From Soup to Nuts: Automating
the Curriculum Proposal System at
Bradley University
Electronic Document Routing Saves Time and Money
Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar
Rebecca Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing Services
Vicky Stoughton, Software Architect
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Document Routing System
Gumbo
DocSoup AND CRCRS?
•Two similar requests to automate processes
came in at the same time in spring, 2009
•User requirements: two different interfaces
•Two groups of users for development and
testing
•. . . and both in a hurry for a solution (by fall)
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Really, by Fall . . . ?
Why the hurry?
•Economic downturn – directive to save real $.
Controller came to IT for help to make this
happen in current budget year.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Really, by Fall . . . ?
Why the hurry?
•Economic downturn – directive to save real $.
Controller came to IT for help to make this happen
in current budget year.
•End users overwhelmed with manual processes.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Really, by Fall . . . ?
Why the hurry?
• Economic downturn – directive to save real $.
Controller came to IT for help to make this
happen in current budget year.
• End users overwhelmed with manual processes.
• Frustration over lack of a solution for automating
curriculum change management.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Really, by Fall . . . ?
Why the hurry?
• Economic downturn – directive to save real $.
Controller came to IT for help to make this
happen in current budget year.
• End users overwhelmed with manual processes.
• Frustration over lack of a solution for automating
curriculum change management.
• Digital signature in Adobe .pdf files quit working
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
How?
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
How?
• Put our Java training to the test and made
a decision on our development direction
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
How?
• Put our Java training to the test and made
a decision on our development direction
• Created focus group with core users
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
How?
• Put our Java training to the test and made
a decision on our development direction
• Created focus group with core users
• Talented new hire with Web application
development experience who loves a
challenge!
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
The Solution . . .
• Java-based Web App with forms creation, fill,
and routing with authenticated approvals.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
The Solution . . .
• Forms creation, fill, and routing with
authenticated approvals
• User-determined routing and business
rules
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
The Solution
• Forms creation, fill, and routing with
authenticated approvals
• User-determined routing and business
rules
• Prototype approved mid-summer; systems
rolled out to users by fall.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
The Solution
• Forms creation, fill and routing with
authenticated approvals
• User-determined routing and buiness rules
• Prototype approval mid-summer; systems
rolled out to users by fall.
• Piles of paper replaced with web-based
systems accessible from anywhere.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Curriculum and Regulations
Committee Routing System
Application developers and steering
committee fine-tuned available features:
• Attach supporting documents
• Need “notes” to route with documents
• Determine how to handle “Action Items”
• Create filter for reporting
• Create sortable columns for viewing
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Packet Creation
Submission of a Course Addition
• Log in.
• Create a document packet.
• Enter the form data and save.
• Add supporting material (if required).
• Add notes (if required).
• Affiliate related documents (if required).
• Route.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Routing & Approval
Approval of a Course Addition
• Login.
• Open Action Items list
• Select the document packet from the Action
Items
• Add additional supporting material (if needed)
• Add notes (if needed)
• Add related documents (if needed)
• Enter response.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Curriculum Filter
•
•
•
•
•
Select multiple values from multiple parameters.
Select affiliated documents to be included.
Select additional description to be included.
Can sort columns.
Can navigate to and from this report to
document packets.
• Can export to an excel file.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Master Course List
Master Course List Update of a Course Addition
• Find the course to modify.
• Press CRaCkRs button (top right) to link to
system.
• Press Merge Button (bottom right). Changes
come across and changed fields are highlighted.
• Course prerequisite process is the same.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Lessons Learned
• If you build it, they will come.
• . . . and they will want to change it. These were
the first apps our programmers had rolled out to
a wide campus audience, which included all
faculty. They were in for a surprise!
• Have a plan in place to manage the
enhancement process. Thank goodness for our
focus groups and steering committees.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Recent Enhancements
• C&R and other committee chairs can select
which items will be on meeting agendas. The
committee members know exactly what will be
on the agenda and can focus only on those
packets.
• Course descriptions can be finalized and pulled
into Master Course List in SIS.
• Needed improvement in the process of checking
for prerequisite requirements. This is currently
in testing.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Some Unexpected Results (continued)
• Committee members bring their laptops to
follow along and ask question on packets
up for approval.
• Provost, faculty, Senate members have
started using “CRCRS lingo” – a sure sign
of acceptance!
• Some committees are choosing to use the
“approval” as a vote for or against a
change.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Why it Worked
• The time was right. It wasn’t pushed from either the
administrative or the IT sides. It was time for a change.
• Registrar and others worked as true partners with IT –
defining business rules, refining processes, and
managing enhancements.
• Programming staff were able to do rapid development so
users could see changes quickly; system is stable,
developed faith in the system.
• System provides enhanced features that improve
processes. For instance, instant archiving of all
curriculum changes in electronic format.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
Where We Are Today
• Even the skeptics are on board (well, most of
them).
• System is stable. Statistics can be provided,
results are real. User Interface has been
tweaked.
• Steering committees are in place to manage
changes and will be for the foreseeable future.
System users and data/process owners make
the decisions.
• Course description and other content is being
loaded into Master Course List and
Prerequisites defined.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
The Future
• Create portions of catalog from the Master
Course List.
• Create on-line Schedule of Classes from
the Master Course List.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: System Administration
Managing delegates, documents and roles
• Assign users as delegates.
• Assign users to create document packets.
• Assign users to roles.
• Assign roles to routing.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Deployment
Publishing a new release
• “What’s New” link on
the home page.
• Release Notes updated
for each publish.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Core Java Component
Structure/Architecture
Development Environment
1. Enterprise: MyEclipse 8.61
2. Version Control: SVN Subclipse 1.6
3. Java: JRE Sun JDK 1.6.0
4. Servlet: J2EE 1.4
5. Page: JSP & JSTL
6. Testing: JUNIT 3.8.2
7. Database: SQL Anywhere 11
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Core Java Component
Structure/Architecture:
Package (for each document)
1. Business Rule – Class for document properties and
methods to save and delete. (uses Data Access)
2. Data Access – Object class to execute Insert, Update,
Delete, and Select stored procedures (uses Sql
Scripts)
3. Unit Testing – J-Unit test to ensure Business Rule and
Data Access function correctly. (uses Business Rule)
4. SQL Scripts – SQL script file for creating document
Table, Insert, Update, Delete, and Select procedures.
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
CRCRS: Core Java Component
Structure/Architecture: (continued)
• Web Servlet
– User Interface: HTTPServlet doGet(), do
Post() (uses Business Rule)
• Web Root:
– JSP Page: HTML, JSTL, Javascript
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011
For More Information
Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar, Bradley University
akindler@bradley.edu
309-677-3106
Rebecca Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing Services
becky@bradley.edu
309-677-2953
Vicky Stoughton, Software Architect
vstoughton@bradley.edu
309-677-4859
Session 2.16
October 27, 2011