Imagine never standing in a registration line again. Imagine choosing and receiving approval for classes from your personal computer at home. This is only a small part of the vision for Hillsdale's new administrative software system that Information Technology Services (ITS) is putting together.
"It would be great," junior Leah Turner said. "Registration can be from 30 minutes to two hours, you just never know."
The ITS department has employed Datatel, a software company serving over 630 customers nationwide, specializing only in higher education systems.
"The new program will not diminish the personal level, but will service the student better and enhance the personal core Hillsdale is founded upon," said Rich Moeggenberg, new director of student financial aid.
Datatel will offer online registration, access to up-to-date financial balances, payment histories and financial aid status. It will also be integrated with Blackboard and lead to upgrades on the academic website.
For prospective students, a program called Liquid Matrix-a personal and interactive recruiting software-will be put in place, enhancing the Administrative web site. This tool will allow prospective and new students to follow their admissions process, do their initial applying online, and access their financial aid status.
David Zenz, executive director of the ITS department, said he is excited about this unique initial glimpse new students will receive.
"It will present Hillsdale well," Zenz said, "and give a much more friendly and engaging experience in the admissions process."
Access to academic records, registration, degree audits, current student pictures, class rosters, and even the ID card system will all be done digitally, kept current and easy to access. The financial side of the college will also be integrated into Datatel, with the alumni/donor funds accounted for and managed in a specific program called Benefactor.
For the faculty and administration that have used the current program for the last 30 years, the efficiency of Datatel will be relieving.
"My colleagues here at the registrar and financial offices work very diligently," switchboard operator Linda Solomon said. "A lot of paperwork moves through here."
Tentatively, the prospective student sites should be up sometime in Spring 2005, the Financial Aid system in July 2005, and the Admissions system in October 2005, ready for the Spring 2006 application process online.
"This change gives the institution a chance to look at current business practices and re-engineer them to be as efficient as possible," Zenz said.
His goal of finding "the best practices" in applying this new software leads to careful implementation, training, and decision-making encompassed in this transition. Striving for accuracy, the ITS department is working meticulously to clean up data, improve entry techniques and accuracy, and test out the program.
"We want to make sure the systems are highly integrated," Zenz said. "The technology ought to be unobtrusive."