STUDENTS FIRST! PROCESS REDESIGN
CHANGE PROPOSAL AND ACTION PLAN

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SERVICE:
Information Dissemination - Plan for Unified Collection and Distribution of Information

Current Situation:

Student information is collected, maintained, and disseminated by a variety of offices and individuals using several independent systems. These information sources operate under, at best, diffuse management, and training for information providers is uneven.

Student information may relate to enrollment and registration, financial aid, financial account activity, advising, and career development, as well as a variety of locations and activities. This information may be accessed by students through personal interaction with employees and through a variety of media including print, telephone, and electronic databases such as those maintained on the mainframe, the Wide Area Network (WAN), and the Internet.

Students and employees are inconvenienced and annoyed by not having a single, readily identifiable source of information and by receiving sometimes inaccurate information from the sources they contact. During input sessions, students and employees reported that they often make several contacts before obtaining even basic information and that the information they receive is frequently faulty.

Research indicates that information is presented inconsistently because it is drawn from independent, unreconciled sources and because of timing differences. Some departments, for example, maintain records separate from Lane's centrally-maintained student database. Reconciliation of these databases occurs sporadically, resulting in the delivery of inconsistent information to students. Students reported that the resulting inaccuracies have impaired some students ability to graduate.

This change proposal examines and presents recommendations regarding the four elements of the information collection and distribution process: the telephone system, printed material, student database, and the wide area network (or WAN). In addition, cable Channel 12 is included as another element of information distribution. The current status of each is described below.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM: Students and employees reported that they cannot reach Lane by phone at various times throughout the year. This situation gave rise to high levels of student and employee frustration resulting from: 1) an inability to obtain information in a timely, efficient manner; and 2) the inconvenience associated with having to travel to and from a Lane location to register in person. Ultimately, the lack of telephone access resulted in non-registration, and loss of FTE and funding.

Lane's ability to deliver services via the telephone is hampered because: 1) two separate phone systems operate under separate management without integration or sharing of resources; and 2) information regarding this access option is not easily available. Additionally some students find it difficult to use. ClassLine, the automated telephone registration system, is underutilized in part because instructions are difficult to find in the class schedule. Scripts for ClassLine and GradeLine (automated telephone grade reporting system) are outdated and difficult to interact with.

PRINTED MATERIAL: Printed material is prepared and disseminated by a variety of sources. The volume of print material handled by the one office responsible for establishing standards and/or maintaining accuracy hampers their ability to monitor the quality of printed materials. Often materials go out without consultation. This results in inconsistent and inaccurate information on which students base educationally-related decisions.

STUDENT DATABASE: Research indicates that at least six automated data repositories duplicating all or portions of Lane's principal student database (which is currently resident on the Lane mainframe) are maintained by Lane departments and offices. During interviews, employees reported that they require supplementary data not currently maintained on the mainframe. For example, third-party sponsors require student data that is not maintained on the mainframe. Employees, to be responsive to these sponsors, and often to continue to receive funding, have developed their own databases.

Employees reported that they may enter the same data into as many as three systems.

INFORMATION ACCESS: COLLEGE WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN) /WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW): Limited information is accessible on-line. Departments have developed home pages using a variety of approaches and sources. Expertise and training in the development of home pages is uneven. Computer services employees also maintain the home pages as their time allows - a situation that ultimately leads to the dissemination of outdated information.

Desired Situation:

Lane provides students and employees a single point of access to comprehensive electronic information regarding services to students. The information is accurate, timely, integrated and easily referenced. Electronic information is readily and broadly accessible. Content is developed and maintained by utilizing Lane's most knowledgeable resources. Planning and support is coordinated and on-going.

Proposed Solution:

Form an Information Planning Team (planning team). This team will create a comprehensive plan which spans all methods of information dissemination. The planning team will organize and lead the formation and training of a Students First! Information Support Team (information team). The planning team's mission will be to facilitate the development and maintenance of an information dissemination infrastructure supporting other Students First! teams. The planning team will become a permanent unit at Lane. The team will include representation from: Computer Services, Institutional Advancement, Instruction, Students First! Center, Technology Think Tank, Outreach Centers, and Continuing Education.

The Students First! Information Support Team, also a permanent unit, will report to the planning team and be responsible for the total information system. The team will include people with the skills required for information duties related to the WAN, telephone, cable television, and printed materials. Team representation may include individual(s) from Institutional Advancement, services to students departments, switchboard, cable channel 12, and computer services.

Four individual change proposals are presented to address each element of the information collection and dissemination process.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM: Develop and maintain an integrated telephone system. This system will result from the integration of the two current telephone systems. A unified telephone team will script, program, and work with departments to ensure that these departments fully utilize the system's capabilities in serving students.

PRINTED MATERIAL: Coordinate development and dissemination of printed materials through the information support team. Working with source departments, ensure that these materials present information accurately and in a manner that students readily understand.

STUDENT DATABASE: Develop an integrated system with the flexibility to accommodate unique reporting requirements. This system will eliminate unnecessary redundant data entry and allow the capture, maintenance, and reporting of data required for focused reporting purposes (e.g., for reporting to third-party sponsors). System security will allow authorized users to access and potentially update appropriate information.

INFORMATION ACCESS: COLLEGE WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN) /WORLD WIDE WEB (WEB): Plan, implement, and maintain a comprehensive information system focused on providing students and employees with a single virtual location at which a comprehensive and accurate set of information regarding services to students can be accessed. This project establishes and institutionalizes this information access and dissemination infrastructure. Components of this project include acquisition and implementation of software, and extensive and ongoing training in the acquisition and analysis of information.

CABLE CHANNEL 12: Increase usage of the cable channel as another information vehicle for students, employees and the community-at-large.

Coach (from Redesign Team): Rich Freund, Jane Scheidecker
Sponsor: Diane Dann, Linda Fossen, Marie Matsen
Due Date: For information system plan: 1-12-97
Performance Measure(s):

Measurement	Tools for Measuring	Responsibility for Tracking Measurement
increase by 10% in 1997 and 1998 the percentage of students who get what they need the first place they go for information	baseline = OSRL survey follow-up = student survey	Information Dissemination Process Owner Manager

Action Plan for Implementing Solution:

Task	By Whom	By When	Resources Required
Form Information Planning Team	Rich, Marie	9/1/96	3 hours
Develop long range plan for web-based software implementation and information technology to support information system including funding allocation and budgeting.	Information Planning Team	12/1/96	576 hours
Develop plan to develop relationally linked student databases.	Information Planning Team	12/1/96
Review Web page software/hardware (new)	Information Planning Team	ongoing
Create RFP for Web page hardware & software (new)	Information Planning Team	12/1/97	20 hours
Purchase Web page software	Computer Services	1/1/98
Identify additional members to Information Planning Team to oversee database linking project. Charter and launch team.	Information Planning Team	12/15/96	8 hours
Form Students First! Information Support Team	Information Planning Team	11/15/96
Create process for information gathering and processing for total information system	Information Planning Team	12/8/96	144 hours (3 days each)
Implement process: pilot information and process that can go on the Web immediately; pilot handling of all other paper information through temporary paper process. Team goes full time on this project December 15, 1996: team size and time commitment is continually evaluated and revised accordingly. Due date for eliminating paper process: January 1, 1998.	Information Planning Team	12/15/96
Check in sessions monthly (360 degree review for entire team)	Information Planning Team	1/15/96	1 hour monthly