Turning Information Into Action:Enterprise Reporting at

Columbia University

Turning Information Into Action:Enterprise Reporting at

Columbia University

Maria E. Mosca, DirectorStudent Information Systems

Columbia University in the City of New York

EDUCAUSE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference 2004Baltimore, MD

January 14, 2004

Copyright Maria E. Mosca and Bernhard Kluger, 2004. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

Maria E. Mosca, DirectorStudent Information Systems

Columbia University in the City of New York

EDUCAUSE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference 2004Baltimore, MD

January 14, 2004

Copyright Maria E. Mosca and Bernhard Kluger, 2004. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

Presentation GoalPresentation Goal

To describe the evolving role of reporting in support of administrative officers engaged in the delivery and evaluation of student services at Columbia.

To describe the evolving role of reporting in support of administrative officers engaged in the delivery and evaluation of student services at Columbia.

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

i. About Columbia and SISii. Client Collaborationiii. Technology Innovationiv. Resultsv. New Directions

i. About Columbia and SISii. Client Collaborationiii. Technology Innovationiv. Resultsv. New Directions

About Columbia and SISAbout Columbia and SIS

Columbia UniversityColumbia University

• Located in New York City

• Founded 1754• 23,400 Students• 7,700 Degrees

Conferred • 8,900 Faculty and Staff• 17 Schools across 4

campuses• Highly Decentralized…

• Located in New York City

• Founded 1754• 23,400 Students• 7,700 Degrees

Conferred • 8,900 Faculty and Staff• 17 Schools across 4

campuses• Highly Decentralized…

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/Facts2003.htmhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/Facts2003.htm

What Is SIS?What Is SIS?

• Mission Statement– At SIS we provide the

best possible integrated student information services to the Columbia University community by working collaboratively to ensure the accessibility, integrity, and security of student information.

• Mission Statement– At SIS we provide the

best possible integrated student information services to the Columbia University community by working collaboratively to ensure the accessibility, integrity, and security of student information.

What Is SIS?What Is SIS?

• Structure– A Partnership of Administrative Information Services

and the Division of Student Services– 25 employees in application development,

maintenance, help desk, training, business process consulting, and reporting.

• Structure– A Partnership of Administrative Information Services

and the Division of Student Services– 25 employees in application development,

maintenance, help desk, training, business process consulting, and reporting.

The Student Life CycleThe Student Life Cycle

• Admissions

• Financial Aid

• Housing

• Records

• Accounts

• Admissions

• Financial Aid

• Housing

• Records

• Accounts

• Admissions– Does the composition of our applicant pool meet our

diversity goals?• Financial Aid

– Are we meeting the full financial need of our students as their personal circumstances change from year to year?

• Housing– How many admitted students are likely to request

housing?• Records

– What has been the impact of academic advising on the performance of students in my program?

• Accounts– How well are we managing cash flow from 3rd-party

tuition payments?

• Admissions– Does the composition of our applicant pool meet our

diversity goals?• Financial Aid

– Are we meeting the full financial need of our students as their personal circumstances change from year to year?

• Housing– How many admitted students are likely to request

housing?• Records

– What has been the impact of academic advising on the performance of students in my program?

• Accounts– How well are we managing cash flow from 3rd-party

tuition payments?

The Student Life CycleThe Student Life Cycle

The SIS Reporting ModelThe SIS Reporting Model

Client Collaboration

Technology Innovation

Accessibility of Information

yields

drives

Evaluation

Client CollaborationClient Collaboration

Client CollaborationClient Collaboration

• Develop Client Expertise in Reporting

• Evaluate Services in Consultation with Clients

• Package and Promote Common Tasks

• Develop Client Expertise in Reporting

• Evaluate Services in Consultation with Clients

• Package and Promote Common Tasks

Develop Client ExpertiseDevelop Client Expertise

• Monthly New User Orientation

• On-Site Training for Advanced Users

• Mobile Training Lab

• infoline@columbia.edu

– In 2003, received 2,436 requests from 426 distinct users across 99 offices

• Monthly New User Orientation

• On-Site Training for Advanced Users

• Mobile Training Lab

• infoline@columbia.edu

– In 2003, received 2,436 requests from 426 distinct users across 99 offices

Evaluate Current SystemsEvaluate Current Systems

• SIS Advisory Committee• User Groups

– Admissions – Financial Aid– Reporting

• Working Groups– Address

Management– Identity Management

• infoline@columbia.edu

• SIS Advisory Committee• User Groups

– Admissions – Financial Aid– Reporting

• Working Groups– Address

Management– Identity Management

• infoline@columbia.edu

Package Common TasksPackage Common Tasks

From green screens and green bar paper…From green screens and green bar paper…

…to one click online reports via personalized portal.

…to one click online reports via personalized portal.

Technology InnovationTechnology Innovation

SIS Systems: In the beginning…SIS Systems: In the beginning…

The Student Information System

Initiation: 1992• Users (’03): 980• Platform: 0S/390

Mainframe• Ad Hoc: none

CICS/VSAM/Cobol

The Student Information System

Initiation: 1992• Users (’03): 980• Platform: 0S/390

Mainframe• Ad Hoc: none

CICS/VSAM/Cobol

First Generation ReportingFirst Generation Reporting

SISUMENU (SIS User MENU)Initiation: 1992• Users: 25 and

falling• Platform: 0S/390

Mainframe• Ad Hoc: FOCUS in CMS

Green Bar Paper, Green Screens

SISUMENU (SIS User MENU)Initiation: 1992• Users: 25 and

falling• Platform: 0S/390

Mainframe• Ad Hoc: FOCUS in CMS

Green Bar Paper, Green Screens

Second Generation ReportingSecond Generation Reporting

SIS Report ServerInitiation: 1994• Users: 50 and falling• Platform: Sybase, AIX Unix• Ad Hoc: SQL, Query Tools

including Brio, Access & InfoMaker

SIS Report ServerInitiation: 1994• Users: 50 and falling• Platform: Sybase, AIX Unix• Ad Hoc: SQL, Query Tools

including Brio, Access & InfoMaker

Point & Click

Third Generation ReportingThird Generation Reporting

SIS Desktop ReportsInitiation: 2000• Users: 296 and rising• Platform: InfoMaker • Ad Hoc: None

Sybase stored procedures, parameter-driven

SIS Desktop ReportsInitiation: 2000• Users: 296 and rising• Platform: InfoMaker • Ad Hoc: None

Sybase stored procedures, parameter-driven

“Next” Generation Reporting“Next” Generation Reporting

Web Reporting SystemInitiation: 2004• Users: 30 and rising• Platform: WebFOCUS

on AIX Unix

• Ad Hoc: TBD

Portal channels

Web Reporting SystemInitiation: 2004• Users: 30 and rising• Platform: WebFOCUS

on AIX Unix

• Ad Hoc: TBD

Portal channels

ResultsResults

ResultsResults

Report Writing

… to a balanced toolkit and support for all… to a balanced toolkit and support for all

1997

Report Writing

Help DeskAdvanced Tool Dev’t

Business Process

Consulting

2004

A single super expert user w/Focus…

ResultsResults

• The Data– 500 reports available– 30,000 reports produced annually– Declining use of mainframe and ad hoc

reporting

• Significance– Greater accessibility, integrity and security– Improved student service delivery

• The Data– 500 reports available– 30,000 reports produced annually– Declining use of mainframe and ad hoc

reporting

• Significance– Greater accessibility, integrity and security– Improved student service delivery

New DirectionsNew Directions

New DirectionsNew Directions

• Technology Innovation– Web Reporting– uPortal

• Client Collaboration– Business Process

Consulting– Working Groups --

CUDOS

• Technology Innovation– Web Reporting– uPortal

• Client Collaboration– Business Process

Consulting– Working Groups --

CUDOS

                                                

          

Columbia UniversityStudent Information Systems

www.columbia.edu/cu/sis

Columbia UniversityStudent Information Systems

www.columbia.edu/cu/sis

Maria E. Mosca, Directormaria.mosca@columbia.edu

Bernie Kluger, Associate Director

bkluger@columbia.edu

Maria E. Mosca, Directormaria.mosca@columbia.edu

Bernie Kluger, Associate Director

bkluger@columbia.edu

Thank you !Thank you !