Limited Resources & Limited Budgets Successful Student Information System Implementation Strategies for Small Institutions AACRAO 94 th Annual Meeting Orlando, Florida Tuesday, March 25, 2008- Session 226 4:15-5:15- Room: Atlanta/Boston

About Us Keith Williams (facilitator) University Registrar University of Vermont Ana del Castillo Registrar & Associate Director of Student Services The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL Keith Werosh University Registrar National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, IL

Keith Williams (facilitator)

University Registrar

University of Vermont

Ana del Castillo

Registrar & Associate Director of Student Services

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL

Keith Werosh

University Registrar

National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, IL

About the Institutions The Chicago School Certs.,MA, EdS & doctoral degrees (PsyD) On ground and online offerings Founded 1979 Multiple campuses 1,400+ students National University AA through first professional degrees (chiropractic & naturopathy) Founded 1906 550 students

The Chicago School

Certs.,MA, EdS & doctoral degrees (PsyD)

On ground and online offerings

Founded 1979

Multiple campuses

1,400+ students

National University

AA through first professional degrees (chiropractic & naturopathy)

Founded 1906

550 students

Basis for Upgrading The Chicago School SIS relied on old technology Wasn’t scalable to allow for the institution’s rapid growth Wasn’t user friendly or flexible to allow for tailoring to institutional needs Vendor technical support wasn’t reliable and consistent ::

The Chicago School

SIS relied on old technology

Wasn’t scalable to allow for the institution’s rapid growth

Wasn’t user friendly or flexible to allow for tailoring to institutional needs

Vendor technical support wasn’t reliable and consistent

Basis for Upgrading National University of Health Sciences Records were managed via use of Excel spreadsheets Technology in registrar’s office was nonexistent No use of technology to share relevant information between departments Data management was labor intensive

National University of Health Sciences

Records were managed via use of Excel spreadsheets

Technology in registrar’s office was nonexistent

No use of technology to share relevant information between departments

Data management was labor intensive

Limited Budgets The Chicago School ~$750,000 Included hardware, software, training and support. National University of Health Sciences ~$200,000 Included hardware, software, training and support.

The Chicago School

~$750,000

Included hardware, software, training and support.

National University of Health Sciences

~$200,000

Included hardware, software, training and support.

Limited Resources The Chicago School Limited technical support (3 staff) No dedicated SIS manager Little knowledge of successful system implementations Busy office created a challenge to divert attention to implementation ::

The Chicago School

Limited technical support (3 staff)

No dedicated SIS manager

Little knowledge of successful system implementations

Busy office created a challenge to divert attention to implementation

Limited Resources National University of Health Sciences Seriously behind the times with technology (used Excel for everything!) No technical support on staff– outsourced IT support help Nobody on staff to provide perspective or guidance Were we truly ready to accept a change?

National University of Health Sciences

Seriously behind the times with technology (used Excel for everything!)

No technical support on staff– outsourced IT support help

Nobody on staff to provide perspective or guidance

Were we truly ready to accept a change?

Things to Consider Cost-Benefit Analysis Strategic Planning Review of Business Process Competitive Analysis Risk Management Gap Analysis Timing RFPs

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Strategic Planning

Review of Business Process

Competitive Analysis

Risk Management

Gap Analysis

Timing

RFPs

Cost-Benefit Analysis Financial repercussions Impact on productivity Staffing Data management Technological needs

Financial repercussions

Impact on productivity

Staffing

Data management

Technological needs

Strategic Planning Institutional goals/objectives Institutional culture ::

Institutional goals/objectives

Institutional culture

Review of Business Process Prepare to make changes! Take a serious look at how you manage your operation Think about how technology can make things more efficient Don’t just document what you do, think about what you want to be able to do Non-negotiable functionalities Document, document, document

Prepare to make changes!

Take a serious look at how you manage your operation

Think about how technology can make things more efficient

Don’t just document what you do, think about what you want to be able to do

Non-negotiable functionalities

Document, document, document

Risk Management Impact analysis Better or worse after the change? Pitfalls Prepare for problems Develop work-arounds Have a contingency plan in place ::

Impact analysis

Better or worse after the change?

Pitfalls

Prepare for problems

Develop work-arounds

Have a contingency plan in place

Gap Analysis What functionalities are not satisfied by new SIS? What previous functionalities will be missed? Financial repercussions Need for additional software/hardware Extra modules

What functionalities are not satisfied by new SIS?

What previous functionalities will be missed?

Financial repercussions

Need for additional software/hardware

Extra modules

Timing When to implement? Backward timeline from key events/priorities Build in extra time for problems or additional training Consider term processes: Financial aid Course registration Exam period Grading period ::

When to implement?

Backward timeline from key events/priorities

Build in extra time for problems or additional training

Consider term processes:

Financial aid

Course registration

Exam period

Grading period

RFP Request for proposal “ The formal mechanism by which a company conveys its business requirements during the search for a new application system” 1 . Consider boilerplate version Useful to thoroughly document needs and solicit formal response from vendor 1 Source: Georgetown University UIS

Request for proposal

“ The formal mechanism by which a company conveys its business requirements during the search for a new application system” 1 .

Consider boilerplate version

Useful to thoroughly document needs and solicit formal response from vendor

1 Source: Georgetown University UIS

What’s Next? Vendor & system selection Research vendors: who are their clients? Research other schools’ systems (what’s popular?) Vendor sales Salesperson is usually not a system expert Beware of guarantees; do your homework Sources Colleagues Professional associations, listservs Request for Proposal (RFP) ::

Vendor & system selection

Research vendors: who are their clients?

Research other schools’ systems (what’s popular?)

Vendor sales

Salesperson is usually not a system expert

Beware of guarantees; do your homework

Sources

Colleagues

Professional associations, listservs

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Implementation Strategy Target timeline Alternate timeline Negotiable vs. non-negotiable Pace of implementation

Target timeline

Alternate timeline

Negotiable vs. non-negotiable

Pace of implementation

Contract Negotiation List price is not the price you pay Deal-breakers Support level Evaluate add-ons & modules Beta testing (save $$) vs. impact on operations Portal (heavily consider systems with student, faculty and alumni portal access)

List price is not the price you pay

Deal-breakers

Support level

Evaluate add-ons & modules

Beta testing (save $$) vs. impact on operations

Portal (heavily consider systems with student, faculty and alumni portal access)

Project Management Designate project manager Establish committee Include module leaders, process and data experts Involve all constituencies: staff, faculty, students ::

Designate project manager

Establish committee

Include module leaders, process and data experts

Involve all constituencies: staff, faculty, students

Budget Management Manage schedule to maximize consultants’ billable hours Maintenance costs Additional modules Customizations (can do in-house or must be done through vendor?) Level of support Training

Manage schedule to maximize consultants’ billable hours

Maintenance costs

Additional modules

Customizations (can do in-house or must be done through vendor?)

Level of support

Training

Org. Change Management How will various sectors of community react? Turnover Where is there little/no support? Managing expectations Staff workload Seamless services for students Formal vs. informal leaders ::

How will various sectors of community react?

Turnover

Where is there little/no support?

Managing expectations

Staff workload

Seamless services for students

Formal vs. informal leaders

Communication Plan/PR Community-wide announcements Generate excitement while managing expectations Communicate project progress at all levels of implementation from beginning through end Targeted communication to different constituencies Address unique concerns of each group

Community-wide announcements

Generate excitement while managing expectations

Communicate project progress at all levels of implementation from beginning through end

Targeted communication to different constituencies

Address unique concerns of each group

Tech. Support Services Help Desk Online, phone, in-person support Impact on workload Technology support staffing Consider needs during and after implementation Hosted solution for institutions with limited or no technology support staff

Help Desk

Online, phone, in-person support

Impact on workload

Technology support staffing

Consider needs during and after implementation

Hosted solution for institutions with limited or no technology support staff

Data Validation Thorough data validation Saves time Saves money Prevents data integrity issues Create time and separate space for staff to validate data Create data validation protocols Accountability Document data validation ::

Thorough data validation

Saves time

Saves money

Prevents data integrity issues

Create time and separate space for staff to validate data

Create data validation protocols

Accountability

Document data validation

Training Scale back on over-implementing: train first and start out “vanilla” Vendor support In-house knowledge of module leaders Future releases: training on new functionalities Provide adequate support for those less technologically savvy Build reference resources as you go ::

Scale back on over-implementing: train first and start out “vanilla”

Vendor support

In-house knowledge of module leaders

Future releases: training on new functionalities

Provide adequate support for those less technologically savvy

Build reference resources as you go

If Only We Knew Then… Upgrades/future releases Add functionalities, provide fixes Also break things that worked before Shift in job focus for power users Managing system permissions/access Designate single point-person Develop permissions approval protocol Post-implementation Transition implementation committee

Upgrades/future releases

Add functionalities, provide fixes

Also break things that worked before

Shift in job focus for power users

Managing system permissions/access

Designate single point-person

Develop permissions approval protocol

Post-implementation

Transition implementation committee

If Only We Knew Then… Vendor Relations Know how their support mechanisms work How quickly are tech support issues handled? Don’t go crazy with customizations Identify a well detailed plan for data migration Who is responsible? What type of information will be migrated? Make friends with staff at institutions with the same system installed Know how to extract information from the system

Vendor Relations

Know how their support mechanisms work

How quickly are tech support issues handled?

Don’t go crazy with customizations

Identify a well detailed plan for data migration

Who is responsible?

What type of information will be migrated?

Make friends with staff at institutions with the same system installed

Know how to extract information from the system

AACRAO Publication Student Information Systems: A Guide to Implementation Success Sharon F. Cramer, Ph.D. $95 non-members / $70 members 2005, item #0108

Student Information Systems: A Guide to Implementation Success

Sharon F. Cramer, Ph.D.

$95 non-members / $70 members

2005, item #0108

Final Thoughts & Questions? Ana del Castillo The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (312) 329-6601 [email_address] Keith Werosh National University of Health Sciences (630) 889-6547 [email_address]

Ana del Castillo

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

(312) 329-6601

[email_address]

Keith Werosh

National University of Health Sciences

(630) 889-6547

[email_address]