Recruiting Information Recruiting Information Systems: Making the Data Systems: Making the Data

AccessibleAccessible

A Case Study from the A Case Study from the University of New OrleansUniversity of New Orleans

Management of Student Management of Student Information SystemsInformation Systems

July 16 – 19, 2000July 16 – 19, 2000

Paul M. WeiserPaul M. WeiserAssistant to the Dean forAssistant to the Dean forInformation ProcessingInformation Processing

University of New OrleansUniversity of New Orleans

pmweiser@uno.edupmweiser@uno.edu

Chapter 1

Setting the Stage

University of New Orleans•Louisiana’s urban university-195 acres on Lake Pontchartrain

•Member of the Louisiana State University System

•16,000 students (12,000 undergraduates and 4,000 graduates)

•44 undergraduate programs, 34 master’s and 10 doctoral

•Primarily a commuter school (81% from N.O. metro area)

•Recruiting efforts increased for out of state students

Current Legacy System for Student Current Legacy System for Student Academic Records, Admissions, and Academic Records, Admissions, and Recruiting:Recruiting:

•Online since 1988•IMS Hierarchical Database (homegrown)•Runs on IBM 3270 Mainframe•Text-based user interface•Coming Soon: PeopleSoft (campus wide)

Query: To Convert Data into Meaningful Query: To Convert Data into Meaningful Information. UNO – Centralized Query Information. UNO – Centralized Query System:System:

•All run by Office of Registrar or Admissions•Using Computer Associates “EARL”•EARL: Text-based, very similar to COBOL•Delivery Truck

•Select one student and view all contacts•2 options: Detail or Summary

Recruiters can:

Chapter 2

The Problem Explained

•Driven by contact codes and dates•All contact activity is stored•Began storing contacts in 1995•Current contact flatfile > 1.8M

Current Recruiting Information System:

Recruiters cannot:

•Extract information based on a specific contact•Analyze geo-demographic patterns and trends•Create adhoc queries•Access information while on the road•Evaluate the Success of their Efforts ($$$$)

Chapter 3

The First Solution

Solution #1

Give Recruiters Access to ContactData on the Mainframe

Need a System that is:

•Easy to use•Graphical•Portable•Able to be shared•Flexible•Cost Effective (i.e. cheap)

Chapter 4

The Second Solution

Application of Choice:

MS Access

•Select prospects based on any field•Specific value or range of values•Can provide detail and summary info.•Information can be shared with others•Seamless integration into other apps•Easily upgradeable / updateable•Flexible presentation of information•Easily placed on laptop for travel•Gives control of information to end user•Cost effective

•I.T. staff creates ASCII file from IBM mainframe•Import into MS-Access using pre-defined delims•Recruiters use data at their own discretion•Fresh data easily imported

Recipe for Converting Data into Information: