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