The document discusses the implementation of the Sunapsis system at the University of North Texas (UNT) to manage international student records and processes. It provides background on UNT and the International Student and Scholar Services office. It then outlines the timeline of introducing and implementing Sunapsis, including initial challenges. Suggestions are provided for communicating needs, designating project leadership, allowing adequate time, researching other schools' implementations, thinking about business processes, involving IT staff, and preparing for go-live.
3. University of North Texas
Over 36,000 students
As of Fall I term 2,983 international
students (UNT & HSC)
1140 GRAD, 777 UGRAD
373 IELI
121 countries represented
China, India, Korea, Saudi Arabia
Top Programs: Engineering, Business
Administration, Arts & Science,
Music.
4. International Student &
Scholar Services (ISSS)
8 full-time staff members:
2 for F-1 advising
2 for initial attendance I-20s
1 for H1Bs (& assists with Js)
1 for Js & 1 assistant
1 for technology coordination
1 part-time receptionist
1 intern/student assistant
7 student assistants
1 full-time HSC staff member
5. PeopleSoft
All document intake now done by Graduate
School & Undergraduate Admissions.
Checklists updated & docs scanned into
ImageNow.
ImageNow
Current students submit one of almost 30 forms
to ISSS and they are scanned into their file.
fsaATLAS- 7 years
2 data feed processes
Custom fields
Work-arounds
Systems Used
6. Timeline
Introduced to Sunapsis at NAFSA
conference in May 2012 & had a call
shortly thereafter.
Talked with UNT IT Shared Services
(ITSS) contacts about who & what
would be involved.
Project initiative request submitted
to UNT committees in October.
Approved in February & assigned a
high priority.
7. Contracts approved & signed,
software received May 16th.
ITSS teams worked on servers &
data feeds for initial & continuing
students.
Experienced some challenges- server
crashed, ColdFusion & Java issues,
security limitations, teams being
pulled off to work on other items.
Sunapsis production environment
was available 1 week before site
visit.
8. Site Visit & Go-Live
Finalized in June that we would
have a 3 day site visit- July 29th,
30th, & 31st.
Proposed Schedule:
Day 1: Outstanding Tech Issues &
fsaATLAS/SEVIS Conversion.
Day 2: User Training
Day 3: Brainstorming new functionality &
answering user questions.
9. Site Visit & Go-Live
Actual Schedule:
Day 1: Outstanding Tech Issues
Day 2: User Training
Day 3: fsaATLAS/SEVIS
Conversion & Outstanding Tech
Issues.
10. Currently
A few items remain that we are working on
to improve/implement, including:
Sunapsis Development Environment
Spotty F & J batching
Data feed schedule
Employee & J data feed
fsaATLAS custom field conversion
Student/department log-in
E-forms
Checklists
Already we have seen efficiency increase
as well as happier students & staff!
11. Suggestions
Communicate your expectations/needs
early.
With both Sunapsis & key players at your
institution.
Designate a project manager/team lead.
Don’t try to rush it.
Unless you have other deadlines to meet,
etc., try to take your time to lessen the
probability of future issues coming up.
Do your research.
Visit other schools to see how it works.
Find contacts who are willing to share
info with you & your IT staff.
Use all of this info to plan.
12. Suggestions, Cont.
Think about your business processes.
Why do you do what you do?
Could use this as an opportunity to restructure
duties & create a more efficient office.
Just because you do something now with your
current software doesn’t mean that it will be the
same with a new software.
Work with your IT staff to help them
understand what you are trying to do.
Get supervisors on board so that staff are able to
make this a priority.
Make yourself available to them & be responsive.
Be appreciative of their time.
13. In Preparation for Go-Live
Make sure everyone is available.
From IT staff who may be across campus, to
your student assistants.
Close the office, and/or only offer
limited services if possible.
You’ll only have this one-on-one time for a
few days, so it helps to be able to focus.
Reserve a computer lab for training.
Make sure all computers have the
correct version of Java!
Document your current office
processes.
14. During Go-Live
If you are converting from another system,
be sure that your data is clean.
Use OneNote to take screenshots & make
notes that can be the beginning of your
office’s user guide.
Have all of your configurations and user
profiles (especially roles) double-checked
in Sunapsis.
Use the “Help” question mark icon!
Remember that this is an alert-based
system.
Be willing to be flexible and encourage
your staff to go with the flow.
