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New SIS reaches a milestone
According to Joseph DiMartile, assistant provost and director of the UDSIS implementation project, the admissions module upgrade to UDSIS is the final component of the University’s overall administrative systems upgrade that began in 1998 with the Office of Human Resources’ switch to the PeopleSoft system. “Web-based and more integrated than SIS/Plus, UDSIS is implemented to the point where we are now able to process undergraduate and graduate admissions applications, evaluate those applications, distribute letters of admission, extend offers of financial aid and accept admissions deposits,” DiMartile said. “Using the new UDSIS system, we were able to evaluate 1,262 early decision applicants and admit 459 of those students,” Louis Hirsh, director of admissions said. “We now have 14,045 freshman and 205 transfer applications in the new UDSIS system for fall 2006 admission, and those numbers will rapidly increase as our reading season unfolds. UDSIS provides broader integration and now allows us to track admissions prospects and recruitment events in a single data base,” Hirsh said. Mary Martin, assistant provost for graduate studies, said that UDSIS also improves data continuity--a huge benefit to all UD administrators who work with student records in any capacity. “We’re excited about the ability of UDSIS to continue to process graduate applications in an electronic format to the different graduate admissions committees,” Martin said.
“The admissions and financial aid components of UDSIS are fully up and running, but we’re using pieces of the other components, too,” Rivell said. “We used UDSIS in financial aid with the early decision process this December and it assisted with data management,” Johnie Burton, director of financial aid, said. “A big benefit of UDSIS is that now all the information is stored on a computer rather than in files in a cabinet,” he said. “Before, when questions arose, we had to wet our thumbs and look through a lot of papers to see what the numbers were. Now we can call everything up on a screen.” The UDSIS system, which is being installed by the University’s Information Technologies group and is assisted by the CEDAR Group, a software development consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, also is believed to be more stable and robust than the SIS/Plus system, thereby decreasing technical headaches. To acknowledge the latest advances in the UDSIS implementation process, a reception was held Jan. 4 at the Blue & Gold Club for UD and CEDAR Group employees who worked on the frontlines of UDSIS over the past 15 months. Leeann Wentzell and Nancy Soletti, departing CEDAR Group consultants who worked closely with UD project teams during the planning and implementation of UDSIS, were recognized for their service at the event. For more information, visit [www.udel.edu/UDSISproject]. Article by Becca Hutchinson |
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