The Tsunami Effect: Cleaning Up After the
Implementation of a New Integrated Student
Information System
Sam Stigall, MA
Bob Lorick, MSMR
Terri Day, PhD
Presentation Overview:
Integrated system background
Roadblocks & solutions
Tips
Integrated System Background:
 Timeline to rollout:
 Rolled out in Summer because of smallest enrollment
numbers
 Hardest term to calculate because of all the terms:
Maymester, 11week and first and second 5 weeks
 Sequence of rollout:
– Admissions
– Financial Aid
Business Practices:
Roadblock:
Departments did not understand what data was collected
Example: Tracking of MA to DOC students not noted in
prior system, as students were treated as readmits
Solution:
Academic plans
New process as of Fall 2008
Variable Cleaning:
Roadblock:
Value and variable definition consensus
Solution:
No arbitrary changes can be made without following proper
protocol
Student IDs:
Roadblock:
Different IDs for different reporting agencies:
 State requires SSN
 Institution uses 10 digit ID
 Former system assigned a variety of different numbers to
international students (created problems with Human Resources)
 Internal changes for students without IDs
– CBM00N
Solution:
Campus-wide agreement on how to use IDs
Ensure new system is integrated with Human Resources
CIP/Academic Plans:
Roadblock:
 Mismatches between academic plans and academic classifications
that was caused by the creation of new plans:
 Example: Materials Science Engineering (MSE) in old system for all
levels
Now: MSE_DR, MSE_MENT, MENGR, MSE_METS, MSE_MNR,
MSE_MSTH, MSE_SP
Solution:
Simplify academic plans and eliminate redundancy
Majors and Minors:
Roadblock:
Academic plan and classification mismatched due to
problems with:
– Effective dating
– Term activation
– Reporting minors as majors
Solution:
Monitor major sequence and language changes
Increase advisor training
Ethnicity and Citizenship:
Roadblock:
New system definitions don’t match UT Arlington’s needs:
New system reports ethnicity and citizenship separately,
making it difficult to determine the “international” students
Determining student residency then becomes difficult
Solution:
Formed a committee to evaluate the aforementioned
issues
Admit Types:
Roadblock:
Graduate school and transfer designation
Undergraduates and EAP
Solution:
Met with respective departments to explain why the logic
needed to be simplified
Historical Data:
 Roadblock:
 Necessity of converting historical records/archives to
new system
 Fact book: Problems with developing fact book reports
 Need to convert expanded variables into old variables for
trend analysis and for CB Reporting
 Solution:
 Hired more reporting individuals
 Moved files that may be needed for historical reference
to our server
Tips:
 Choose the fall semester for system rollout: If your logic is correct,
population size doesn’t matter
 Pay close attention to what variables are available in the data system
 Don’t program around exceptions
 You won’t know what data will look like until it’s too late
 Running parallel systems
 Utilize the system’s audit capabilities
 Be cognisant of the marketability of your staff will the new integrated
system training
 Anticipate Fact book delays
Contact Information:
 UT Arlington website: http://www.uta.edu/irp/
 Sam Stigall:
 817-272-3132
 sam@uta.edu
 Bob Lorick:
 817-272-5308
 lorick@uta.edu
 Terri Day:
 817-272-5130
 terri@uta.edu