ADVISEMENT DATABASE COMMITTEE MEETING NOTES: 5/21/09
In Attendance: (no particular order) Ian Keil, Christopher Mattson, Elizabeth Erickson, Diana Jaramillo
(Note taker), Christina Aumann, Jeanne Herman, Marcus Anderson, Jenn Brown, Enrica Hodder, Michael
Kurland (Chair), Heather Cartagena (Ex-officio).
Most common items on submitted lists
 reorg/filter/search info in major tabs (#4)

audit function (#5)

saving drafts-longer time (#1)

multiple attachments in email (#50)

add custom fields in report (#62)
Ideas not included on list or revamped ideas

Include a stock disclaimer on course plans (e.g., check STARS, contact advisor with questions).

Allow drop down /customizable text that advisors can insert into course plan.

Allow students to interact with/create course plans themselves (#87)

o
There was debate about this. Some departments may not want their students to do this.
o
Revamped idea: create a way for student to view (not edit) the most recent course plan
in the my.usc portal
o
We may need to refine this idea if we create new options for course plan drafts/editing.
Most recent might be a draft or otherwise incomplete.
≠ means it has to equal something but we need it to mean that it can equal blank.
o
e.g. Filter Special Programs ≠ Athletics gives only students with other special programs.
Students without any special programs will not be listed.
Things people want that already exist

students receive reminder email 48 hrs before appointments [request was for 24 hr. reminder]

scheduler status in database to edit/view calendar but without access to any other info

cleaning up reports for accuracy - need specific examples [they were updated a year ago]

getting daily updates from SIS for degree info (people who graduated and expected gradterm
updates)
NEW development
 New ITS person will be hired (50% of job to support Advisement Database communication with SIS
and to liaise with Urban Insights) and will be new person for troubleshooting, reporting bugs, etc.
instead of Heather.
Smaller improvements that are definitely a go and have already been sent to Urban Insights

degree date filter based on term (not date)

hyphenated and apostrophes in names

change logic for < icon to be a low midterm grade

activate the “Degree to Graduate” report that shows who a unit owned and the unit from which
those students graduated

various requests G. Bickers had regarding at-risk reports

new SAP form
Bug reports
 Glitch with referral viewing creating what looks like a referral.

Joint programs e.g. IRGB –owner has access but affiliated program does not.
o

Heather said that a special department can be created so that both people can.
Filter results do not match data in reports (example from Academic Support).
o
Heather says bug exists.
Discussion: Reorganization of advisement history
1. Email management
 Give advisor ability to flag emails as Announce or Advisement and sort by those flags. Would
only affect emails sent after the change is made.
o

What would happen to those emails from before this change is made? Leave them as
they are but provide the option to hide them.
Email flagging will prompt user to flag as announce or advisement before sending.

Improve the system intelligence to understand who is forwarding or sending each message in
order to place the email only on the tab associated with that person, not under every tab.
2. Overall management of content

Ctrl +F is a good tip for finding things but not a solution. It only applies to tab you are on and
cannot search in multiple tabs.

An all programs tab would allow you to see all course plans, across tabs.

No new/separate course plan or other tab is needed. Simply allow filtering/searching for each
type of action (email, course plans, comments, etc.) across all tabs.

Search function in your tab that draws from all tabs (doesn’t save in your tab, but you see all
from across tabs) will mean no need for separate tabs.

Consensus: Ability to search by item type(s), by program, by user, and any combination of those.
Search results will display in reverse chronological order. Search data will pull from all tabs.
Course plan improvement ideas
 Extend time to edit the plan.

Allow advisor to title it (it could be titled as a draft or custom name).

Allow another layer to “submit” (e.g., commit changes in web registration, submit in GRS) for a
greater amount of time and flexibility with edits.
This requires item further discussion.

Next major task: Define audit function
 Perhaps this will be on the “advise” pull-down menu?

Right now some people create custom filter to track completed audits but custom filters are not
shareable with others and cannot be accessed in a report
Future Ideas:

Update blog/announcement board on CAA website

Next meeting in 3-4 weeks, email through meeting maker will be sent.