Getting the FACTS in Florida Linda Thanasides Florida Center for Advising and Academic Support...

Getting the FACTS in Florida

Linda Thanasides

Florida Center for Advising and Academic Support

October 13, 2000

Copyright - FCAAS 2000

How Did It All Start?How Did It All Start?

State of Florida was mandated to establish a statewide advising system in 1997 to link 38 public post-secondary institutions for information transfer

FACTS (Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students) was created

Short-time frame for prototype implementation – 9 months


What is FACTS?What is FACTS?

Distributed, platform independent, web-based delivery system

Links institutions together with real-time communication

Interfaces with each institution’s host applications to maintain data integrity


Technically Speaking…Technically Speaking…

Central Web Site– IBM Mainframe (CICS/VSAM/DB2)– Central server is an RS/6000, SP2– Locally written code eliminates need for

middle ware communication software

Institutional Systems:– MVS, OS/400, Unix, NT, Etc.

Network Interfaces:– TCP/IP socket connections, CICS Sockets


FACTS Provides ServicesFACTS Provides Services

Students can – Retrieve transcripts– Receive academic advising– See what is needed to complete a

degree at any other institution in the system

– Construct “what if” scenarios– Make coursework assumptions for

educational planning– Link to other sites for college planning


FACTS Provides InformationFACTS Provides InformationInstitutional Info in following areas

– Admissions– Student records– Registration– Financial Aid– Fee Payments– Student Services– Library Services– Career Counseling– Distance Learning


How do you Organize 38+ How do you Organize 38+ Different Institutions?Different Institutions?Large project tackled issues one by

one but set in motion concurrentlyVarious management structures create

project management challenge– 10 Public Universities– 28 Public Community Colleges– 27 Private Institutions– Open architecture so more can join


Get the Right People InvolvedGet the Right People Involved

Cooperative effort:– State Board of Regents– State Board of Community Colleges– Community Colleges– Universities

Governing Board created from cooperating entities


Organize Team/ResourcesOrganize Team/Resources

Core team needed to establish initial communication system

FACTS needed a skilled, productive team to meet short deadline – Looked at contractors/consultants– Prototype institutions volunteered

technical resources for design and programming


Organize Initial Resource TeamOrganize Initial Resource Team

Technical Project Design Team was appointed– Define system scope– Create an initial timeline– Propose a governance structure shared by

Community Colleges and UniversitiesThis team is now our Technical

Oversight Committee


Organize Organize Administration/ManagementAdministration/Management

Management of system design is by consensus (not necessarily total agreement)

System design is a group effort– Guiding principles preserve institutional

autonomy


Permanent Central Staff NeededPermanent Central Staff Needed

Important that a trusted central staff be organized for system support– To administer funding– Implement and maintain system support– To eventually do all development so no

outsourcing is neededPermanent staff is continually

growing


““Expert Teams” Used for InputExpert Teams” Used for Input

Need user expertise and “buy-in”Organized teams in functional areas

– Comprised from departmental staff from all institutions

– Make recommendations on policy and functionality

– Suggest target dates and budget needs for additional functionality

Florida Center forAdvising and

Academic Support

Florida Center forAdvising and

Academic SupportBoard

Center StaffTechnical Oversight

Committee

TechnicalImplementation

Group (38)

SUS & CC StudentFocus Group

Distance LearningFocus Group

Academic Group(12)

Career Group (14)Financial Aid Group

(12)Admissions Group

(12)Registration Group

(12)

Fee TransactionGroup (12)

Library GroupGeneral StudentServices Group

CC Student AffairsCouncil

CC InstructionalAffairs Council

SUS CAVP

FASFAA FACRAOCC Business

Offices

FLORIDA ACADEMICCOUNSELING and TRACKING for

STUDENTSORGANIZATION CHART

FCAASRevised 10/23/98


Helpful HintsHelpful Hints

Initial start up organization is different from long term organization– Focus is different– Resources may be different

Important to reassess project– Goals– Resources– Processes


Helpful HintsHelpful Hints

Be aware of time commitments for “volunteers”

Prepare for growth

Communicate!!


Institutional BenefitsInstitutional Benefits

Benefit of increasing knowledge and expertise of Center staff for services

Software packages provided by Center for institutional development

Sharing of data previously unavailable

All institutions can have a web presence

Greater exposure to potential students


Student BenefitsStudent Benefits

One web address to gather information

Gather information without having to go to several campus offices

Provide off-campus services to distance learners

Allow almost 24-hour-a-day access to student information


Student BenefitsStudent Benefits

Transfer between institutions is easier

Interagency agreements make student access to information easier– Common course numbering– Articulation agreements– Common prerequisites


Impact on Administrators/StaffImpact on Administrators/Staff

Time to spend with greater number of students

Use FACTS as an informational tool

Force the accuracy of data presented to students


Impact on InstitutionsImpact on Institutions

Forcing policy changes– Hours of business– Distribution of information– Internal policy changes

• Processing electronic signatures• Residency affidavits• Fee payments• Other online forms



Pressure to offer quality services– From students– From state legislature– From institution—to stay in competition

with local and national offerings



Cost efficiencies are occurring– Institutions are not buying software on

their own that FACTS will provide– Changes in processes are resulting in

savings • Not mailing grades, transcripts• Staff can handle other tasks due to

less student traffic


Current Status of FACTSCurrent Status of FACTS

Thirty-one of thirty-eight public post-secondary institutions are displaying transcripts and degree audits

Implementing web-based admissions applications

Implementing a degree program search


Current Status of FACTSCurrent Status of FACTS

Enhancing current functionsAdding informational functionsWorking toward implementation of

private institutions


VISIT THE SITE!VISIT THE SITE!

FACTS.ORG

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