Using Integrated Electronic Processing

Effectively and Efficiently at the

University of Delaware

John C. CavanaughMichele Cytron

CampbellHugh P. Campbell

University of Delaware

Council of Graduate Schools and Canadian Association for Graduate

StudiesVancouver, December 1998

http://www.udel.edu/vpapp/cgs98/ workshop/index.htm

The Context The University of Delaware is

privately chartered and state supported

Over 80 master’s and over 40 doctoral programs in seven colleges (one graduate only)

Roughly 3300 FTE graduate students

$79 million in sponsored programs expenditures

Superb information technology and support

SIS+ at UD

The University has a highly customized version of SIS+

In use for nearly a decade In-house customization

created options and screens well beyond the “off-the-shelf” version

Office of Graduate Studies heavily involved in design and implementation then and now

Uses of SIS+

Academic information and transcripts (back to early 1970s)

Degree audits Course registration,

enrollment, and faculty management

Admissions and financial aid (more on this later)

Housing Billing

Integration of SIS+

Linked to on-line course registration, telephone grade reports, all Web forms, etc.

Foundation for electronic graduate admissions process, including admissions actions, financial aid, and downloadable data files

Foundation for institutional research

Pros of SIS+ Pros

– Highly customizable– Easily integrated into other

applications (downloadable files for Word/WordPerfect, Excel, etc.)

– Provides many options for specific needs (e.g., applicant tracking)

– Powerful system once learned– Reasonable security by

screen

Cons of SIS+

Cons– Not intuitive– Somewhat difficult to learn

from scratch

ElectronicProcessing inGraduate Studies

A Web-based process that:– Creates an electronic file for

each applicant– Seamless connection with

Web application– Interfaces with GRE data tape

and SIS/PLUS– Is customizable for specific

department needs (e.g., to rank order applicants on certain quantifiable indicators)

ElectronicProcessing inGraduate Studies

– Sends electronic notification to Graduate Studies and other relevant offices when admission action is taken

– Has both view only and action options

– Includes comment areas for notes among admission committee members

– Is sensitive to unofficial transcripts or test scores

ElectronicProcessing inGraduate Studies

– Monitors and provides separate screens for candidates with missing credentials and fee paid/unpaid

– Provides ways for easy downloads in software such as Excel, Word, and Access

– Eliminates the need for paper reports

– Provides instant organization of applicant data

ElectronicProcessing inGraduate Studies

– Includes numerous security controls so that faculty only see those applicants in their area of responsibility, and different levels of security for viewing and action capabilities

– Promotes greater accuracy of data by making it available to viewing and checking by multiple users within the department

ElectronicProcessing inGraduate Studies

– Includes screens for financial support

– Provides flexibility in the system to meet the individual needs of departments

ImplementationTimeline September 1995: Plan for

electronic processing system announced to go online in three months

January 2, 1996: Electronic system goes live; paper processing ended

Fall, 1996: Initial downloading features added

Graduate StudiesOutcomes

Over 15,000 applications processed to date

No security problems Application turn-around

time now 48 hours Significant reduction in

need for part-time staff Admissions offers out up

to 6 weeks earlier

ElectronicProcessing in theResearch Office

Office Context– $79 million in sponsored

programs expenditures (FY98)– Pre- and post-award functions

housed in one office– Total staff of 25; 10 directly

related to research expenditures

ElectronicProcessing in theResearch Office

Key Integrated Components– Grants Management System

(GMS)»Built on Legacy Systems

platforms– Project Management– Electronic dissemination of

funding opportunities»Community of Science

ProjectManagement Grants Management

System Overview– Routing sheet created– Budget development

spreadsheet– Electronic routing and

approval process Campus divided into four

quadrants, with each section represented by Project Management team

ProjectManagement

Single point of contact for all aspects of a grant

Research Office staff serve as consultants for duration, file financial reports, and provide budget oversight

Pre-AwardProcessing Approval process initiated

by academic unit; list of approvers generated automatically; approvals made electronically

Electronic budgets At end of approval process,

status changes from “Routing” to “Pending” and notifying e-mail sent to unit

Limited to NSF Fast Lane

Post-AwardDecentralization

Authority for approval delegated to colleges– Budget revisions– Equipment purchases– Journal vouchers– Project (no cost) extensions– Personnel actions

Handled electronically Project Management staff

review random transactions after the fact

Communityof Science

“Marketing to a market of one”

Community of Science– Automated, customizable e-

mail notification system to disseminate funding opportunity information»Works on keywords

chosen by the researcher»Integrates several

databases

ImplementationTimeline

AY95: Designed and tested

October 1995: Pre-award system in research office

April 1996: Post-award system in research office

July 1996: Begin campus-wide rollout of pre-award system

January 1998: Begin campus-wide rollout of post-award and electronic approval processes

ResearchOfficeOutcomes

GMS used for over 75% of all proposals

Over 100 paperless proposals using Fast Lane and GMS

578 faculty are using COS

Summary

Key to electronic services is high quality IT infrastructure and support

Careful planning essential Integrated databases,

Web forms, e-mail, etc. make it work

Input from users helps continuous improvement

Feedback andCopies

Copies available at:http://www.udel.edu/vpapp/ cgs98/workshop/index.htm

Send comments/questions to:John Cavanaugh (jcc@udel.edu)Michele Campbell (mc@udel.edu)Hugh Campbell (hpc@udel.edu)