An integrated student information system has been a concern of PlanIT, a group of strategic advising teams.
PlanIT has been conducting research about the university’s needs for an August proposal that will outline technological goals for implementation at Ohio State within the next three to five years.
The student information system program would provide an integrated system linking information such as financial aid, admissions and transfer credit for students and administration. The integration would allow administration and advisors more complete information about student records and would provide easier access to online services for students.
“SIS is one of the important themes,” said Steven Acker, director of the Office of Technology Enhanced Learning and Research and member of the Instructional Technology Advisory Committee.
“The benefit would be both for the individual and the institution,” he said.
Of all the PlanIT focus groups he has attended this spring, the issue has been mentioned every time, he said.
“One of the things we’ve heard about from students is that the system is not integrated,” said Ann Massaro, advisor in the Future State Team. Other schools are more integrated, she said.
The idea of an integrated system is not new. The University of Minnesota just completed implementing such a system, and the University of Illinois is in the planning stage.
“Big schools are just slower,” Acker said.
The system is something that has been talked about for years, he said.
“We have 30-year-old systems, and they are getting harder and harder to maintain,” said Gene Schuster, director of student information system development.
The integration of student record-keeping systems would provide easier access to records and would allow students to receive information more pertinent to their interests, Schuster said.
“For example, since we’d know what degree program you are in, we’d know at least a portion of the courses you would be interested in and can get you information about those particular courses,” he said.
Integration would allow students to input their information at one time, and it could be accessed from different locations.
“One estimate is that a new student has to go to 27 different offices,” said Acker.
Most students at Ohio State can testify to the frustration of getting the run-around when in search of university information.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Rick Hopkins-Lutzt, a junior in computer information science. “It’s hard to find some of the services you are entitled to.”
Hopkins-Lutzt has been a computer consultant for the last eight years and works for OSU.
“It took me all my freshman year to find out there was a treasury Web site, let alone how to get to it,” he said. “If you don’t know where to look, you’ll never find it.”
If sites were linked so students could access information more easily, more students would be willing to use online services, he said.
“You can look at financial-aid status at one site, but the site to accept aid isn’t even linked. It’s silly,” Hopkins-Lutzt said.
Technology Days sponsored by PlanIT have featured lectures about the future of technology in higher education. Leaders from across the country have come to assist in planning for the future of OSU.
“They (speakers) help to expand thinking – helping us to think outside the box,” said Ilee Rhimes, chief information officer.
Speakers have addressed distance education, managing data, high performance computing and managing student relations.
It is too early in the planning process to determine the cost of the SIS project, Rhimes said.
If the SIS is approved, it would most likely receive general university funds. These funds would mainly come from government allocations and student fees, Schuster said.
“We could do much more if we had these neat systems,” said Lee Walker, OSU budget director. “The system needs to be next on the list.”
SIS would also provide assistance to advisors.
“It would increase the advising function at OSU,” Acker said.
It would help students graduate sooner by providing the university information about how many sections of different classes are needed, Acker said.
The academic plan outlines the importance of computer systems in education and running efficiently as a university.
“We cannot be a great university without making major progress in…helping our students – whatever their field of study – become fully conversant with the latest available technology. We must equal or surpass our benchmark institutions in the use of technology for teaching, learning, research and overall effectiveness,” said President William “Brit” Kirwan in the academic plan.
