race/ethnicity data is forced in self service Banner. This happens for employees as well.
There is a population behind the scenes. How do we get the Higher Ed History without crosswalking admissions
type?
Bill Grau: Turn off Admit type in SOAYDTI and use Student type. Admittance status is the only local mod that
you are required to do so. It’s manual; you have to do this.
SICAS IR FAUG Group Sign-In, AIRPO – June 10th, 2009
Sean McKitrick, SUNY Binghamton
Alisa Martin, SUNY Binghamton
Jill Heneghan, SUNY Binghamton
Catherine Gentile, SUNY Binghamton
Monica Defendorf, Corning Community College
Annette Zuber, Genesee Community College
Susan Duncan, Dutchess Community College
Barbara Russell, Jamestown Community College
Donna Johnson, Ulster Community College
Terry Reding, Genesee Community College
Joel Bruce, Genesee Community College
Carol Marriott, Genesee Community College
Amy Freese, Genesee Community College
Connie Ledermann, SUNY Geneseo
Stephen Almekinder, SUNY Geneseo
Steve Cunningham, SUNY Cortland
Merle Canfield, SUNY Cortland
Bill Grau, SICAS Center
Yves Gachette, SUNY Buffalo State
Julie Rao, SUNY Geneseo
Maryanne Kinsella, Dutchess Community College
Marlene Arno, Erie Community College
Sandy Kaufman, SUNY Old Westbury
Angel Andreu, Monroe Community College
Amy Wright, Monroe Community College
Lou Attinasi, Suffolk Community College
Marian Whitney, SUNY Morrisville
Jason Zbock, SUNY Morrisville
Jim Myers, Mohawk Valley Community College
Mark Radlowski, Mohawk Valley Community College
Marie Miknavich, Herkimer County Community College
Brian Crandall, Herkimer County Community College
Tim Millard, Broome Community College
Elina Belyablya, Monroe Community College
Mary Perrine, Jefferson Community College
Helen Ernst, SUNY System Administration
Carol Runge, Cayuga Community College
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