IT Transformation Focuses on Student Academic, Service Support

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- As part of the UB 2020 strategic planning process, the university has initiated a project to evaluate the many components that make up the current student systems and to explore ways to improve and integrate them.

Part of the UB 2020 IT Transformation, the Student Systems Assessment project (http://www.buffalo.edu/ub2020/itst/ssa.html) will look at the information technology systems that support the academic activities and service needs of all UB students -- undergraduate, graduate, professional, international and domestic.

"Student systems cover almost everything students, and faculty and staff who work with students do at UB," said Kara Saunders, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education and the Student Systems Assessment project manager.

Departments affected by student systems include admissions and recruitment, advising, career services, course scheduling and curriculum, degree audit, data warehouse, grading, housing, registration, student accounts, student financial aid, student health and student records. It also includes "self-service" technology, such as "MyUB."

The current system, she explained, is largely "homegrown," a combination of computer programs written by the university and those purchased commercially, which now may receive limited support from vendors. As a result, information is not as well integrated as users would like, resulting in duplication of effort and, in some cases, conflicting data entered into various systems.

The current student-systems technology has raised concerns about the system's flexibility, functionality and lack of integration among different, but interconnected, offices. In addition, plans to increase UB's student population by 10,000 and add 750 new faculty members would strain the system's technology beyond its limits, Saunders noted.

"A number of people who work with our Student Information System have raised concerns about the system," she said. "Staff also have been asking about upgrades, but the current system is too inflexible to change."

An example of that inflexibility is seen by students enrolled in combined degree programs. The Student Information System was built on the assumption that a student would be enrolled in only one degree program. The creation of interdisciplinary and combined degree programs, such as JD/Ph.D. or B.S./M.S. programs, have led to problems with registering for major courses in both programs, as well as incorrect financial information in programs that have different tuition and fee charges. Correcting those incompatibilities must be done manually, which is inefficient and a waste of resources.

In addition, the technology upon which UB's student systems are based is becoming outdated, which presents a particularly urgent concern for the information in student accounts, student records and financial aid. Also, the current system requires that grade changes be made manually, using a paper process that is slow, inefficient and subject to human error.

"We're hoping to change everything about student systems," said Saunders. "Students, faculty and staff expect the system to be seamless and we want to develop a system that covers everything and integrates everything, which will make it easier for everyone."

Implementing the new system, she added, "will change how everyone does their jobs."

The university is working with Moran Technology Consulting to conduct a review of UB's business practices, look at requirements for the new system, and evaluate vendor software and response toward selecting a new computer system.

In addition, UB will be consulting with other schools that recently have adopted new student information technology, including the other SUNY university centers at Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook.

Three systems for integrating and processing student information are being considered. Vendor preview demonstrations of the systems will be held May 2 (see related story on this page) on the North and South campuses to allow the UB community to see what today's student systems have to offer and provide initial feedback. The campus also will have the opportunity to be engaged throughout the process, with an online survey of the university's needs and wants for the new system in June or July, and more detailed, scripted vendor demonstrations in August or September.

"We're inviting anyone who is interested to come and participate in the demonstrations," Saunders said.

Members of the Student Systems Assessment project executive steering committee are James A. "Beau" Willis, chair and executive sponsor, chief of staff and interim executive vice president for finance and operations; Satish K. Tripathi, executive sponsor, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Michael E. Ryan, project supervisor, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education; Elias G. Eldayrie, project sponsor and associate vice president for information technology; Dennis R. Black, vice president for student affairs; David L. Dunn, vice president for health sciences; John T. Ho, acting dean of the graduate school; and Nils Olsen, dean of the Law School.

In addition to Saunders, members of the project team are Paul Giebel, Moran Technology Consulting project manager; Susan A. Huston, technical lead, director of administrative computing services; Terri L. Mangione, functional lead, director of student academic records and financial services; Patricia G. Armstrong, director, undergraduate admissions; Sandra J. Flash, executive director of academic and student affairs, School of Dental Medicine; Jeffrey E. Dutton, director, institutional analysis; William H. Baumer, Faculty Senate representative and professor of philosophy; John W. Grabowski, assistant vice president for procurement services; Jennifer M. Hess, assistant dean for admissions, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Barbara J. Ricotta, dean of students and associate vice president for student affairs; Charles M. Severin, interim associate dean for medical education, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Steven L. Shaw, director of international admissions; Cheryl J. Taplin, director of student advising services; Myron A. "Mick" Thompson, III, associate provost and executive director of the Graduate School, and Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw, associate dean of admissions and financial aid in the Law School. Student representatives, to be determined, also will be named to the team.