For the first time since online registration began, FAU has decided to spend four years and $2.1 million to make its system self-sufficient. It’s not because the old system wasn’t working, but it lacked student privacy and a million dollar contract was about to end.
“We wanted to make students feel safer while registering for classes as well as have an easier time doing so,” says Terry Mena, interim dean of Student Affairs. “That’s possible with the new self-supported FAU system.”
The old registration system was powered by System Control Technologies (SCT) and later SunGard Higher Education – two operating systems that were not in favor of student safety and ease. Running out of a Tallahassee mainframe, it was not efficient for nighttime users and required student Social Security numbers. This semester was chosen for the change because the million dollar upkeep contract with SunGard ends in December.
“I never liked typing in my Social Security number,” says junior English major Herman Lovett. “And I always wanted to look up classes at night, but the system didn’t run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.”
The new system has found a way around these problems by running 24/7 and allowing students to use a different identification code called a “Z-number.” Z-numbers have been assigned to all students and pop up instantly when signed onto MyFAU. The system also offers greater access and more web-based applications.
Vice President of Information Resource Management (IRM) Jeff Schilit worked closely with administration and faculty to get the new system up and running.
“Starting an online registration system of our own here at FAU wasn’t easy,” says Schilit, “we had to make sure student information matched up as well as upload existing information – this process took over 4 years to complete. In the end we saved money by using their own techniques and staff [including: IRM, undergraduate admissions, graduate admissions, registrar, financial aid and accounts receivable.]”
FAU spent $2.1 million of Educational and General funds to create and implement the new system. Most of that money was spent on consulting services which taught IRM staff how to use the new software, upload previous information, and how to transition into the new system. The new design will not be completely self-efficient; in fact FAU will still be paying an annual fee to SunGard for the system’s upkeep.
Comparable to other systems in the state university system, this registration system has been by far the most cost-effective and most secure for students.
“Departments and the system will no longer require student Social Security numbers,” says Mena. “This makes the system safer and offers students more privacy.”
But some students feel that their privacy hasn’t increased this semester. In fact, they feel it has gotten worse.
“I got an e-mail telling me I had to physically register for classes that require a prerequisite with the [department permission] form,” says Keith Scholls, a junior fine arts major. “When I got there, I wrote down my name, e-mail, required classes and Social Security number – how safe is that?”
Not recording student records properly is one of several problems with the system at this point. Other errors include class ranking mistakes, delayed expected graduation dates, students labeled as attending “Until the End of Time,” and no links to past grades. IRM and Schilit expect these mistakes to be fixed no later than December.
“These things take time,” says Mena, “Look at how long it took just to implement the system itself.”
