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From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at Bradley University

From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at Bradley University . Electronic Document Routing Saves Time and Money. Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar Rebecca Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing Services Vicky Stoughton, Software Architect. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011.

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From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at Bradley University

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  1. From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at Bradley University Electronic Document Routing Saves Time and Money Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar Rebecca Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing Services Vicky Stoughton, Software Architect Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  2. Document Routing System Gumbo DocSoup AND CRCRS? Two similar requests to automate processes came in at the same time in spring, 2009 User requirements: two different interfaces Two groups of users for development and testing . . . and both in a hurry for a solution (by fall) Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  3. Really, by Fall . . . ? Why the hurry? Economic downturn – directive to save real $. Controller came to IT for help to make this happen in current budget year. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  4. Really, by Fall . . . ? Why the hurry? Economic downturn – directive to save real $. Controller came to IT for help to make this happen in current budget year. End users overwhelmed with manual processes. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  5. Really, by Fall . . . ? Why the hurry? • Economic downturn – directive to save real $. Controller came to IT for help to make this happen in current budget year. • End users overwhelmed with manual processes. • Frustration over lack of a solution for automating curriculum change management. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  6. Really, by Fall . . . ? Why the hurry? • Economic downturn – directive to save real $. Controller came to IT for help to make this happen in current budget year. • End users overwhelmed with manual processes. • Frustration over lack of a solution for automating curriculum change management. • Digital signature in Adobe .pdf files quit working Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  7. How? Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  8. How? • Put our Java training to the test and made a decision on our development direction Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  9. How? • Put our Java training to the test and made a decision on our development direction • Created focus group with core users Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  10. How? • Put our Java training to the test and made a decision on our development direction • Created focus group with core users • Talented new hire with Web application development experience who loves a challenge! Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  11. The Solution . . . • Java-based Web App with forms creation, fill, and routing with authenticated approvals. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  12. The Solution . . . • Forms creation, fill, and routing with authenticated approvals • User-determined routing and business rules Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  13. The Solution • Forms creation, fill, and routing with authenticated approvals • User-determined routing and business rules • Prototype approved mid-summer; systems rolled out to users by fall. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  14. The Solution • Forms creation, fill and routing with authenticated approvals • User-determined routing and buiness rules • Prototype approval mid-summer; systems rolled out to users by fall. • Piles of paper replaced with web-based systems accessible from anywhere. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  15. CRCRS: Curriculum and Regulations Committee Routing System Application developers and steering committee fine-tuned available features: • Attach supporting documents • Need “notes” to route with documents • Determine how to handle “Action Items” • Create filter for reporting • Create sortable columns for viewing Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  16. CRCRS: Packet Creation Submission of a Course Addition • Log in. • Create a document packet. • Enter the form data and save. • Add supporting material (if required). • Add notes (if required). • Affiliate related documents (if required). • Route. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  17. CRCRS

  18. CRCRS

  19. CRCRS

  20. CRCRS

  21. CRCRS: Routing & Approval Approval of a Course Addition • Login. • Open Action Items list • Select the document packet from the Action Items • Add additional supporting material (if needed) • Add notes (if needed) • Add related documents (if needed) • Enter response. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  22. CRCRS

  23. CRCRS

  24. CRCRS: Curriculum Filter • Select multiple values from multiple parameters. • Select affiliated documents to be included. • Select additional description to be included. • Can sort columns. • Can navigate to and from this report to document packets. • Can export to an excel file. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  25. CRCRS

  26. CRCRS: Master Course List Master Course List Update of a Course Addition • Find the course to modify. • Press CRaCkRs button (top right) to link to system. • Press Merge Button (bottom right). Changes come across and changed fields are highlighted. • Course prerequisite process is the same. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  27. Lessons Learned • If you build it, they will come. • . . . and they will want to change it. These were the first apps our programmers had rolled out to a wide campus audience, which included all faculty. They were in for a surprise! • Have a plan in place to manage the enhancement process. Thank goodness for our focus groups and steering committees. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  28. Recent Enhancements • C&R and other committee chairs can select which items will be on meeting agendas. The committee members know exactly what will be on the agenda and can focus only on those packets. • Course descriptions can be finalized and pulled into Master Course List in SIS. • Needed improvement in the process of checking for prerequisite requirements. This is currently in testing. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  29. Some Unexpected Results (continued) • Committee members bring their laptops to follow along and ask question on packets up for approval. • Provost, faculty, Senate members have started using “CRCRS lingo” – a sure sign of acceptance! • Some committees are choosing to use the “approval” as a vote for or against a change. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  30. Why it Worked • The time was right. It wasn’t pushed from either the administrative or the IT sides. It was time for a change. • Registrar and others worked as true partners with IT – defining business rules, refining processes, and managing enhancements. • Programming staff were able to do rapid development so users could see changes quickly; system is stable, developed faith in the system. • System provides enhanced features that improve processes. For instance, instant archiving of all curriculum changes in electronic format. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  31. Where We Are Today • Even the skeptics are on board (well, most of them). • System is stable. Statistics can be provided, results are real. User Interface has been tweaked. • Steering committees are in place to manage changes and will be for the foreseeable future. System users and data/process owners make the decisions. • Course description and other content is being loaded into Master Course List and Prerequisites defined. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  32. The Future • Create portions of catalog from the Master Course List. • Create on-line Schedule of Classes from the Master Course List. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  33. CRCRS: System Administration Managing delegates, documents and roles • Assign users as delegates. • Assign users to create document packets. • Assign users to roles. • Assign roles to routing. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  34. CRCRS

  35. CRCRS

  36. CRCRS

  37. CRCRS

  38. CRCRS: Deployment Publishing a new release • “What’s New” link on the home page. • Release Notes updated for each publish. crcrs Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  39. CRCRS

  40. CRCRS: Core Java Component Structure/Architecture Development Environment • Enterprise: MyEclipse 8.61 • Version Control: SVN Subclipse 1.6 • Java: JRE Sun JDK 1.6.0 • Servlet: J2EE 1.4 • Page: JSP & JSTL • Testing: JUNIT 3.8.2 • Database: SQL Anywhere 11 Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  41. CRCRS: Core Java Component Structure/Architecture: Package (for each document) • Business Rule – Class for document properties and methods to save and delete. (uses Data Access) • Data Access – Object class to execute Insert, Update, Delete, and Select stored procedures (uses Sql Scripts) • Unit Testing – J-Unit test to ensure Business Rule and Data Access function correctly. (uses Business Rule) • SQL Scripts – SQL script file for creating document Table, Insert, Update, Delete, and Select procedures. Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  42. CRCRS: Core Java Component Structure/Architecture: (continued) • Web Servlet • User Interface: HTTPServlet doGet(), do Post() (uses Business Rule) • Web Root: • JSP Page: HTML, JSTL, Javascript Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

  43. For More Information Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar, Bradley University akindler@bradley.edu 309-677-3106 Rebecca Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing Services becky@bradley.edu 309-677-2953 Vicky Stoughton, Software Architect vstoughton@bradley.edu 309-677-4859 Session 2.16 October 27, 2011

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