SERVICE: Enrollment--Standard Admission Application and Processing

Current Situation:

All new students (credit and non-credit) must complete an application for admission to Lane. Every year approximately 16,500 new applications are completed in the Admissions Office. At least six different admission applications are used by a variety of programs and departments. Adult Basic and Secondary Education (ABSE), Training and Development, Continuing Education, Business and Industry Services, and several credit-based instructional departments have created their own unique application to accommodate information requirements for their specific student group. In addition, several programs (e.g., ABSE) and departments maintain separate databases for both their own and external agency use. The various applications and databases often results in the collection of incomplete data for reporting.

Students who complete an application for a non-credit program are usually unaware that the non-credit application does not automatically allow them to sign up for credit classes. If a non-credit student wants to take credit classes, he or she must complete a credit application. Students applying for credit classes are encouraged to also complete a CreditLine application so that they can charge goods and services.

Students are also unaware that many unique and special programs (e.g., Family and Health Occupation Careers, Early Childhood Development, Emergency Medical Technology, Drug Dependency, Hotel Management, Apprenticeship, Broadcasting, Mechanics, Graphic Design) require additional application and acceptance procedures that differ greatly from their initial Lane application. Indicating the desired major on the Lane application may not automatically admit a student into some programs. In every student and staff input session, it was clearly and adamantly stated that students don't know their official status. In particular, students don't know that there is additional criteria for some programs.

Application processing includes proofing with the student at the time of contact, data entry, filing, editing, re-filing, microfiche production for records, and a second microfiche filming for the archives. Processing involves considerable employee time at the main campus and outreach centers.

Desired Situation:

New student applications are available over the College's Wide Area Network (WAN) and World Wide Web (WWW) site. Students are educated and encouraged towards self-service data entry. When students complete an application, they leave with a clear understanding of their status, are happy with their first impression of Lane, and proud to be a student because the process was so easy. Employees are pleased to have time available to offer a full spectrum of services to students, meet individual student needs, and perform other high value duties.

Proposed Solution:

Develop one user-friendly admission application for use by applicants to both credit and non-credit programs. Incorporate the current CreditLine information in the application. Students will enter data once and supply additional data when necessary to change their status. This will enable students to take whatever classes they need without filling out another application.

The application will be available for electronic entry via Lane's Wide Area Network (WAN) and the World Wide Web (WWW). Security controls will be in place for WAN and WWW users, with access being determined by personal identification numbers (PIN). The electronic application will have designated fields that, based on a student's answer to questions, will prompt students to complete additional appropriate fields. This would particularly pertain to information requirements of departments with special programs. There will be a history file of name changes as well as a WAN and WWW address history for who changed what data. A hard copy will also be available for students who do not have access to electronic media. The hard copy will also include questions pertaining to special program requirements or instruct applicants to contact those programs directly. However, incentives will be developed to encourage students to input their own application information electronically.

When students enter their own information, employee time used for processing will be freed up. Processing will be redesigned to provide employees more time to address individual student concerns and needs.

Coach(from Redesign Team): Bee McRae, Sharon Williams
Sponsor: Linda Fossen, Larry Warford
Due Date: September, 1997
Performance Measure(s):

Measurement	Tools for Measuring	Responsibility for Tracking Measurement
decrease processing time per application from 25 minutes to 15 minutes by July 1998	baseline = Director of Admission's estimate follow-up = staff tracking system	Students First! Center Process Owner Manager

Action Plan For Implementing Solution:

Task	By Whom	By When	Resources Required
Develop questionnaire for managers from departments with their own application form. Determine information that needs to be included in a single consolidated application form.	Sharon Williams	8/96
Create draft of on-line screen and hard copy form including instructions.	Nick Cheshire, Sharon Williams, Debra Lamb, Leslie Rasor, other depts. with own apps., programmer/WWW programmer, Craig Taylor	9/96 - 11/96	80 programming hours
Train programmers to develop programs for communicating between the WAN and student database.	Trainer and appropriate personnel to be determined	9/96 - 9/96
Establish process for entering hard copy application information into the student database	Nick, Sharon, Debra, Leslie, other depts. with own apps., programmer/WWW programmer, Craig	9/96 - 11/96
Build input (i.e., additional) questions for electronic application	Nick, Sharon, Leslie, Depts. with own apps., programmer/WWW programmer	10/96 - 11/96	40 programming hours
Test draft on-line screen and application with students and employees. Redesign based on recommendations.	Nick, Sharon, Leslie, Debra, Programmer/WWW programmer	11/96 - 12/96
Design and build WAN, WWW, and Student Database programs for PIN # - Application -Address Change	Nick, programmer/WWW programmer	12/96 - 4/97	400 programming hours
Train and prepare staff to answer questions from students about the new application process	Nick, Sharon , Debra, Leslie, Programmer	2/97
Update all relevant publications to students on new simplified application form	Sharon, Leslie, Debra	2/97 - 6/97
Programmer(s) write program to link application screen to WAN and WWW	Nick, Lee Hallin, Programmer/WWW programmer	5/97 - 6/97
16 programming hours	Create and distribute hard copy forms	Nick, Sharon, Leslie, Debra, key employees	5/97 - 6/97